How to win direct bookings with AI search | with Jarrett Tomback

Episode notes

In this episode of Hotel Moment, Karen Stephens, Chief Marketing Officer of Revinate, sits down with Jarrett Tomback, Vice President of Digital Strategy and CRM at Starwood Hotels, for a wide-ranging conversation on what it means to build genuine guest loyalty, how a human-first AI philosophy actually works in practice, and why AI engine optimization has become the most important distribution investment a hotel brand can make in 2026. Jarrett manages digital strategy and CRM across three of the most distinctive lifestyle brands in global hospitality: 1 Hotels, the sustainable nature-inspired luxury brand with locations from Hanalei Bay to Tokyo; Baccarat Hotels, which brings the 250-year heritage of the Baccarat crystal brand to life in New York and beyond; and Treehouse Hotels, built entirely around the feeling of "carefreedom" and the adventurous spirit most of us associate with childhood. What you'll learn: ● Mission Membership reframes loyalty as belonging: Rather than competing with points-chasing programs, 1 Hotels' Mission Membership is designed so that guests feel they belong to something with purpose. Joining plants a tree.