Creative Approaches to Hotel Content Creation

Stop Posting Just Room Photos on Socials! Here’s What Guests Actually Want to See. Be honest with yourself, how many times has your hotel’s socials posted a perfectly polished room photo with a caption like: "A cozy escape awaits. Book now. ✨" And how many times did that post actually drive engagement… or, better yet, a booking? The truth? Guests don’t book because of a bed and four walls. They book for the experience. Yet, so many hotels (and restaurants) flood their feeds with soulless, salesy photos that look just like every other property. If your social media feels more like an online catalog than a destination, you’re missing the point. And here’s the real game-changer: With AI improving at an insane pace, software will soon generate better images of our hotel rooms than we ever could anyway! Perfect lighting, flawless composition, AI will do it all. Just like the image in those post. So, what will actually make a difference? The stories and experiences we share. What Should You Post Instead? 📍 The Destination : Guests aren’t just staying at your hotel; they’re visiting your city. We’re focusing on highlighting local gems, hidden spots, and experiences they won’t find on TripAdvisor. 👩🍳 Behind-the-Scenes Stories : Meet the chef behind your restaurant. Show how your cocktails are crafted. Introduce the team that makes the magic happen. People connect with people, not just places. 🎥 Guest-Generated Content : A guest’s TikTok or Instagram Story will always feel more authentic than a corporate post. That’s why we’re actively encouraging and sharing real experiences from real people. 🐶 Unique Experiences – Is your hotel pet-friendly? Show a guest’s dog getting VIP treatment. Do you have a rooftop with an insane sunset view? Capture it in the moment. We’re prioritising content that makes guests feel something. 😂 Relatable Moments – The WiFi struggle at check-in. The joy of room service at midnight. The feeling of slipping into a fresh hotel robe. We’re leaning into humour, nostalgia, and moments guests actually remember. The Bottom Line? Our guests don’t just want a room. They want a story to tell and a memory to take home. That’s exactly why our hotel group has shifted the focus of our social media strategy. Less staged perfection, more real experiences with the teams on the ground diving right in to get on board! AI will generate the polished images, but it won’t replace human connection. What’s the best-performing post you’ve seen from a hotel or restaurant? Drop a link, I’d love to check it out! 👇🏼

The next billion-dollar brands won’t start with a product. They’ll start with content. They’ll build community, trust, and conversation before they ever build inventory. Because attention is the new supply chain. If you’ve got the trust, you can sell anything. This is not a theory. This is the reality of modern business, and if you’re in hospitality, tourism, or any experience-driven industry, it should be your obsession. So let’s talk about what that actually means for your brand today: 1. Build in public: Stop waiting until something is perfect to share it. Show your process. Let your audience see the behind-the-scenes, the people, the small wins, and even the missteps. You’re not just selling a hotel room or a destination. You’re selling a story people want to be part of. 2. Become the media company: You’re not a resort. You’re not a cruise line. You’re not a tourism board. You are a media company that happens to sell those things. That means you need to post every day like your survival depends on it, because it does. One video can change your quarter. One story can land a new partner. One post can fill rooms. This isn’t theory. I’ve seen it happen. 3. Educate or entertain. Every piece of content must do one or both: No one cares about your room upgrades or the plated dinner shot unless there’s a human hook behind it. Share staff stories. Show local culture. Tell me why your destination matters right now. Give me a reason to stop scrolling. If you don’t interrupt the pattern, you’ll never earn the attention. 4. Engage like a person, not a brand: Reply to every comment. Start conversations in the DMs. Reshare user content and tag them. The future belongs to brands that act like people. If you show up like a billboard, it will bury you. 5. Leverage borrowed trust: Partner with people who already have the audience you want. Influencers, creators, advisors, guests who love your brand. If they trust them, and they recommend you, you win. But don’t micromanage the message. Collaborate, don’t control. 6. Stop measuring vanity, start tracking velocity: Likes are not currency. But how fast your story spreads, how fast people comment, save, and share, that’s your new KPI. Speed is signal. If your content is good, it’ll move. If it’s not, it dies fast. 7. Start now. Not next month. Not next quarter: There will always be a reason to wait. But every day you’re silent, someone else is taking the attention you’re too slow to claim. And once someone else owns the conversation, it’s hard to get it back. Because again, and I’ll repeat it… The next billion-dollar brands, they won’t start with products. They’ll start with content. Audience first, physical products second. Because attention is the new supply chain. If you’ve got the trust, you can sell anything. So, are you building trust, or are you still just pushing product? The game has changed. And if you’re not adapting, you’re invisible.

