GCommerce Works with the Best Hotels in the World

Somewhere out there someone’s writing ads about HVAC. 

And we feel for them.

We enjoy digital marketing, but getting to do digital marketing for hotels and travel is a rare opportunity that we all feel fortunate to call our jobs. We spend our days dreaming about beach escapes, mountain retreats, rock ‘n roll havens and everything in between. We feel a true connection to our clients. Not only because we love travel, but because we love to help these partners succeed through driving awareness and direct bookings.

We wouldn’t be here without our clients and for that, we give so much thanks and gratitude. Cheers to another great year. One with continued challenges but also a whole lot of successes. 

Since we spend so much time working with our clients, we wanted to reflect on some of the clients our team members would most like to visit and why. Read below for more travel inspiration, if you didn’t need some already.

Jael Dugdale (Search Marketing Strategist) - I couldn't decide so I have two, Enchantment Resort in Sedona sounds like a dream one I would love to take Tallara and Robert too, the amenities alone for kids and adults sound like a lot of fun and it's all there at the resort. The second one is Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans. I consider them the Golden Goose for Aparium, even with 2020 and then setbacks from Hurricanes they just keep on surpassing our expectations. I want to visit it for myself to see what they are doing. I mean the city alone is a good reason to visit, but they seem to have it together, from the restaurants to the people and rooms. I've always been interested in them. 

Nicki Stavres (Marketing Strategist) - As I’ve recently moved out west from the east coast I have found a greater love and appreciation for nature and the great outdoors. Our client that I would most love to visit is Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona. To be in such a serene setting, surrounded by red rocks would be truly a dream setting for pure relaxation and adventure.

Chelsea Simmons (Marketing Specialist) - The client I would most like to visit is Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa in Pigeon Forge, TN, because I have always been such a big Dolly Parton fan. I also love the Smokey Mountains and am craving that "cabin-in-the-woods" kind of vacation. 

Amy McNeill (Director of Account Services) - Choosing from our amazing clients is really hard! We have such an amazing collection of oceanfront resorts, ski-in/ski-out resorts, golf resorts, and downtown city center hotels. I've been lucky enough to visit many of them throughout my 5+ years at GCommerce. If I have to choose it would be the 5-star Las Terrazas Resort in Belize. I really want to get back to the island and scuba dive! 

Chris Jackson (Principal & Chief Evangelist) - I have been dreaming of getting to Scotland to play golf with my son. The dream continues to get paused with the challenges of traveling internationally during the pandemic.  Scotland and the natural scape of golf, how it was originally meant to be played, just got a little closer to home.  Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, one of GCommerce’s newest partners, is a golfing mecca for golf purists and might just be as close to a Scotland golfing experience as we can get right now. 

Katy Jeter (Sr. Project Manager & Web Developer)- The client I would most want to visit is Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon. Every photo I've ever seen of the property is simply breathtaking. To know that many guests will spend the next two years dreaming of their chance to visit this other world over the next two years... I simply can't wait to get there.

Patrick Buckner (Search Marketing Strategist) - The client I would most like to visit is Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara. They are a client I have worked with since the beginning of our relationship and yet, I have never been to Santa Barbara. I would love to check out the Funk Zone and all the nearby cool bars and restaurants. 

Mark Oliver (VP of Business Development) - The property I would like to visit the most is Dollywood.  Why, you ask?  The reason is that I am very interested in learning why so many people are drawn to the resort.  Is Dolly Parton the main draw or is it the resort with Dolly on the side.  I would also like to better understand Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa and it’s incredibly popular appeal.  I would also like to experience their new resort, Heartsong, and what their idea of luxury is.  And finally, I would like to see Brian in his element.

Dan Brewer (Business Development Representative) - The GC Client I would most like to visit is Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley. Going to bring my wife, Karen. We're going to ski all day, have a great dinner and then sit by the fire. It's going to be wonderful.

Ashley Scharpf(Search Marketing Specialist) - I love the idea of being out in nature, but I hate heat, bugs, sunburn, and the other nuisances of actually going outside. Enchantment Resort in Sedona, AZ seems like a great balance of the two though, with a peaceful and cozy resort in an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous environment. I want to visit so much that I've had literal dreams about it!

