A hotel with an empty dining room or a restaurant with no waitlist has a visibility problem, not a menu problem. Guests book what they read about, follow, and hear their friends mention, and that reputation is built by public relations specialists long before a single review goes live. For hospitality brands across Canada, from a boutique inn in Nova Scotia to a downtown Toronto rooftop bar, the right PR agency turns a good property into a talked-about one.

This guide reviews ten of the country’s most established hospitality PR firms, drawn from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary, so operators, franchise groups, and marketing directors can compare team size, founding history, service scope, and typical pricing in one place before they consult, engage, or book a call with a shortlist of PR consultants.

Meet the Agencies on This List

Here is the full lineup, in the order we cover them below:

  1. NATIONAL Public Relations
  2. Citizen Relations
  3. Strategic Objectives
  4. Harbinger Communications
  5. Paradigm Public Relations
  6. Jive PR + Digital
  7. North Strategic
  8. Talk Shop Media
  9. Faulhaber
  10. Get Ink PR and Communications

Each firm services hospitality clients (hotels, restaurants, resorts, and tourism boards) in a different way, so read the full snapshot rather than picking on name recognition alone.

The Hospitality PR Agency, Defined

A hospitality PR agency is a communications firm that specialises in earning media coverage, managing brand reputation, and building public trust for hotels, restaurants, resorts, spas, and tourism destinations. Unlike a general marketing agency, it works primarily in earned media: press coverage, influencer partnerships, awards submissions, and crisis communication, rather than paid advertising alone.

The service typically covers:

The Marks of a Hospitality PR Partner Worth Hiring

Not every agency that lists “hospitality” as a sector actually has the media contacts or crisis playbook a hotel or restaurant group needs. A partner worth engaging usually shows the following traits:

Agency Snapshot Table

AgencyHeadquartersFoundedTeam SizeBest For
NATIONAL Public RelationsMontreal1976300+National, multi-sector hospitality groups
Citizen RelationsToronto, Montreal, Vancouver1980140+Consumer campaigns with global reach
Strategic ObjectivesToronto198340+Award-driven food, beverage, and hotel PR
Harbinger CommunicationsToronto199070+Consumer product and lifestyle brands
Paradigm Public RelationsToronto200720+Mid-market restaurant and retail brands
Jive PR + DigitalVancouver, Toronto200930+Social-first restaurant and hotel launches
North StrategicToronto, Montreal, Calgary201150+Integrated PR and influencer campaigns
Talk Shop MediaVancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Kelowna201150+Regional hospitality and lifestyle brands
FaulhaberToronto, Montreal, Vancouver200130+Boutique hotel and real estate hospitality
Get Ink PR and CommunicationsToronto201815+Boutique hospitality and lifestyle launches

Team sizes are approximate and change as agencies grow, merge, or open new offices, so treat them as a general guide rather than a fixed figure.

The Best Hospitality PR Agencies in Canada

1. NATIONAL Public Relations

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 editorial score, based on published client work and industry awards, not a single review platform)

NATIONAL is the largest independent public relations firm in the country, and its scale is exactly why national hotel chains, resort groups, and tourism boards consult the firm when a campaign needs to run in nine cities at once.

DetailInformation
FounderLuc Beauregard
Year Established1976
HeadquartersMontreal, Quebec
Team Size300+ professionals
OfficesVancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, Halifax, St. John’s

The Value It Delivers

NATIONAL pairs media relations with public affairs, government relations, and issues management, which matters for hospitality brands navigating tourism board regulations, liquor licensing disputes, or labour relations stories that spill into the press. The firm’s bilingual capability also means a single campaign can run in English and French without a second agency in the loop.

Feature 1: National Media Network Decades of relationships with major Canadian outlets give hospitality clients access to national morning shows, food sections, and travel supplements that smaller agencies rarely reach on a cold pitch.

Feature 2: Crisis and Issues Management A dedicated practice for reputation defence, useful for hotel groups managing labour disputes, safety incidents, or public backlash tied to pricing or service changes.

