The Scale of the Project
Twelve properties. Six countries. France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Portugal. Each property needed 30 deliverables .. 10 photos, 10 short-form videos and 10 social-first assets. Total output: 360 pieces of content in 28 days.
Marriott's internal team had been producing this content with different agencies per region. The result was inconsistent. A W Barcelona post looked nothing like a Ritz-Carlton Crete post. They wanted one team, one visual language, one delivery pipeline.
Route Planning
We mapped the 12 properties geographically and built a route that minimized travel days. Starting in Lisbon, moving through southern Spain to Barcelona, then along the French Riviera to Italy, down to Greece and finishing in Istanbul. Two travel days between clusters. Three days per property on average.
Every property received a pre-production brief 2 weeks before our arrival. We asked for room access schedules, pool and restaurant hours, sunrise and sunset times from their location, and any renovation or construction that might affect shots. Four properties had active construction. We scheduled around it.
The Creative Framework
We developed what we called the "arrival sequence" .. a consistent storytelling structure for each property. It opens with an exterior approach shot. Then the lobby. Then the room reveal. Then the signature experience (pool, spa, restaurant, rooftop). It closes with a sunset or evening scene.
This framework kept the series consistent. But within each property, we adapted the pacing, color grade and music to match the local character. The W Barcelona content was fast, warm and energetic. The Ritz-Carlton Crete content was slow, cool and contemplative.
Crew and Gear
Two-person crew throughout. Max Zaharenkov on camera and direction. One assistant handling audio, lighting and logistics. Primary setup: Sony FX3 with Sigma Art primes (24mm, 35mm, 85mm), DJI Mavic 3 for aerials, DJI RS3 Pro gimbal for walk-throughs. Total gear weight: 28kg in two Pelican cases.
We learned early that hotel shoots need to be fast and quiet. Guests are paying for a luxury experience. A 5-person crew with lighting rigs disrupts that. Our approach: natural light wherever possible, minimal footprint, shoot during off-peak hours.
Delivery and Results
All 360 deliverables were submitted within 10 days of the final shoot. Marriott's team reported a 45% reduction in production costs compared to their previous multi-agency approach. The content library lasted 8 months across their European social channels before requiring a refresh.
Average engagement rate on the social assets: 3.8%, up from their previous benchmark of 2.1%. The Santorini sunset reel became Marriott Bonvoy's most-viewed Instagram Reel in EMEA for Q4 2023 with 3.4M views.