Hotel Marketing

Hotel marketing involves strategies and techniques hotels use to promote their services, enhance brand visibility, and attract guests. It includes digital marketing, social media engagement, personalized email campaigns, loyalty programs, and partnerships. Effective hotel marketing is crucial for increasing bookings, maximizing revenue, and standing out in a competitive industry, making it an essential component of a hotel’s success.

Key Takeaways

  • Importance of First-Party Data: Collecting and utilizing first-party data from various sources is crucial for effective hotel marketing strategies.
  • Highlighting Safety and Hygiene: Emphasizing safety measures and hygiene standards in marketing and guest communications has become increasingly important.
  • Flexible Cancellations Role: Implementing flexible cancellation policies can significantly enhance customer service and satisfaction in the hotel industry.
  • Digital Marketing Significance: Utilizing digital marketing strategies, including SEO and social media, is key for visibility and guest engagement.
  • Sustainability as a Selling Point: Highlighting eco-friendly practices and sustainability commitments can attract environmentally-conscious guests.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

Hotel marketing is key in helping you attract bookings and optimize revenue. For the most part, your marketing messages are how customers will become aware of your hotel and also how they will understand your values and unique selling proposition. Of course, to optimize your marketing, you need to be aware of the latest hotel marketing trends for 2024. In this article, you can learn about the more general trends within hotel marketing and those that have emerged as a result of the coronavirus.

What Is Hotel Marketing?

Hotel marketing is an umbrella term that refers to hotels’ various strategies and techniques to promote their business and make a positive impression on customers. Essentially, it is about making a hotel as appealing as possible to attract as many guests as possible.

In the digital age, hotel marketing occurs online and in-person, and hotel brands need to maximize their presence through website traffic, social media, email, and various other channels.

Why Is Hotel Marketing Important?

Within the hotel and hospitality industry, competition is one of the biggest challenges for individual hotels to contend with. Hotel marketing is essential, as it is how hotels can promote their property, highlight their unique features, ensure they stand out from rivals, and establish the benefits of staying there.

Ultimately, keeping up with the latest hotel marketing trends and engaging customers through marketing can help hotel owners maximize the number of bookings they generate and the revenue they bring in.

Hotel Marketing - Strategy

18 Hotel Marketing Trends for 2024

Below, you will find a breakdown of some key trends associated with hotel marketing. For your convenience, these trends are both general trends and trends that are connected to coronavirus and the associated changes in consumer behavior.

1. Collect First-Party Data

Within hotels, first-party data can come from many sources, including your website analytics, booking engine, and direct communication with customers across multiple channels. The data itself can also take many forms, from demographic data to behavioral data, performance data, customer feedback, and conversational data.

You must collect and utilize first-party data to get the most from your hotel marketing efforts. This means designing your business operations around collecting valuable information. For instance, you need to ask the right questions during conversations, you need your booking engine to extract the most important pre-arrival data, and so forth. The more valuable first-party data you gather, the more you can use it to enhance your marketing efforts.

Video: What is First-Party Data?

2. Highlight Safety in Hotel Marketing & Guest Communication

One of the biggest trends within hotel marketing is the increased need to highlight safety measures and hygiene within your marketing content and guest communications. Travelers need reassurance that they are keeping their property up to hygiene standards.

When making booking decisions, hygiene measures and safety policies are in customers’ minds. How well you communicate your steps can easily differentiate between generating sales and failing to do so. Your efforts must be communicated on your website, third-party platforms, emails, and elsewhere.

Look at “Hygiene is the New Marketing Message for Hotels” for further insights.

3. The Role of Flexible Cancellations

Concerning customer service, one of the essential things those in the hotel industry need to remember is that COVID-19 created a lot of uncertainty. Customers could easily face the sudden imposition of new restrictions, resulting in loss of money with non-refundable bookings.

This sentiment is still visible after the height of the pandemic, as flexible and refundable bookings are much more attractive. Demonstrating an understanding through a flexible cancellations policy can go a long way towards encouraging bookings in the first place and can also help you avoid negative press.

Table: Reasons for Flexible Cancellation Implementation

Flexible Cancellation Aspect Benefit Risk for Hotel
Customer Satisfaction Increased guest loyalty and positive reviews. Potential revenue loss due to last-minute cancellations.
Adaptation to External Factors Mitigation of negative impact during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial strain during unforeseen circumstances.
Competitive Edge Attraction of travelers who prioritize flexibility. Pressure to match or exceed competitors’ cancellation policies.

4. Video Marketing

Video marketing is one of the most powerful hotel marketing strategies, helping to target marketing messages toward potential customers in a way that is convenient to them, in fact, according to the Video Marketing Statistics by Wyzowl, 91% of marketers are using video as a marketing tool in 2024. Video content is especially popular on social media platforms, and it can combine visual and audio elements.

The range of options available to marketers is almost endless, from live streams of hotel activities to promotional videos highlighting hotel features and interviews with customers sharing their experiences. The growing prevalence of 360-degree video also opens up greater opportunities to fully immerse audiences.