Feature 3: Bilingual, Coast-to-Coast Delivery Nine offices allow a single campaign to be adapted for Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and Western Canada markets without losing message consistency.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
National reach across nine officesRetainers sit at the higher end of the market
Deep bilingual capabilityBest suited to larger hospitality groups, not single-location restaurants
Strong crisis communication benchOnboarding process is more formal than a boutique shop

Best Use Case: A multi-province hotel or restaurant group that needs consistent coverage in English and French markets, plus a firm that can step into a crisis at short notice.

Estimated Pricing

Engagement TypeTypical Range (CAD)
Monthly retainer$12,000 to $30,000+
Project-based campaign$25,000 to $80,000+
Crisis communication responseCustom quote

Public agencies of this size rarely publish fixed rates, so figures reflect typical industry ranges for firms of comparable scope rather than a published rate card. For UK readers benchmarking against home market pricing, that mid-range retainer converts to roughly £7,000 to £17,500 a month at current exchange rates.

Book a discovery call directly through NATIONAL’s website to scope a custom proposal for your property or group.

2. Citizen Relations

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5 editorial score)

Citizen Relations operates across Canada, the US, and the UK, which makes it a fit for hospitality brands expanding beyond a single country. Its work for travel and tourism clients, including destination marketing organisations, gives it a genuine claim to hospitality sector depth.

DetailInformation
FounderFounded under an earlier agency name before its Citizen rebrand
Year Established1980
HeadquartersToronto, with offices in Montreal and Vancouver
Team Size140+ employees across North America
Notable SectorsTravel, consumer packaged goods, food and beverage

The Value It Delivers

Citizen blends PR with social strategy, creative, and experiential planning under one roof, so a hotel launch or restaurant opening can get press coverage, an influencer weekend, and a social content plan from a single engaged team rather than three separate vendors.

Feature 1: Integrated Experiential Campaigns Event production sits inside the same team as media relations, which keeps openings and anniversary campaigns consistent from pitch to post-event recap.

Feature 2: Cross-Border Reach Offices in Canada, the US, and the UK support hospitality groups expanding into new markets without switching agencies mid-growth.

Feature 3: Influencer and Creator Partnerships A dedicated influencer practice connects hotel and restaurant clients with food, travel, and lifestyle creators for launches and seasonal pushes.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Strong cross-border network for expanding brandsLarger account teams can mean less founder-level attention
Integrated creative and social capabilityOnboarding paperwork suits larger budgets
Established travel and tourism client historyRegional boutique properties may prefer a smaller local shop

Best Use Case: A hospitality group planning a cross-border launch, or a destination brand that wants PR, social, and experiential planning handled by one connected team.

Estimated Pricing

Engagement TypeTypical Range (CAD)
Monthly retainer$10,000 to $25,000+
Project-based campaign$20,000 to $60,000+
Influencer add-on programme$5,000 to $15,000 per campaign

Schedule an introductory consultation through Citizen Relations to discuss scope and budget for your property.

3. Strategic Objectives

Rating: ★★★★★ (4.8/5 editorial score)

Strategic Objectives is Canada’s most award-decorated independent PR agency, and its client roster in food, beverage, and consumer categories runs deep. For a hospitality brand that wants a campaign built to win industry recognition as well as bookings, this is one of the strongest options on the list.

DetailInformation
FoundersDeborah Weinstein and Judy Lewis
Year Established1983
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario
Team Size40+ professionals
OwnershipIndependently owned, certified Women’s Business Enterprise

The Value It Delivers

The firm’s food, beverage, and hospitality practice has represented restaurant franchise groups and consumer brands for over four decades, and its award submissions team knows precisely how to frame a campaign for recognition, not only reach.

Feature 1: Award-Winning Campaign Development More than 300 industry awards give the team a practical understanding of what separates a good pitch from one that wins Agency of the Year recognition.

Feature 2: Full-Service Consumer PR Media relations, social content, influencer marketing, and experiential events sit under one roof, useful for restaurant groups running seasonal menu launches.

