MITCH Hospitality is the consulting practice of Mitch Johnston, built for independent and lifestyle hotels. The work runs from brand platform to commercial plan, led by one person who has owned both sides of the business.
Most hotels split this work across an agency, a revenue consultant, and an overextended in-house team. Here it lives under one roof.
Demand generation and creative direction across paid, owned, and earned.
Segmentation and market-mix analysis that shape the plan.
Openings and repositionings, from pre-opening roadmap to ramp.
Revenue alignment, distribution, and direct-booking share.
Guest experience rooted in culture and place.
Over nine years I created The Garland's brand from the ground up — the voice, the visual identity, the digital presence, and the guest experience that carried a former Holiday Inn to recognition from Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure. The brand extended into a freestanding restaurant with The Front Yard, into retail with The Store, and into national press through events like Drag Yourself to the Valley.
The Garland remains the fullest expression of the practice: brand, revenue, and physical space designed as one continuous idea.
Casetta's first property outside California, opened in Taos with a brand rooted in Northern New Mexico's art and land. Cultural partnerships and an immersive press strategy earned features in Town & Country and The Hollywood Reporter within months of opening.
Pre-opening brand, pricing, and performance strategy for Big Bear's lakefront relaunch, followed by a press program that earned coverage from Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, and USA Today.
Brand evolution and commercial strategy across a five-property, three-state portfolio, with narrative and verbal identity carried through guest-facing and investor materials.
Post-disaster commercial recovery built on pacing discipline and demand strategy, restoring full ADR and occupancy in 10 months against a standard 18-month timeline. Months later the property sold for $37.5M — nearly $2M per key, a 25% premium over its prior trade.
Brand platforms, positioning, messaging architecture, and creative direction that carry through to the on-property experience.
Annual and quarterly marketing plans across paid, owned, and earned — with budgets, CRM and lifecycle programs, and performance optimization tied to the revenue calendar.
Segmentation, channel mix, pricing frameworks, and direct-booking strategy built with your Sales and Revenue leaders.
Pre-opening roadmaps, launch campaigns, and opening-period pacing strategy for new builds and renewed assets.
Brand-right partnerships, seasonal programming, and concept positioning for restaurants and bars, all tied to revenue goals.
Merchandise programs designed in-house and produced direct with manufacturers, with retail curation that turns the brand into product guests take home.
Ongoing advisory for teams that want a senior brand and commercial voice without a full-time hire.
Audit the brand, the numbers, the guest, and the comp set.
Set the position and the commercial targets it must serve.
Bring Sales, Revenue, and Marketing into one plan.
Develop the campaigns, partnerships, and programming.
Launch, measure pacing, and optimize for profitability.
"A hotel's brand lives everywhere — in the rate strategy, the playlist, the floor plan, and the partnerships. My job is to connect the creative side of the house to the commercial side."
I lead with clear creative direction and high standards delivered with warmth, and no job is too big or too small.
Tell me about your hotel, your market, and what you want to solve. I'll come back with next steps and a suggested path forward.