Video: Example W Hotel Barcelona Promotional Trailer

5. Produce Short-Form Video Content

The short-form video has taken the internet by storm in recent years, especially thanks to platforms like TikTok or features like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Stories. Short-form video content has a lot of advantages over long-form content, including requiring little in the way of time investment and attention span from viewers.

Within hotel marketing, short-form videos can often achieve what would take hundreds or even thousands of written words to achieve. You can use short-form videos to highlight your hotel’s main features, showcase your employees’ work, demonstrate some of your brand values, or attract attention through viral marketing.

Example: Cinematic Hotel Video

6. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Customer service interactions form a major part of the modern hotel marketing mix, and artificial intelligence can play an important role here. For example, AI-powered chatbots are one of the best ways to ensure customers receive quick responses via live chat functions on hotel websites 24 hours a day, eliminating slow response times.

However, artificial intelligence within the hospitality sector extends far beyond this. For example, AI can help hotels to segregate customers more effectively, assisting with personalization marketing efforts. It can also speed up data analytics, while AI-driven customer service robots can be deployed in hotels.

Video: Artificial Intelligence in Hotel Rooms

7. Customer Experience Marketing

Customer experience marketing refers to a collection of hotel marketing strategies that are based on the experience customers have when staying at a hotel or interacting with a business. It is based on the idea that hotel customers do not pay for products or services; they pay for experiences.

Hotels can improve the customer experience in several ways, such as by delivering excellent customer service, offering unique features in hotel rooms, and providing a superior range of facilities for guests. By focusing on marketing efforts on the experience, hotels can tap into why people stay in hotels in the first place.

Video: Example Fairmont Hotels  – Luxury Customer Experience

 

Find more detailed information about customer experience in the hotel industry in the article “Use Cases of Facial Recognition in The Hospitality Industry”.

8. Make Use of Direct Messaging

A hotel marketing concept that marketers are only starting to come to terms with is how to use direct messaging effectively. This can occur across a number of platforms, including online chat, mobile text messages, and mobile messaging apps, as well as direct message tools on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

One of the most important skills for modern hotel marketers to learn is how to use direct messaging effectively. It will often require a combination of marketing and classic customer service, as you will need to respond to questions, provide advice, and respond to complaints, but do so in a way that helps to build brand awareness and familiarity.

9. Voice Search

In recent years, voice search has emerged as one of the most essential hotel marketing trends, and several hotel marketing strategies can take advantage of this. For instance, using smart home devices allows customers to book hotels entirely through voice commands, and hotels should capitalize on this.

Additionally, voice search possibilities can be implemented within hotel rooms and promoted to attract customers. This can be achieved by including smart speakers or smart hubs in hotel rooms, allowing guests to use them to obtain the latest tourist information or to book hotel services from the comfort of their rooms.

Video: Book Travel Products via Voice Search

 

Find more detailed information and examples about how voice search can benefit your business in the article “How Can Voice Control Benefit the Hospitality Industry?”.

10. Hotel Chatbots

Customers tend to have high expectations regarding online customer service, anticipating swift replies to questions, and this is where chatbots can be of great value. According to the Chatbot Market Report by Markets and Markets, the global chatbot market size is projected to reach $15.5 billion by 2028.

A chatbot can be set up to answer common questions, push your key marketing messages, increase direct bookings, and even guide customers through bookings. Chatbots’ main benefits include the ability to respond to customers even when staff is unavailable and automatic language detection and communication in multiple languages. Chatbots can continue to communicate with guests throughout the customer journey, including in the follow-up phase.

Video: Book a Hotel Room With Chatbot

 

Learn more by reading the articles “Reasons Why Every Hotel Needs a Hotel Chatbot” and “What Are the Important Features When Choosing a Hotel Bot?”.

11. Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is somewhat similar to virtual reality technology. Still, rather than entirely altering a user’s surroundings, it works by overlaying information onto real-world environments – usually through a smartphone or tablet. The technology itself became mainstream through popular apps like Pokemon Go.

Today, augmented reality marketing is one of the most significant hotel marketing trends. In particular, promoting AR features can help a hotel to stand out from rivals. An example of its uses would be the inclusion of interactive wall maps in rooms, which can provide users with tourist information when they aim a smartphone at them.

Video: Example Augmented Reality for Tourism

 

Find more detailed information and examples about how augmented reality can benefit your business in the article “How Augmented Reality is Transforming the Hospitality Industry.”

12. Let Potential Guests Experience Your Hotel From Afar

What if there was a hotel technology you could turn to to help potential guests make their booking decisions? Virtual reality tours offer precisely this. Potential guests and B2B clients can experience your hotel from afar using VR technology.

This can be particularly effective during the booking process, which is why VR tours are increasingly integrated into booking engines. With those interested in your business or event options, VR means they can also see your wedding, event, or dinner facilities and book without requiring an in-person inspection first.

Video: A Virtual Honeymoon to London and Hawaii

 

Read “Reasons Why Every Hotel Should Have a Virtual Reality Video” for additional information. It is also worth noting that modern VR tours tend to be web-based and easily accessible through popular web browsers.

