Integrating Marketing and Sustainability

Tanja Morariu brings over 25 years of global marketing leadership, specializing in hospitality, destination and consumer brand strategies, with a dedicated focus on sustainability for the past decade. As Director of Marketing and Head of Sustainability at The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach, she is pivotal in driving the resort's comprehensive brand strategy centered on "Total well-being, inspired by nature." In addition, Tanja oversees the hotel's Sustainability Program, which includes overseeing the Green Team, managing sustainable certifications like Green Key and fostering the relationship with Beyond Green, a curated portfolio of planet Earth's most sustainable hotels. Tanja is also the former Chair of the Surfrider Foundation Miami Chapter, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to ocean and beach preservation and protection. Tanja holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business & Marketing from Schiller International University, complemented by the GSTC's Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Management, a Cornell University Certificate in Sustainable Destination Management and a 200-RYT Yoga Alliance Certification.

My career began in advertising, where I built a strong foundation in creative communication and brand development. I then transitioned into brand consulting, focusing specifically on developing holistic brand positioning strategies for destinations. This foundation naturally led me into the area of brand development in the hospitality industry over 15 years ago, where I had the opportunity to shape the brand positioning strategy for The Palms Hotel & Spa, which centered on the idea of "Total well-being, inspired by nature," and has become the cornerstone of the hotel's identity.

A core value of this positioning strategy was environmental friendliness, which inspired the creation of our “Inspired by Nature” environmental sustainability program. Since then, we’ve continuously improved our sustainability practices. We have achieved certifications and memberships over the years with Florida Green Lodging, Green Key, Green Globe, Beyond Green, the Surfrider Ocean Friendly Restaurants Program, and Slow Food Miami. At The Palms, sustainability and marketing have become deeply intertwined, allowing me to align purpose-driven initiatives with brand strategy in a meaningful and impactful way.

Marketing Rooted in Nature’s Sustainability

Our marketing campaigns are deeply rooted in the concept of being “inspired by nature,” which is why our messaging consistently emphasizes the importance of protecting the natural world around us. Sustainability—and our commitment to honoring and preserving nature—is a central theme across all touchpoints, whether we’re highlighting the AVEDA spa experience or dining at Essensia Restaurant.

AVEDA is renowned for its clean, sustainable approach. It uses pure plant and flower essences in its products and lives by its mission to “care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society.” Similarly, Essensia embraces a farm-to-table philosophy, sourcing only the finest, mindfully selected ingredients to ensure both guest well-being and environmental responsibility.

Measuring Engagement, Satisfaction, and Sustainable Impact

We measure customer satisfaction success in terms of the number of guests who return time and time again. 12 percent of our guests have stayed with us at least twice. Additionally, we track our success based on our online-reviews which are 85 percent positive with an average rating of 4.4 stars, at the top of our competitive set.

From a digital performance standpoint, we assess engagement through click-through rates, social media interactions, and conversion rates—all of which help us understand how well our campaigns resonate and drive behavior. When it comes to sustainability impact, we look at how well our messaging inspires meaningful engagement. For instance, our Earth Month Flash Sale campaign—which combined a special offer with a charitable donation to the Surfrider Foundation for every reservation—achieved some of our highest email click-through and conversion rates of the year, showing that eco-conscious storytelling not only aligns with our values but also deeply connects with our audience.

Overall, we aim to collaborate with partners who share our dedication to environmental and social responsibility—those who demonstrate transparency, accountability, and openness in their practices. Third-party certifications such as B Corp, fair trade, or 1% for the Planet are strong indicators of this alignment. We also prioritize, whenever we can, working with organizations that are deeply rooted in the local community, actively involved in grassroots initiatives, and committed to sourcing locally and supporting local entrepreneurship.

For leaders who seek to truly want to make a lasting impact in sustainable hospitality, it must be embedded into your brand’s core—not treated as a passing trend. Make sustainability a brand standard, reflected in every aspect of your operations: from the suppliers you choose and the community partnerships you foster, how you train and inspire your team, and the long-term goals you set.

Understand that sustainability, like happiness, is a journey—not a destination. Celebrate every step forward, no matter how small. Be honest and transparent about your progress—what you’ve accomplished and what’s still a work in progress. Setting bold, ambitious sustainability goals is acceptable, even if they take 5 or 10 years to realize.

Choose your partners with purpose—seek out those who align with your values and approach collaboration with authenticity. Stay curious, remain open to change, and never be afraid to challenge the status quo. Ask why things have always been done a certain way—and imagine how they could be done better.