#287: How Aimbridge is Preparing for Hospitality's A.I. Future | with Eric Ettlin

In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Eric Ettlin, Senior Vice President of Brand, Marketing, and Digital at Aimbridge Hospitality, one of the largest hotel management companies in the world.

Eric shares his journey from early digital marketing roles in finance to leading global brand and digital strategy across hundreds of hotels. He discusses what it takes to scale marketing across complex, multi-brand hotel portfolios and how third-party management differs from traditional brand-side hospitality roles.

The conversation dives deep into the evolving hospitality landscape, including how Aimbridge balances brand standards, owner expectations, and guest experience. Eric also breaks down the creation of Second Wave, Aimbridge’s in-house marketing powerhouse, and how it enables faster, more agile marketing execution across its portfolio.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

•  How Eric transitioned from finance and e-commerce into hospitality leadership 
•  What it takes to scale marketing across 1,000+ hotels and multiple global brands 
•  Why third-party hotel management creates unique marketing challenges and opportunities 
•  How Aimbridge’s “Second Wave” team is redefining in-house hospitality marketing 
•  The rise of AI in travel planning and how it’s changing SEO into GEO 

Watch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/i_MR_lr1OVk
 

Links:
Eric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericettlin
Aimbridge Hospitality: https://www.aimbridgehospitality.com/

For full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/287

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Connect with Steve and David:
Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...
David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.