Feature 3: Bilingual National Delivery A fully bilingual team supports campaigns that need to run in French and English simultaneously.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Deep food and beverage sector historyTeam size is smaller than the national holding-company firms
Independently owned, so decisions move quicklyDemand can mean longer lead times for new client onboarding
Strong track record with restaurant franchise groupsPrimarily Toronto-based, with less office presence out west

Best Use Case: A restaurant chain, food brand, or hotel group that wants an agency with a strong record of turning campaigns into industry award wins.

Estimated Pricing

Engagement TypeTypical Range (CAD)
Monthly retainer$8,000 to $20,000+
Project-based campaign$25,000 and up
Award submission add-on$2,000 to $5,000 per submission

Engage Strategic Objectives by requesting a proposal directly through the agency to discuss your next launch or seasonal campaign.

4. Harbinger Communications

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.4/5 editorial score)

Harbinger has spent more than three decades building relationships with consumer and lifestyle media, and its influencer and media relations focus suits hospitality brands that need consistent, steady coverage rather than a single splashy launch.

DetailInformation
Founded1990
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario
Team Size70+ professionals
Notable SectorsConsumer products, lifestyle, hospitality

The Value It Delivers

Harbinger works with small businesses and midmarket hospitality brands that need a partner experienced with limited budgets but high expectations. Its media relations bench has decades of relationship history with lifestyle and consumer press.

Feature 1: Influencer and Media Relations Focus A specialised practice for connecting hospitality brands with relevant influencers and traditional press in the same campaign.

Feature 2: Midmarket Fit Built for businesses that are past the startup stage but not yet operating at national chain scale, which describes most independent hotel and restaurant groups.

Feature 3: Long-Term Relationship Building Over thirty years of consistent operation gives the agency institutional memory of Canadian consumer media that newer shops cannot match.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Long-standing media relationshipsSmaller national footprint than the largest firms
Comfortable working with midmarket budgetsLess known for large-scale crisis communication mandates
Consistent influencer and press mixPrimarily Toronto-focused

Best Use Case: An independent hotel, restaurant, or hospitality brand that needs a steady drumbeat of press and influencer coverage rather than a single campaign spike.

Estimated Pricing

Engagement TypeTypical Range (CAD)
Monthly retainer$5,000 to $15,000
Project-based campaign$10,000 to $30,000
Influencer program add-on$3,000 to $8,000 per campaign

Consult Harbinger’s team directly to scope a plan around your current budget and press goals.

5. Paradigm Public Relations

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.3/5 editorial score)

Paradigm is a lean, senior-led team that has represented food, fashion, and financial services clients since 2007. Its size keeps engagements personal, which many independent hospitality operators prefer over a large account team.

DetailInformation
Founded2007
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario
PresidentTracey Bochner
Team SizeApproximately 20 employees

The Value It Delivers

Paradigm’s food and beverage client history, paired with digital and experiential marketing services, makes it a fit for restaurant groups that want PR, social content, and event support handled by the same small, senior team.

Feature 1: Senior-Led Account Teams Founders and senior staff stay close to programmes rather than handing accounts entirely to junior staff.

Feature 2: Experiential and Digital Add-Ons In-house experiential marketing and digital services mean a launch event and its social amplification can be planned together.

Feature 3: Food and Beverage Track Record Nearly two decades of client work in food, beverage, and consumer categories gives the team practical menu launch and seasonal campaign experience.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Personal, senior-led serviceSmaller team means less capacity for very large national rollouts
Established food and beverage historyLimited office presence outside Toronto
Combines PR with experiential and digital servicesMay require a supplementary agency for major crisis mandates

Best Use Case: A restaurant group, hotel brand, or food and beverage company that wants a smaller, senior-led team handling both press and event execution.

Estimated Pricing

Engagement TypeTypical Range (CAD)
Monthly retainer$4,500 to $12,000
Project-based campaign$8,000 to $25,000
Experiential event add-onCustom quote

Reach out to Paradigm to schedule a discovery call and outline your launch timeline and budget.

6. Jive PR + Digital

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5 editorial score)

Jive built its reputation on social-first, culturally current campaigns, and its work with restaurants, hotels, and entertainment clients across Vancouver and Toronto shows in campaigns that generate hundreds of millions of media impressions for a single hospitality launch.