In the world of unique stays—treehouses, domes, tiny homes, themed resorts—it’s easy to assume the architecture is the brand. But the design is just the stage. What truly moves people is the narrative behind it. And that’s where storytelling becomes your most powerful hospitality tool. Here’s how to apply storytelling to your unique stay: 🔹 1. Start with a “Why” Why does your place exist beyond just making money? Was it inspired by childhood memories? A trip abroad? A desire to create peace in a chaotic world? Guests connect deeply with meaning—share it. 🔹 2. Let the Land Speak What’s special about the property? The twisted oak tree? The view that changes with the season? The cave nearby? Tell the story of the place—people remember what feels rooted. 🔹 3. Build Symbolism into Design Your design can hold meaning. A circular window inspired by Japanese ryokans. A bridge walkway symbolizing transitions. A firepit in the shape of a compass. Guests don’t always notice consciously—but they feel it. 🔹 4. Make Your Guests the Hero Good storytelling isn’t about you. It’s about what your guest becomes in your space. Are they adventurers? Escape artists? Artists at rest? Create a journey where they arrive one way—and leave a little changed. 🔹 5. Use Story in Every Touchpoint Your bio. Your booking confirmation. The welcome book. The sign on the cabin wall. Every piece should reinforce your narrative. Because in the end… People don’t just book a place. They book a story they want to live inside.

We’ve spent decades removing friction for guests. Maybe that’s now becoming a problem. Hospitality has been obsessed with “frictionless” service, streamlined check-ins, and polished efficiency. But here’s the catch: when everything is easy, nothing is memorable. Gen Z and younger luxury travelers are tired of skating across glossy surfaces. They crave meaning, stories, and belonging, and meaning often comes with a little effort. Cultural brands already get this. Bon Iver’s album launch sent fans smoked salmon with a poet’s insert, a candle that smelled like a winter cabin, and an app guiding them to intimate listening parties. Many entry points, each a breadcrumb leading you deeper. Some hotels are rewriting this playbook. Aman Tokyo’s tea ceremony is an intentionally slow, ritualized welcome. It’s not convenient, but that’s the point. The friction makes it sacred, and guests leave with a story that outlasts any room amenity. — 5 Ways to Design Joyful Friction in Hospitality 1. Name your rituals. Stop hiding magic behind generic labels. “Turndown service” becomes “Night Script.” The “welcome drink” becomes “The First Pour.” Language signals intention and gives small moments emotional weight. 2. Multi-sensory storytelling kits. Borrow from cultural launches: On arrival, offer a mini city-scent candle, a handwritten poem from a local artist, and a ticket to an intimate lobby performance. Guests engage through touch, scent, and story, each doorway into your brand narrative. 3. Ask, then delight. Have guests complete a three-question “mood card” pre-arrival. Match it with a curated in-room surprise, a book, cocktail, or soundtrack. Effort makes them feel seen (backed by the IKEA effect: effort increases attachment). 4. Create scarcity with care. Design one-hour windows of magic: a nightly martini ritual, a chef’s table for four, or a password-protected dessert. Scarcity raises perceived value while making participation feel earned. 5. Ladder your story over time. Instead of trying to impress all at once, let the brand unfold: Visit 1: A custom coaster. Visit 2: A staff pin unlocking a library room. Visit 3: A seat at the chef’s counter. Each stay deepens their connection and drives return intent. "When everything is effortless, nothing is extraordinary." — Why This Works Choice overload studies prove curated experiences are more satisfying than endless options: - The scarcity principle shows limited access elevates perceived worth. - The IKEA effect reveals guests value what they invest in. Luxury travelers aren’t chasing convenience anymore. They want layered experiences that feel personal, not packaged. — Final Thoughts Hotels that dare to introduce meaningful friction don’t feel cold or inaccessible; they feel alive. Because in hospitality, perfection isn’t about smoothing every edge. It’s about designing edges worth touching. #LuxuryHospitality #GuestExperience #BrandStorytelling #ExperienceDesign #EmotionalDesign

