Interesting Journeys Into Hospitality: Gina Genna

Welcome back to another chapter in our Interesting Journeys series! In this episode, Roch CEO Guise Bule talks with the sensational Gina Genna, the Director of Marketing at InterContinental Miami (the hotel crowned with the highest dog-friendly score in the entire Ranked by Roch directory).

Before transforming the hotel into Roch’s “Dog-Friendliest Hotel on Earth,” Gina got her start at the dawn of the dot-com era, launching e-commerce campaigns at CBS.com and pioneering email marketing in hospitality. In her current leadership position, she’s transformed standard pet-friendly policy into an award-winning, off-leash lifestyle brand driven by dog mom instinct, community connection, and joyful innovation. Let's dive right into her story!

Bule: Can you tell us about your journey into hospitality marketing? What did you do before? Was this always the plan, or did your path take some unexpected turns?

Genna: For my career, I started in the dot-com era, right? It was 1999. I worked at CBS.com, and it was the whole boom of e-commerce and the dot-com world. And then from, you know, having a few years under my belt of the whole new WWW. phase of doing business, a local conglomerate, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, was looking for somebody to do their email marketing, which, again, was a new revenue-generating channel in the early 2000s.

So, my dot-com from CBS Sports introduced me into the hotel and casino and hospitality world, and I like to say that is where my hotel experience began.

Bule: I love that! Right at the turn of the century.

Genna: It literally was like the turn of a century! And it makes me sound like a dinosaur, but, you know, fast forward a few years later, once the e-commerce and all the news and everything is launched, now shopping is online, and then fast forward again to 2005, I was provided an opportunity to be an advertising coordinator at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino here in Florida.

So they built this incredible destination in Hollywood, Florida, which was casino, hotel, spa, Hard Rock Live, 11 restaurants and bars, nightclubs, so the dot-com took me to advertising coordinator because they were looking for somebody to start their email campaigns, which now is this whole new revenue-generating stream of emailing people offers. But back then, that was new. Email marketing was in its infancy, right? And at that point, that brought me into my hotel and hospitality career.

Bule: So you came from a marketing pedigree of sorts, right? What made you decide to think: you know what? I'm gonna actually start running the marketing of these hotels. Was it a conscious career direction, or did you just stumble into being a marketing director?

Genna: It was an opportunity at a very large brand that was hugely successful in South Florida. And personally and professionally, it was absolutely the next step of growth for me.

Bule: I see. And how does that lead to InterContinental Miami? How long have you been working things there?

Genna: I've been at this hotel for five years.

Bule: When you started there, Gina, what state was its dog-friendly program? How dog-friendly were they, really?

Genna: Well, as you know, IHG hotels across the board are dog-friendly, but we just totally pole vaulted it and took it to the next level. They were pet-friendly, before, don't get me wrong, but everything that we layered in to be brand differentiators has come on our watch since we've been here.

Bule: I have personally certified almost every InterContinental hotel on earth, and you're the outlier. You're just so much more dog-friendly business than any other hotel in your wider group, and I find that really interesting. Thats on you right?

Genna: I think it's, you know, first of all, I'm a dog mom. And I'm my own customer at this hotel. I'm truly my own customer, so I think with my guest hat on, when I'm booking hotels, traveling with my pups: what do I want, and what do I look for? Everything that we have brought to life here is exactly where I would want to stay with my dogs.

Bule: What were some of the early things you brought in and changed straight away when you decided, 'I'm gonna make this hotel super dog-friendly?'

Genna: So, first of all, the community aspect of the doggy play space. You know, granted, dogs are in the hotel. Let's give them something fun to do. Pup cups were all the rage when we started. You know, they're on TikTok and Instagram everywhere. Ding! We have a Starbucks. All we need is ice. Move that down to the bar, give them a free treat while they're here playing.

And then we live, as you can see, all of these high rises around us. There are hundreds and hundreds of dogs that live in these high rises. So, in addition to offering it to our hotel guests, we now have created a community experience.

Bule: That's wonderful! You built a community for dog owners there.

Genna: Yeah, and then just layer in. You get to support local, small businesses, you get your bark box when you check in. So everything just, you know, started to come together with the community, with local vendors, and how are we gonna spoil our guests that are here traveling with pups.

Bule: I imagine you must have had a direct effect in having a large community of local people who think of you as the spot to go to. The word of mouth there must be huge – everybody must just be out there singing your praises, right?