DetailInformation
FounderLindsay Nahmiache
Year Established2009
HeadquartersManhattan Beach, California, with offices in Vancouver and Toronto
Team Size30+ professionals

The Value It Delivers

Jive’s combination of public relations, TikTok-native social strategy, and influencer marketing suits hospitality brands chasing a younger guest base. Its documented work with a Ritz-Carlton restaurant terrace and a major Canadian film festival shows range across luxury hospitality and cultural events.

Feature 1: Social and Influencer-Led PR Campaigns are built with social platforms as the primary channel, not an afterthought bolted onto a traditional press release.

Feature 2: Cross-Border Client Base Offices in the US and Canada support hospitality brands operating on both sides of the border.

Feature 3: User-Generated Content Strategy A dedicated practice for turning guest content into brand marketing material, useful for restaurants and boutique hotels built around visual appeal.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Strong social and influencer specialisationUS headquarters means some account leads sit outside Canada
Documented luxury hospitality campaign historySmaller team than the national holding-company agencies
Culturally current, younger-audience focusLess suited to formal government or public affairs work

Best Use Case: A boutique hotel, restaurant, or hospitality brand targeting a younger, socially active guest base with a launch built for shareability.

Estimated Pricing

Engagement TypeTypical Range (CAD)
Monthly retainer$6,000 to $18,000
Project-based campaign$12,000 to $35,000
Influencer and UGC add-on$4,000 to $10,000 per campaign

Partner with Jive PR + Digital by requesting a proposal through the agency’s Vancouver or Toronto office.

7. North Strategic

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.4/5 editorial score)

North Strategic built its name on integrating PR with social content from day one, and its client list of major Canadian consumer brands reflects a team comfortable with both earned media and paid amplification.

DetailInformation
FoundersMia Pearson and Justin Creally
Year Established2011
HeadquartersToronto, with offices in Montreal and Calgary
Team Size50+ professionals

The Value It Delivers

North Strategic’s model treats PR and social as one discipline rather than two departments, which suits hospitality brands that need a launch story to work equally well as a press release and a social campaign.

Feature 1: Integrated PR and Social Strategy Strategists, designers, and former journalists work from the same brief, reducing the back and forth between a PR team and a separate social agency.

Feature 2: In-House Video Production An affiliated video production arm supports hospitality launches that need polished content alongside press coverage.

Feature 3: Multi-City Coverage Offices in Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary support hospitality groups expanding across several Canadian markets.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Strong integrated PR and social modelPart of a larger holding company structure since 2016
In-house video and content productionBest suited to consumer-facing launches, less to public affairs work
Multi-city Canadian presenceRetainers sit mid to upper range

Best Use Case: A hospitality brand planning a launch that needs press coverage, social content, and video production to move together as one campaign.

Estimated Pricing

Engagement TypeTypical Range (CAD)
Monthly retainer$8,000 to $20,000
Project-based campaign$15,000 to $40,000
Video content add-on$5,000 to $15,000 per project

Schedule a call with North Strategic to scope your next opening or seasonal launch.

8. Talk Shop Media

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.3/5 editorial score)

Talk Shop grew from a Vancouver technology PR shop into a broader integrated communications agency, and its 2023 acquisition of a journalist-founded PR firm added deeper hospitality and lifestyle sector experience to the team.

DetailInformation
Founded2011
HeadquartersVancouver, with offices in Toronto, Calgary, and Kelowna
Managing PartnerKatie Stevens
Team Size50+ employees

The Value It Delivers

Talk Shop’s documented work with a national restaurant technology client on data-driven media reports shows a team comfortable pairing hospitality storytelling with research-backed press hooks, which tends to earn coverage in business and trade outlets, not only lifestyle sections.

Feature 1: Regional and National Reach Four Canadian offices support hospitality brands with both regional roots and national ambitions.

Feature 2: Data-Driven Media Hooks Experience building press campaigns around original research and reports gives hospitality clients an angle beyond a standard launch announcement.

