Award Winning Hospitality Leadership
We'll help you earn your Halo Effect.
ABOUT HALO
Halo was founded on the hospitality industry’s need in the UK and abroad for consultancy services that range from fully integrated solutions to specialised advice in key areas:
Customer Experience
Operations
PR
Marketing
Branding
Communications
As industry insiders, we’ve worked with some of the best hospitality brands in the USA, Thailand, Scotland and London, both in house and as consultants.
Let us put our combined 40 years of experience to work building your Halo Effect.
ABOUT US
Ashleigh Donald
Marketing and Communications
E: ashleigh@gohalo.co.uk T: +44(0)790 7058206
Ashleigh is a hospitality marketing and communications leader with more than twenty years of experience working with international hotel brands, independent properties and global lifestyle organisations. She partners with hotel owners, operators and leadership teams to turn brand promise into profitable guest experiences, building strategies that increase direct bookings, strengthen reputation and inspire long-term guest loyalty.
Before co-founding Halo Business Consulting in 2019, Ashleigh held senior in-house positions with respected brands including Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Shangri La, Marriott International, Hilton, Four Seasons, Hotel du Vin and Hudson Yards in New York. Her work includes leading pre opening communications for Shangri La Hotel at The Shard in London and supporting major real estate launches on both sides of the Atlantic.
At Halo, Ashleigh provides flexible marketing leadership for independent hotels, groups and hospitality businesses. She supports clients through full-service consultancy or fractional director roles, offering expertise in marketing strategy, digital marketing, CRM and guest communications, brand positioning, rebranding, content, PR and social media. Her approach spans audit, planning and delivery, working as an extension of in-house teams to elevate visibility and drive sustained growth.
Her project experience covers opening and relaunch campaigns, brand development, digital transformation and guest experience communication. Past and present clients include Montcalm Collection and Inhabit Hotels, Resident Hotels, The Dilly, Story Hospitality, Kew Green Hotels, Mission Net Zero, Hospitality People Group, QHotels and a growing number of independent hotels across the UK and overseas.
Ashleigh’s wider industry contributions include voluntary roles as an Entrepreneur in Residence and Advisory Board Member at Sheffield Hallam University, along with mentoring through The Girls’ Network.
She is also the co-host of The Halo Effect: Hospitality Stories, a weekly podcast that explores leadership, creativity and innovation across the hospitality sector.
Michael Donald
Customer Experience & Operations
E: michael@gohalo.co.uk T: +44(0)783 5994647
Michael is a specialist in customer and employee experience with two decades in luxury international hotels and resorts. He helps hotel owners, operators and general managers design guest journeys that strengthen loyalty, elevate reputation and drive commercial performance.
His career includes leadership roles with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, where he led front-of-house and customer experience teams, drove operational innovation through Six Sigma initiatives and contributed to the successful launch of two London hotels. This grounding shaped his expertise in both operational excellence and service culture.
A standout chapter in Michael’s career was his time at The Goring in London, the only hotel to hold a Royal Warrant from Her Majesty The Queen. As Reception Manager, he played an integral part in the property achieving its first five-star rating from Forbes Travel Guide and securing the AA London Hotel of the Year title.
In 2019, Michael co-founded Halo Business Consulting, bringing his passion for service, culture and performance into a consultancy model that supports hotels across the UK and overseas. He now works with owners and leadership teams to strengthen guest and employee experience, build high-performing service cultures and ensure operations are aligned with the brand promise.
Michael regularly contributes to industry thought leadership through guest articles for Hospitality News Middle East and other trade platforms, and The Halo Effect podcast, sharing practical insights on guest experience, service culture and commercial performance.
Michael supports clients through audit, strategy and hands-on delivery, working seamlessly alongside in-house teams. His expertise includes guest journey design and experience audits, employee engagement and service culture, operational optimisation, brand experience and specialist support in CRM and email marketing to enhance loyalty and direct revenue.
Michael is also the co-host of The Halo Effect: Hospitality Stories, a weekly podcast sharing practical insights and real experiences from leaders across hospitality and travel.