Genna: It's dog owners! You know, they love it because, first of all, you know, you can come up – it's up a set of stairs – where dogs can run freely without a leash. The pups can play in the pool and the sprinklers and with their toys. There are photo ops where you can constantly take pictures of you and your dogs and share on social, and people have created, like, now these lifelong friendships where they get to travel with each other. We do still want to have a Paws Patio wedding! We're destined to get dog parents together.

Bule: I've never come across what you've described, Gina, where I'm hanging out, I'm outside, I'm under the sunshine, I'm on the terrace, I'm having a cocktail. My dog is off-leash, playing with other dogs. I've never seen that before. I mean, some hotels have dog parks, but, you know, they're usually quite miserable enclosed areas. They're not geared up for me to relax, have a cocktail, while my dog has fun.

That experience you've described doesn't really exist in many other places!

Genna: We have to get you here in the fall when we have our food fest. So, if you think of Epcot Food and Wine Festival, which is a huge Disney event for humans, they travel around the world, and they get food and beverages from all over the world. We did that for dogs. We created it. It'll be five years ago this year.

So, you get a passport, just like you do in Disney, and then we have ten vendors of different treats, organic foods, doggy bone broth, doggy popsicles, you name it. We have 10 vendors – it's a very well-oiled machine at this point – you go around, you interact with each vendor, you get a sample from each vendor, and then there's an opportunity to purchase.

But, then again, it has morphed into, like, the Miami Golden Doodle meetup, where all the Miami Golden Doodles come and they take their pictures and they just play and, you know, so it's one of the most sought-after, like, doggy events.

Miami's a super dog-friendly city. So there are other things happening in the city, but I truly feel because of our consistency.... you know, we only don't do it when it rains. But it's our commitment and our consistency that truly continue to leverage us, to be a leader in that field.

Bule: Well, I think you've done really well over the last five years, Gina, making this an awesome year of wins for you and the team at InterContinental Miami. You've won Newsweek's Best Dog-Friendly Hotel of the Year Award, 2025, just to start.

Genna: You know what the best, most warm and fuzzy feeling was to our hotel ownership? When you quoted us as the most dog-friendly hotel on earth. They're like, "All right, we got something here." Yeah, we just can't top this.

Bule: What do you think continues to really set you apart, then? I know exactly what sets you apart, but what is it you're trying to do better than most other hotels? Is it the community side or the perks and amenities side?

Genna: I think you just nailed it. It's how we're rewarding the guests with pets. First and foremost, as soon as you walk up to the hotel, our doormen are gonna give the doggies a welcome bone. I make sure they're equipped up front with treats and things of that nature, again, to let them know that they're welcome.

So I think just the arrival experience, and then if you do book the Pets & Points package, you're going to get your Bark Box, which is going to give you, you know, your organic dog food to eat at your leisure and a branded bandana.

When you go to your bedroom, you're going to have your dog bowl, your dog bed, your water. If I do know that you're here, I'm gonna put a picture of you in the guest room of you and your dog, just to make it that much more personalized.

Bule: How have you gone about communicating that experience to dog owners? Because you're in a very competitive, cluttered space. How have you gone about communicating your pure value?

Genna: So, I'll tell you right now, one of my favorite tactics is working with dog influencers. Working with dog influencers has really allowed me to cast a wider net. So, anything from, you know, sliding into DMs of dog owners in the South Florida market – for instance, @tourwithteddy. So, Anna is the owner of Teddy, and she's South Florida-based. She was one of the first that I partnered with. She helped us launch Paws Patio five years ago.

I have a whole program for them, right? You come, you enjoy a night experience, and then you get to host Paws Patio the next day, and invite all of your other dog moms and dog friends. So there was Anna and Teddy, and then a larger reach is @pretzel_gummybear_shihtzu. They're the two cutest Shih Tzu brothers, and their mom, Stacey, found us on Instagram, and we instantly connected because I have Shih Tzus.

So, you know, they have the 40,000 followers, where Anna is like your hyper-targeted local influencer. Stacey with Pretzel and Gummy Bear are a national focus. I truly think dog influencers are an organic way I can provide the dog mom an experience, and she can show other dog owners what it's like to stay here.

Bule: That's fantastic! That's a great answer. Are there any events and experiences, or, in particular, any seasonal events?