Feature 3: Real Estate and Lifestyle Sector Crossover Client history across real estate, technology, and lifestyle sectors brings a broader network of media contacts to hospitality campaigns.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Strong Western Canada presence, uncommon among national firmsLess specialised in hospitality alone compared to boutique firms
Data and research-driven campaign experienceToronto office newer than the Vancouver headquarters
Multiple regional offices support local launchesSector breadth means less singular hospitality focus

Best Use Case: A hospitality brand based in Western Canada, or one that wants a research-backed press angle rather than a standard launch pitch.

Estimated Pricing

Engagement TypeTypical Range (CAD)
Monthly retainer$6,000 to $16,000
Project-based campaign$10,000 to $30,000
Research or report-led campaign$8,000 to $20,000

Book a discovery call with Talk Shop Media to discuss your property’s regional or national press goals.

9. Faulhaber

Rating: ★★★★★ (4.6/5 editorial score)

Faulhaber has spent over two decades building a reputation with lifestyle, real estate, and hospitality brands, and its founder-led, majority-women executive team gives the agency a distinct culture among the larger firms on this list.

DetailInformation
FounderChristine Faulhaber
Year Established2001
HeadquartersToronto, with offices in Montreal and Vancouver
Team Size30+ professionals
OwnershipIndependently owned, women-led executive team

The Value It Delivers

Faulhaber’s twenty-plus years working with lifestyle, real estate, and hospitality clients gives it practical experience in launches that depend on aspirational storytelling, a hotel opening, a residential development with hospitality amenities, or a restaurant tied to a lifestyle brand.

Feature 1: Lifestyle and Hospitality Storytelling A team built around aspirational, design-forward brand narratives that suit boutique hotels, restaurants, and mixed-use hospitality developments.

Feature 2: Multilingual, Multi-City Team Strategists across Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver support campaigns that need to run in multiple Canadian markets and languages.

Feature 3: Founder-Led Governance A deliberate succession and governance structure keeps senior leadership closely involved in client strategy even as the agency has grown.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Deep lifestyle and hospitality storytelling experienceSmaller team than the largest national agencies
Founder and senior leadership stay closely involvedFewer offices than firms with a coast-to-coast footprint
Strong reputation in real estate-adjacent hospitalityLimited public information on fixed pricing

Best Use Case: A boutique hotel, restaurant, or hospitality-adjacent real estate brand that wants an aspirational, design-led press strategy.

Estimated Pricing

Engagement TypeTypical Range (CAD)
Monthly retainer$7,000 to $18,000
Project-based campaign$12,000 to $35,000
Launch event PR packageCustom quote

Contact Faulhaber directly to schedule a consultation about your property’s brand story.

10. Get Ink PR and Communications

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.2/5 editorial score)

Get Ink is a boutique Toronto shop built specifically around hospitality, tourism, and consumer lifestyle brands, which makes it one of the more sector-focused options for smaller independent properties on this list.

DetailInformation
Founded2018
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario
Team SizeApproximately 15 professionals
Sector FocusHospitality, tourism, consumer lifestyle

The Value It Delivers

Get Ink pairs traditional media relations with modern digital tactics, which suits independent hotels and restaurants that need a smaller agency comfortable running both a press campaign and a social content plan without a large retainer commitment.

Feature 1: Hospitality-Specific Focus Unlike broader consumer agencies, Get Ink’s client base centres on hospitality and tourism, giving the team sharper media contacts in that beat.

Feature 2: Digital and Traditional PR Blend A combined approach that pairs press outreach with social and digital tactics rather than treating them as separate services.

Feature 3: Boutique, Founder-Accessible Team A smaller team size keeps founders and senior staff directly involved in day-to-day account work.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Sharp hospitality and tourism sector focusSmaller team limits capacity for very large national campaigns
Founder-accessible, boutique service modelYounger agency with a shorter track record than legacy firms
Combines press and digital tacticsSingle-office presence in Toronto only

Best Use Case: An independent hotel, restaurant, or tourism brand that wants a boutique agency solely focused on hospitality clients.

Estimated Pricing

Engagement TypeTypical Range (CAD)
Monthly retainer$3,500 to $10,000
Project-based campaign$6,000 to $18,000
Digital and social add-on$2,000 to $6,000

Reach out to Get Ink to book an introductory call about your hospitality brand’s press goals.

