Why I’m Relaunching Ellipses PR

When I first launched Ellipses PR in 2007, the San Francisco hospitality industry was red-hot. Craft bars had their star mixologists, kitchens were run by celebrity chefs, innovative restaurateurs were designing meccas of cuisine, and hoteliers were reinventing the guest experience. The media that covered the industry were robust, and food and travel writers had dozens of possible outlets to work and write for. This was right at the beginning of social media, and the concept of influencer marketing was still far away. Facebook and Yelp were both just three years old, so we still got most of our recommendations of where to dine and stay from mainstream media and word-of-mouth. Needless to say, it was a simpler time.

The Digital Transformation Decade

The following decade saw massive changes in how restaurants and hotels market themselves, shifting from traditional media like print and broadcast to digital, paid search, and social media marketing. Declining ad revenue shuttered once-thriving media outlets, and the journalists who made their living covering the industry had to find other options. Many shifted to in-house content creation roles for big dot-coms or became content creators themselves. Press trips started welcoming “social media influencers” in addition to traditional media, as PR teams and their clients began to see and track the positive impact of their partnerships on their bottom line.

Ellipses hired our first social media manager in 2015, quickly growing our expertise and services to meet the demand. Instagram became the go-to showcase for restaurants and hotels worldwide, offering an affordable way to reach and inspire their target audiences. This shift wasn’t just trendy, it was essential: today, 82% of restaurants in the U.S. use social media as their main marketing and advertising tool.

The Peak and the Pandemic

At the close of 2019, Ellipses PR was at an all-time high. We had our most successful year ever, with more than 20 clients and a full team of incredible employees, and we were looking forward to a very exciting 2020. In early March 2020, we announced a planned merger with our longtime agency partner af&co., creating the SF Bay Area’s largest hospitality PR and marketing agency.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic changed our universe. The merger was placed on the back burner while our two agencies did everything we could to save the Bay Area hospitality industry. “Pivot” became the word of the year, as we advised our clients on outdoor dining and delivery, to-go cocktails, virtual dining events, and other new ways to reach their customers. We embraced the challenge, but it did leave its indelible mark on all of us.

I decided to take a break from agency life and worked for some other amazing companies, including serving as a part-time COO for several PR firms, working for a very interesting year as a luxury senior living sales director, and spending two incredible years as Director of Marketing at Signia by Hilton San Jose.

The AI Revolution Changes Everything

Starting in late 2022, with the launch of ChatGPT, I became keenly interested in the impact of AI on…well…everything, but particularly marketing and PR for the hospitality industry. The numbers tell the story: around 60% of North American leisure travelers under 45 now use AI for travel inspiration and planning, and the AI in tourism market is expected to grow from approximately $2.95 billion in 2024 to around $13.38 billion by 2030—a staggering 28.7% annual growth rate. It was in my role with Hilton over this past year that it became very apparent how much AI was already changing search and impacting direct web traffic. Instead of researching a weekend getaway the old-fashioned way—by tediously scanning blue Google links, online review sites, blogs, and travel media websites—people began to just ask ChatGPT to create an itinerary for them, leaving countless potential options for restaurants, hotels, and activities off the traveler’s radar altogether.

The question of how independent restaurants and hotels show up in what is now called LLM search inspired me to rethink what an agency could offer its clients. With 75% of travelers now trusting AI for accommodation planning, the stakes couldn’t be higher. LLM search results are informed by a vast footprint of content, from what’s on your own website to what Reddit and TripAdvisor users are saying, to earned media and Instagram posts—all of which an agency could directly impact. Instead of the traditional monthly PR retainer model, wouldn’t it make more sense to offer a quick and affordable way to help ensure our clients are not left behind in the new AI landscape?

Introducing Ellipses 2.0

After several months of research, strategy development, and conversations with potential partners, I’m excited to announce the relaunch of Ellipses and our flagship service, the 60-Day AI Hospitality Accelerator. The AI Hospitality Accelerator is a fixed-fee program that equips hotels and restaurants with AI-optimized visibility, recommends “wow” experiences that inspire word-of-mouth and press coverage, manages online reputation, overhauls website content, and offers real-time performance tools—so they rise to the top when algorithms (and travelers) decide where to book.

In addition to the AI Hospitality Accelerator, we’re launching the Ultimate Secret Shopper in partnership with my longtime friend Virginia Miller, who is one of the world’s most respected food and spirits writers as well as a respected Chairperson for the James Beard Awards and World’s 50 Best. Together we’re creating a new mystery shop service, targeting hotels, resorts, and restaurants who are looking to gain insight into and refine their service offerings at the highest level. It’s like having a critic in your back pocket, giving you an edge over the competition with actionable insights and recommendations from someone who has seen, experienced, and judged it all.

The Future is Now

I’m excited to venture into the world of Ellipses 2.0 and am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with an incredible group of partners and clients. Schedule a call with me to dive into how we could help your restaurant, hotel, or resort thrive in this new era. We’re not in 2007 anymore, but the possibilities are endless for 2025 and beyond.