Sylvia Smith is the Director of Sales and Marketing at Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya, responsible for managing daily operations of the 214-room lifestyle resort, driving sales, marketing, PR and social media strategy, and leading a team of 20 associates in sales, marcom and events. In 2020, Smith led the relaunch of Andaz Mayakoba after the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing tiered recovery phases with brand positioning of each phase aligned with sales strategy, social media and PR activities.
Smith brings over 20 years of hospitality experience to her role, with a deep knowledge of international markets, a proven record in driving revenue and top line results, and excellent skills in strategy, positioning hotels in respective markets, communication and team management. She is known for her savvy PR and social media talents, effectively launching creative, integrated campaigns and luxury partnerships with luxury brands.
Smith earned her Bachelors of Business Administration degree at Les Roches Global Hospitality Education in Switzerland and Digital Marketing at Cornell University. She started her hospitality career with Hyatt in 2002 as the International Sales Manager at Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo as part of the opening team, followed by her role as Associate Director of Sales for Hyatt’s flagship hotel in the Asia-Pacific region, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.
Smith went on to lead the European Group Sales team at Preferred Hotels & Resorts driving revenues in MICE from Europe up in 60%. Returning as Senior Director of Sales to Hyatt Hotels in 2014 in London, UK she overlooked both Global and Regional Sales offices driving revenue to Hyatt hotels globally, identifying key strategies for need hotels of the region in addition to marketing new hotel openings and successfully positioning the different Hyatt brands. Prior to joining Andaz Mayakoba, Smith served as the Director of Sales & Marketing at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok where she lead a team of 40 associates in Sales, MarCom, Digital Marketing, Social Media and Events Sales, and oversaw all hotel and F&B marketing, PR and social media channels and partnership marketing.
Smith speaks five languages and is an avid traveler, documenting her passion for travel and hotels on her Instagram account @ILOVE_HOTELS, which has over 35,000 followers.
