AI Reality Check Series: Before Chasing AI Visibility, Get Your Digital Basics Right
Stephanie Smith recently joined The AI Reality Check Series with Revenue Hub to discuss how AI is influencing hotel digital marketing and how hotels can leverage it effectively, especially if they’re not already performing well digitally. Key Insights Hotels want to know if they appear in AI tools like ChatGPT, but it’s important to remember […]
Mastering Google Analytics 4 (GA4): A Comprehensive Guide for Hotels
Cogwheel has collaborated with Zerf to release a comprehensive Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Best Practices Guide designed to help hotels and hospitality businesses transform raw data into actionable intelligence. Whether you are managing a single hotel or a global brand, this guide provides a roadmap for navigating the event-based landscape of GA4. Full Set Up […]
Does a Hotel Press Release Impact AI Discoverability?
We think so. Press releases may be dead for Google, but consider a change of tune when it comes to AI and LLMs. A smart distribution strategy can indirectly influence how AI-powered tools see and recommend your hotel. How AI Models Actually “Learn” about Hotels Large language models aren’t scrolling your wire feed in real […]
AI in Action: Lessons from the Female Founders in Hospitality Summit
Stephanie Smith of Cogwheel recently joined an incredible panel at the Female Founders in Hospitality Summit in New York, moderated by Saadiq Rodgers-King, an AI Transformation Consultant, alongside Kim Bennett of AtlasGuru and Katrina Stalcup of Fora Travel. Here were a few of my biggest takeaways from the discussion. Start with the Problem, Not a Tool One of the biggest reasons AI pilots fail is that companies start […]
The New Hotel AI Funnel: Discoverability vs. Transaction
Not all AI investments for the hotel industry are equal. Many solutions focus on transaction infrastructure, but discoverability is often the gating factor for success. AI hotel distribution has two components: being recommended and being bookable. Most hotels should focus first on being recommendable before investing heavily in booking integrations. It’s a classic case of […]
Moving Past ROAS as Marketing KPI
For years, Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) has been treated as the gold standard for evaluating hotel marketing performance. But as traveler behavior evolves and the planning journey becomes longer and more complex, it’s clear that ROAS no longer tells the full story. A more strategic, full-funnel approach is needed. One that aligns marketing, revenue […]
10 Ways to Maximize Your Hotel’s Spa Listing on Spafinder
Spafinder isn’t just a directory—it’s a discovery engine for wellness travelers. With over 700,000 engaged users and unique distribution through Capital One and other partners, it’s a powerful tool in your spa marketing mix. But like any channel, you get out what you put in. Here are 10 ways to make your Spafinder listing work […]
Destination AI Conference: Cutting through “AI Slop” and Finding what Hoteliers Need to Know
The team at Cogwheel (Stephanie Smith, Mike Wylie and Mohammed Razib) attended the Destination AI Conference for Hoteliers in Washington DC on September 30, 2025. There is a lot of “AI slop” and every vendor is AI-first, AI-enabled or AI-augmented. This conference, in only its 2nd year, was a chance to take a pulse on […]
Empowering Women in Leadership: Insights from PCH Hotels’ Panel Discussion
PCH Hotels hosted a dynamic and heartfelt panel discussion focused on women in leadership, highlighting real-world experiences, hard-earned lessons, and powerful personal stories from three inspiring women who’ve carved their own unique paths to success. Moderated by Melissa Chambers, Senior Leader at PCH Hotels with over two decades in hospitality, the panel featured: Together, these […]
HOTELS Magazine Video Series: In Discussion with Stephanie Smith, CEO, Cogwheel Marketing
A hotel’s commercial strategy operates like a soccer team: The sales team offense; the marketing team midfield; the revenue management team defense. While sales focuses on building relationships and revenue management on providing actionable data, marketing makes the team tick—to be in front of the right guest at the right time. It takes collaboration to […]