13. Influencer Hotel Marketing

Influencer marketing refers to reaching out to individuals with a significant online presence and using their influence to get marketing messages out to a particular audience. Influencers tend to have established audiences, which may consist of a specific demographic, and their audience will usually respect their views.

In some ways, influencer marketing is similar to celebrity endorsements, with the audience trusting a business or brand because of its association with someone they trust or admire. Hotels might partner with influences to create video content, social media posts, written content, or other forms of online marketing.

Video: How Instagram Influencers are Driving Tourism

14. User-Generated Content

In the hotel industry, user-generated content refers to online content created and shared by customers. Examples range from customer reviews and video blogs to hotel photos or holiday snaps. User-generated content is most commonly shared on social media or via personal blogs.

This kind of content has the benefit of coming from real customers rather than from a brand, increasing audience trust. For hotel marketing strategies to truly harness the power of user-generated content, they must provide opportunities for it to be easily created and shared, with digital photo booths as one example.

Video: Example User-Generated Content for Hotels

15. Personalization in Hotel Marketing

Personalization marketing aims to deliver more targeted promotional content to individual users. It is a technique that relies heavily on the collection of user data. The primary advantage of personalization marketing is that the promotional content that customers see is more relevant to them as individuals.

Personalization marketing can take several forms, including intelligent product recommendations delivered online or personalized email marketing campaigns. Content can be tailored by obtaining personal contact details and targeted toward specific users based on their web browsing habits and social media activity.

Video: Personalisation Marketing Explained by Dell

 

Find more detailed information and examples of personalization marketing in the article “5 Ways Personalization Marketing Can Benefit the Hospitality Industry”.

16. Remarketing

Remarketing is a way for those in hotel management to reach out to users who have already visited their hotel website or interacted with their brand on social media. It can be especially beneficial to hotels because research indicates many people begin to make a hotel booking before stopping. This could be because they have become distracted or want to conduct further research.

Remarketing allows these users to be targeted with specific marketing messages, such as an image of the exact hotel room they were booking, reminding them of their interaction. A major advantage of remarketing over other digital advertising is that hotels already know these users have shown some interest.

Video: What is Remarketing?

17. Metaverse: An Innovative Hotel Marketing Trend

The metaverse provides several unique hotel marketing opportunities and can help bring offerings into the modern age. Firstly, hotels can provide a virtual or digital space where people can interact freely without needing to be in the exact location. This may be especially useful for business customers hosting online meetings.

However, the metaverse can also be used in fun and creative ways that allow the customer experience to be improved more generally. For instance, interactive virtual tours of hotels can make it easier for customers to make booking decisions. At the same time, metaverse offerings can allow younger guests to experience AR and VR elements within the hotel.

For more information about hotel metaverse opportunities, read “How Can the Hotel Industry Take Advantage of the Metaverse?”

Video: How Hotels Are Tapping into the Metaverse

18. Non-Fungible Tokens as an Extension of Digital Hotel Marketing

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are among the most exciting hotel marketing options because there are so many potential uses. Essentially, NFTs are unique cryptographic assets that cannot be replicated, proving ownership of an individual digital item, such as artwork, an audio file, or even a digital membership card.

Generally, hotel marketers can partner with local artists or content creators and sell or give away NFTs to generate publicity. However, NFT technology could also be used to prove membership or store customer loyalty information. Beyond this, NFTs can be offered within the metaverse, allowing for exciting new digital opportunities, such as selling digital assets within a virtual space.

Hotel Marketing FAQs

The marketing process of a hotel involves market research, identifying target audiences, defining unique selling propositions, developing marketing strategies and campaigns, implementing them across various channels, and measuring and analyzing the outcomes to refine future efforts.

Hotels use various marketing strategies, including digital marketing (SEO, PPC, email campaigns), social media marketing, content marketing, loyalty programs, partnerships with travel agencies, influencer collaborations, and targeted advertising to attract and retain guests and enhance brand visibility.

The hotel marketing concept involves identifying and meeting guests’ needs and wants through personalized services, quality accommodation, and exceptional customer experiences, ultimately leading to guest satisfaction and loyalty.

The target market of hotels varies based on the type and location but can include business travelers, leisure tourists, families, couples, groups, and event attendees. Understanding the specific target market is crucial for tailoring marketing efforts effectively.

Yes, hotels need digital marketing to reach a broader audience, enhance online visibility, engage with potential and current guests, manage their reputation, and compete effectively in the digital age, especially as consumers increasingly use online channels to plan and book travel.

The hotel industry is incredibly competitive, so hotel marketing is crucial. Using the hotel marketing trends listed in this article, hotels can reach customers in different ways, with diverse marketing messages, maximizing their chances of securing bookings and achieving revenue targets.

Want to Learn More About Hotel Marketing Strategies?

Marketing plays a crucial role in helping businesses to maximize bookings and revenue. It is the main way those in the hotel industry can reach out to potential customers, conveying their unique selling proposition and brand values. In the following articles, you will find more essential marketing strategies to boost your revenue:

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten
Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. I am specialized in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have over 15 years of experience developing, implementing, and managing revenue management and marketing strategies and processes for individual properties and multi-properties.