Cat Jones (Search Marketing Specialist) - The client I would most like to visit is Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in San Diego. Whenever I work on SEO optimizations for them I get a little lost in the photos of their property. I would be quite comfortable with a month-long stay in the Spa House, wandering through the olive groves, and taking advantage of the daily yoga, and I would love to poke around in their culinary garden.

Bill Morlock (Sr Customer Success Manager + Client Relations Supervisor) - My choice would be Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood.  There are quite a few reasons why Sunset would be my choice.  Among them would be to finally experience this awesome and very unique property that I know quite a bit about, but have yet to experience first hand.

Also along those lines, Sunset is a property in our portfolio that has been a real innovator in numerous unique, extremely creative, and one-of-a-kind types of initiatives and campaigns that we have implemented throughout the years.

Finally, the location, West Hollywood, SoCal is an area that is always interesting to visit and an area that I have worked with numerous properties and visited many, many times and it would be great to be able to tie Sunset Marquis in with my experiences in the LA area.

Erin Fischer (Marketing Manager) - The client I would like to visit the most is Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood. With their rich history in rock ’n roll and oasis-like atmosphere I feel like it would be the perfect escape from a chaotic world. I also love visiting the West Hollywood area and exploring Santa Monica Blvd. and Sunset’s location would be the perfect place to setup home base.

Christy Minnick (Senior Accountant)  - I would like to stay at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Florida. It looks like a utopia.

Eric Hoffman (Customer Success Manager) - The client that I'd most like to visit is Callaway Gardens Resort in Georgia. The reason why is that Callaway Gardens has created several new in addition to existing special events that I would love to experience in person. In particular, I'd love to see Fantasy in Lights and check out the different scenes that have been created and have become beloved by the locals and visitors to the Gardens.

Taylor Fujimoto(Creative Director) - Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood, CA. What’s cooler than hanging out with celebs in Hollywood? The raw tunes of many of the greatest classic rock bands filled our car anytime we’d take a road trip. I guess that’s what you get when your dad was a teenager during the greatest era in Rock. With a passion for Rock n Roll, I’d love to check out the Morrison Gallery and speak to some of the long-time employees and hear their amazing stories.

Paul Mooney (Marketing Development Specialist) - If I had one client to visit it would be The Cove, Eleuthera resort in the Bahamas. Eleuthera is a long thin island that's very tranquil, not too touristy, and offers the opportunity for an authentic island getaway experience. True paradise on earth.

Scott van Hartesvelt(Founder) - I’d most like to visit Eau Palm Beach Resort in Florida, simply because of their commitment to wellness.  In recent years, I’ve become acutely aware of my own health, wellbeing and mortality.  It's become clear to me that investments in material things are fleeting, but investments in mental and physical health are invaluable.  Eau Palm Beach strikes me as the place you would create in your dreams,sparing no expense, to refresh your body, revitalize your mind and enhance/prolong your quality of life.  There is no greater gift.

Jeff Hebert (Senior Developer) - I’d love to visit Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, partly because they were the first site I worked on when I started, but also because I have never had the chance to  stay at a hotel on the beach. The accommodations look amazing, and they’re really nice people whenever I’ve had the opportunity to talk with them.

Alex Horrocks (Search Marketing Strategist) - Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna Beach because of their beach resort location!

Brittany O'Neil(Client Success Coordinator) - The ideal client would be a brand that is passionate about their own identity and authenticity. I believe that this client would enjoy their brand and want to highlight what makes their experience individual and why their guests choose to experience them. If I had to pick one, for me it would be one of the Moonstone Hotel properties.

Lisa McGivney (Director of Marketing) - This is a terribly tough question. We have so many amazing clients in so many dreamy locations. If I had to pick just one (at this moment) it would have to be Enchantment Resort and Mii amo spa in Sedona, Arizona. I dream of a relaxing (and kid free) escape to the desert where I can get lost gazing out into the red rock, finding spiritual connection in the vortexes and unwinding with the most amazing spa treatments at this one of a kind property.


Cathryn Sandoval(Senior Customer Success Manager) - The client I would like to visit most is The Pontchartrain Hotel. I have never been to New Orleans, but have always been drawn to the vibrancy of the city. The Pontchartrain Hotel offers a classic NOLA experience and is located right in the heart of the Garden District, so you'll never miss a beat. After a day of exploring (and eating) I'd love to enjoy a nightcap cocktail on the Hot Tin Rooftop overlooking downtown New Orleans.