Choosing the Right Partner for Your Property

If your hospitality group operates coast to coast and needs bilingual, crisis-ready support, NATIONAL or Citizen Relations carry the scale for that mandate. If you run an independent restaurant or boutique hotel and want a senior team that answers the phone personally, Paradigm, Get Ink, or Harbinger fit that budget and structure more comfortably. 

If your guest base skews younger and social-first, Jive PR + Digital or North Strategic bring the platform-native skills that traditional press relations alone cannot deliver. Whichever agency you consult, ask for two things before signing: a media list relevant to hospitality specifically, and a clear reporting structure so you can measure the return on your engagement.

A Second Option Worth Considering: Pearl Lemon PR

Many of the agencies above serve Canadian hospitality brands well, particularly for domestic press. Hospitality groups that also need coverage in the UK and European markets, whether that means a Canadian hotel chain opening its first UK property or a restaurant group courting international travel media, sometimes engage a second agency for that specific reach. 

Pearl Lemon PR, based in the UK, works with hospitality clients on media relations, digital PR, and reputation management for exactly that kind of cross-border campaign.

What Matters to Hospitality ClientsHow Pearl Lemon PR Approaches It
UK and European media relationshipsDirect contacts across travel, food, and lifestyle press in the UK market
Digital PR and link-earning campaignsData-led stories designed for online travel and lifestyle publications
Transparent reportingMonthly reporting tied to coverage, reach, and sentiment
Flexible engagementProject and retainer options depending on campaign scope
Consultation processA discovery call before any proposal is issued

A UK-based hospitality group weighing a partner for European press exposure can book a consultation with Pearl Lemon PR to compare scope and pricing, quoted in pounds sterling, against the Canadian firms listed above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a hospitality PR agency need to integrate with our booking or CRM system? Most agencies work alongside your existing booking platform rather than inside it, pulling occupancy or reservation data manually for reporting rather than requiring a direct system integration.

How does an agency handle compliance around advertising standards and disclosure rules? Reputable agencies build influencer disclosure and advertising standards compliance directly into contracts and content approval steps before anything goes live.

What does a typical reporting framework look like? Expect a monthly report covering media placements, estimated reach, sentiment, and, where data allows, a rough correlation to booking or reservation activity.

Can a smaller agency scale up if our hospitality group expands to new cities? Yes, most agencies on this list can add regional press support as you grow, though a very large national rollout may eventually call for a bigger firm.

How customised is a typical hospitality PR campaign? Campaigns are built around your property’s specific story, season, and audience rather than run from a generic hospitality template.

What is the usual timeline before we see media coverage? Most agencies need four to six weeks to build a media list and secure the first placements after a campaign kicks off.

How is success measured beyond press clippings? Agencies typically track reach, sentiment, share of voice against competitors, and, where possible, website traffic or reservation data tied to a campaign period.

Do these agencies handle crisis communication as well as launch PR? Most firms on this list offer crisis communication support, though the depth of that service varies, so ask for a specific crisis case study before signing.

Will we work with senior staff or mostly junior account coordinators? This varies by agency size, smaller firms like Paradigm and Get Ink keep senior staff closely involved, while larger firms assign a senior lead alongside a junior support team.

What is the minimum commitment for a first engagement? Most agencies prefer an initial three to six month retainer to build media relationships properly, though some offer single-project pricing for a specific launch or event.

Book Your Consultation

Hospitality PR works best when it starts before your next launch, not during the week of it. Compare two or three agencies from this list, ask each one for a hospitality-specific case study, and book a discovery call before your next opening, renovation reveal, or seasonal campaign goes to press. The right partner will ask about your guest experience before they ask about your budget, and that is usually the clearest sign you have found the right fit.

Stop Falling Behind Start Ranking in Canada Today

Every day you wait is another opportunity for your competitors to outrank you. With Pearl Lemon, we’ll implement strategies that get you the rankings and visibility you deserve in the Canadian market. Don’t wait. Schedule a consultation with us now.