Genna: Yeah! So, Halloween is our Howl-O-Scream. Halloween doggy costume contest. So we have a costume contest for dogs, and it's incredible how the owners get into it, you know, where, like, the dog will be Harry Potter and the dad will be Ron Weasley. It's just incredible how people now are not only entering with their dogs, they're coming dressed up to win as a duo.

We also have the Ugly Sweater Christmas party. You know, you get your doggy's ugliest sweater, and we have Santa Claus here, so people can take pictures with Santa and their dog sitting on the lap in front of our decorative, branded walls.

Bule: Santa has presents for the dogs?

Genna: Yeah, we give out little, um, gift bags that either have something branded or, you know, that's where we put out our Barkuterie Board.

Bule: That sounds brilliant, Gina. But what advice do you have for other hotel marketers? How do you get the media talking about you, paying attention to your dog-friendly hotel?

Genna: For me, I treat it as a revenue channel in the hotel. Just like, you know, we have email marketing, we have our spa... to me, 'dog-friendly' is its own revenue channel and its own story to tell. So with the consistency behind telling that story, constantly coming up with new, fresh ideas, and using social media, your CRM channel, using your website, and then just your community relations. It's consistency.

It's also word of mouth as well, right? Yeah. But you have to be able to back your story up. Its not enough to say you are pet friendly, you really have to deliver.

Bule: And what kind of impact has being so dog-friendly had on your bookings and guest loyalty over the long term, Gina? Has anything surprised you?

Genna: Our dog promotional code for when you book and stay with a dog has doubled. So we definitely see an uptick in business because of all these stories we get to tell. Am I surprised? I'm surprised that there's not more business!

Bule: And how about repeat loyalty? I mean, for me, once I find a really great place to stay out, I tend to go back again and again, rather than risk going somewhere else.

Genna: Yes! I can tell you @bella_bear_shihtzu always comes every June because they live a few counties away in Florida, so we are their Miami go-to every time they're in town. And then, again, Pretzel and Gummy Bear, you know, whenever Mom has a long weekend, she's coming here for her Miami stay.

Bule: That's wonderful. Seeing the same dogs and people, making friends. It's wonderful, Gina. It's wonderful.

And next question, how do you personally define success in this area? How do you measure it? Guest feedback, coverage, social engagement? How are you measuring your success?

Genna: Well, first and foremost, with your recognition, you know, obviously, with you bringing this whole new rating system to life, and, um, you know, really recognizing – granted, you're located across the pond, but it's incredible that, you know, Miami and our hotel was on your radar when you're based in England.

That was something for me, that was like, we really are getting the word out about what we do and what we stand for. So that, for sure, was one key indicator of thumbs up, you know?

Bule: It's hard not to notice you, Gina, in those rankings. It really is. You know, we know the outliers when we see them!

And what would you say to other hotel marketers thinking about going all in on dog-friendliness? Any common mistakes to avoid or advice to follow?

Genna: Flexibility! Flexibility and versatility.

Having a renovated hotel with beautiful new rugs and bedding, you absolutely protect your asset, which is our hotel and our guest rooms. But you also have to understand when these people are traveling with dogs who they consider to be their family, you know, you're taking the risk, right?

I also think if there is a breed restriction and a cost – a very high cost – you're now so limiting yourself to tell your story. Generally speaking, if you've got a weight restriction that only lets the tiniest dogs in...how can you call yourself dog-friendly? You know, you can't really.

Bule: You're right, Gina. Versatility and flexibility.

Genna: Yeah, and it pays off in its own right as well, because you can genuinely stand by the term of dog-friendly. I mean, what are you gonna say, "we're pet friendly" but...asterisk, asterisk, asterisk. No! So I just think if you're gonna go all in and say you're dog-friendly, you just truly and organically have to follow through on that.

Bule: And last but not least: any future plans or ideas you're excited about that you want to talk about?

Genna: Well, from a dog-friendly hospitality standpoint, I think it's just continuing to grow bookings in this revenue channel, right? To continue, you know, freshening up our dog-friendly program, how to grow it, how to continue telling our story, and then the days when I have potentially moved on that this hotel just continues to bring it to the next level.

Bule: Absolutely – and thus concludes our into interview! Well done! It was such a pleasure to speak with you, Gina. Thanks for coming on.

Genna: This was great! Thanks for having me.

Please give Gina Genna and InterContinental Miami a follow on LinkedIn and Instagram.

If you would like to talk to us about your interesting journey, please get in touch!