Alex Barz
In this edition of Cultivating Conversations, we chatted with Alex Barz, the Global Social Media Director at Rosewood Hotels.
Over the past fifteen years, Alex has worked across both the agency and brand sides of hospitality marketing, helping shape the digital presence of some of the industry's most recognizable luxury and lifestyle brands. Today, she leads global social media for Rosewood Hotels, guiding the brand’s evolving visual identity and storytelling approach following its recent global rebrand.
In our conversation, Alex reflects on the role of social media in modern luxury hospitality, the importance of cultivating a distinct point of view in an increasingly crowded digital landscape, and how Rosewood’s philosophy of A Sense of Place continues to shape its approach to content. From community building and creative partnerships to the future of luxury brands as media platforms, she shares the ideas guiding Rosewood’s next chapter.
© Video by Sucuk & Bratwurst
I’m Alex Barz, Global Director of Social Media at Rosewood Hotel Group and Co-Founder of an industry community called Hospitality Friends.
My love of travel started early. My family lived in Jakarta, Indonesia when I was young, and we spent a lot of time exploring that part of the world. I’m also the oldest of four kids so connecting with people has always been a big part of who I am. I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to build a career around both travel and people.
I saw an opportunity in social media marketing while I was studying at Boston University’s School of Hospitality, right as hotels were beginning to use Twitter as a marketing tool.
“I became Ian Schrager’s first social media intern at Morgans Hotel Group.”
I leaned in, stayed focused, and carved out a niche for myself in hospitality marketing.
Fifteen years later, I’ve had the chance to work on some incredible hotel brands and projects. I ran Capella Hotels’ brand social during the three years it was named Travel + Leisure’s number one hotel brand in the world, launched Patina Hotels’ brand social and helped open Patina Maldives, opened multiple EDITION hotels, worked with Aman, supported the reopening of Waldorf Astoria New York, and now I’m leading global brand social media for Rosewood and overseeing our 42 properties.
With experience on both sides of hospitality marketing, How has that experience shaped the way you approach social storytelling?
Over the last fifteen years, I’ve probably worked on a project or pitch for almost every major lifestyle and luxury hotel brand. This exposure has given me a broad view of how hotels position and market themselves. It allows me to think strategically about how Rosewood can forge its own path and identity in a time when a lot of hotel content is starting to look the same.
What have you learned about what sets luxury hospitality apart in the digital space?
“Rosewood’s brand philosophy is ‘A Sense of Place’ and I think this is so important.”
I am drawn to hotels with personality, a point of view, design and experiences that feel unique to the destination or the building they occupy. Rosewood does this really well. No two hotels look or feel the same.
The feeling guests have when they experience a property has to come through in the marketing. People also play a big part in this. Who are the artists on the walls? What is the chef’s story? What inspired the architect or landscape designer? Giving people a platform adds depth and richness to a hotel’s story.
What first drew you into social media as a discipline, and what continues to keep you inspired in such a fast-evolving field?
To me, social media has always been about connection. I got my first social media internship in college by tweeting at the CEO and the CMO of a digital marketing agency and asking to meet with them. It worked.
“Social media opened up our worlds. It made people and brands accessible.”
It gave us a window into people’s lives. Suddenly someone you could have never accessed before was a DM away. This direct connection is powerful. Social media made it possible for businesses to communicate directly with their customers and guests.
You joined Rosewood just before they unveiled a new global rebrand that feels both contemporary and timeless. Can you share what inspired this shift?
Yes! My first project at Rosewood was a big one.
“The brand refresh signified Rosewood’s evolution from a luxury hospitality brand into a broader lifestyle forum.”
I’ve always seen hotels as a microcosm of the best parts of life: art, design, food, beverage, music, wellness, culture, and connection. Rosewood is a portal to discovering these things in each destination.
‘A Sense of Place' is core to Rosewood. How did it inform the rebrand's social strategy?
We take a more eclectic approach to content.
“We want Rosewood’s digital world to feel layered, interesting, full of discovery.”
Because each hotel is so different, it would be almost impossible to force one completely unified look and feel across everything. Of course, we have a clear point of view and strong guardrails, but we also want to leave room for individuality.
We embrace a mix of photo, video, mixed media, commissioned artwork, illustration, animations CGI, and AI. It’s been really fun to create and curate.
Each Rosewood property has its own distinct personality. How do you balance those individual voices with the larger global identity of the brand?
“Think of Rosewood as the proud parent of each hotel.”
We encourage individuality, but we also have guidelines that keep every property connected to the larger brand world.
We’ve created principles for our hotels to follow by category. For example, urban, coastal, and countryside properties each have slightly different guidance for content priorities, storytelling, styling, and editing.
Rosewood’s digital presence feels cinematic, calm, and deeply human. What does the creative process behind that storytelling look like?
Thank you! Our brand team is small, so it’s really just a few of us brainstorming and collaborating, to bring Rosewood’s content to life together. We are selective about the creators, artists, and partners we work with and,
“we work closely with them to make sure content is elevated and tells a strong story.”
Luxury hospitality has changed in how it connects with audiences online. How do you define modern luxury on social media today?
“Luxury brands are becoming media platforms.”
We consume such a huge volume of content so quickly. For a brand to be a leader in the modern luxury space, it needs to know exactly what its voice is and what it stands for. Then, they can find the interesting stories floating around their brand world and turn them into content that’s interesting to the audience. This keeps a brand top of mind and relevant.
With algorithms often rewarding speed and trends, how do you maintain space for slower, more intentional storytelling that still resonates?
“I would rather not post than post something that doesn’t have purpose or substance.”
Social media used to be a numbers game when it came to posting but it is shifting to be more interest-based. Your follower count doesn’t matter as much anymore. Algorithms are feeding people content they are interested in. People discover content in Explore pages and video feeds based on content they’ve saved, shared, or engaged with. We are focused on creating content that aligns with people’s interests.
You work with teams across multiple regions and cultures. How do you collaborate globally while keeping each market’s voice authentic and true to its place?
I spend a lot of time on video calls, haha. Rosewood has incredible experts at each property and in each region. I work closely with them to make sure we are bringing out the best of their property and destination.
“The local teams understand the nuances of their markets better than we do from afar, so collaboration is key.”
It also makes a huge difference to visit properties. It’s a game changer to experience the magic of our properties in real life. It helps us translate it more meaningfully online.
Beyond metrics, what signals tell you a piece of content or campaign has truly resonated with your audience?
We pay close attention to saves and shares. These are strong indicators of intent. A save means someone might come back to the content later. A share means they are talking to someone about it.
“When we see a high number of saves and shares, we consider that a win.”
How do you see the role of creators and brand partners evolving in the luxury space?
Collaborations and partnerships are an important part of our strategy. I mentioned earlier how important it is to identify and nurture your community. Partnerships help brands tell new stories and tap into highly qualified audiences. We’re doing this on property in our programming and activations for guests, and on social media through interviews, features, and collaborative content.
“I’m passionate about community building, both online and in real life.”
Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of Rosewood’s brand and community online?
Our brand refresh just launched in October 2025, so we’re just getting started. We’re in a test and learn phase where we’re figuring out what works for us. Stay tuned to see how we continue to refine our visual identity and our voice.
If the rebrand could leave followers with one lasting feeling, what would you hope that is?
The discovery of something new and inspiring, whether that is a destination, a hotel, a person, or an experience.