I asked a boutique hotel owner how their 67-room property consistently outperforms 300+ room chains in the same district with 48% higher guest lifetime value. Their answer completely shattered my assumptions about competitive disadvantage... 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐖𝐢-𝐅𝐢 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝. While large properties treat internet access as a basic utility, this owner discovered their greatest guest engagement opportunity was hiding in a moment every traveler experiences but most hotels completely waste. The conventional "network name and password" approach has been transformed into their most effective revenue multiplier. Three Wi-Fi psychology tactics that turned connection frustration into profit acceleration: • 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭 - Password becomes "AskAboutOurRooftopDinner2024" forcing guests to engage front desk, creating natural upsell conversations that feel helpful, not pushy • 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩 - Different passwords for different guest types ("VIPConciergeServices" vs "LocalFoodieSecrets") making amenities feel personally curated rather than universally available • 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 - Passwords like "Guests5StarOurBreakfast" subtly reinforce positive experiences other visitors have had, influencing current guest behavior through implied social proof A struggling 45-room property I consulted implemented this system across their digital touchpoints. Within three months, their ancillary revenue jumped 55% because frustrated "what's the Wi-Fi password?" interactions became enthusiastic "tell me about that rooftop experience" conversations. The breakthrough insight? Every guest asks for Wi-Fi access, but only properties thinking beyond connectivity capitalize on this guaranteed interaction moment. Most intriguing result: Guest reviews started mentioning "helpful staff who introduced us to experiences we never would have discovered" instead of complaints about slow internet or complicated passwords. 𝐈𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢-𝐅𝐢 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬? #HospitalityPsychology #GuestEngagement #RevenueOptimization #BoutiqueHotels #UpsellStrategy #HotelInnovation

I was invited by the former minister of mines to create content for his 4-star hotel on the Copperbelt. When I got the message, I was so afraid of delivering below standard quality because I don’t own professional filming equipment. However, I realized that the power of storytelling transcends the quality of any given camera. It's about capturing the essence of the experience. Drawing from the insights of Pine and Gilmore in their book “Welcome to the Experience Economy”, I focused on staging an immersive narrative that would envelop potential guests in the unique atmosphere of the hotel. Staging the Experience: To sell an experience, one must curate it like a theatrical play. Every element, from the lighting to the background music, was meticulously chosen to evoke emotions and create a connection. The hotel's ambiance became my stage, and the services, my actors. Engaging the Senses: I aimed to engage all five senses through my visuals. The sizzle of food in the kitchen, the plushness of the linen, the serene views from the top —all were captured to not just show, but let viewers feel the luxury. Creating Memories: The goal was to make viewers envision themselves at the hotel, creating memories. By showcasing real-life moments, like diving into the pool, I didn't just sell a stay; I sold a story they could see themselves in. Here are some educational Points on Selling Experiences: 1. Emotional Connection: Craft each scene to resonate emotionally with your audience. People are drawn to experiences that promise to enrich their lives. 2. Authenticity: Authenticity is key. Don't just stage; be genuine. Let the true spirit of the place shine through. 3. Attention to Detail: Small details can make a big impact. (Like the transition at the video ending) Highlight the elements that set the experience apart. 4. Narrative Flow: Ensure a seamless narrative that guides the viewer through the experience, building anticipation and desire. In the end, the content did not just showcase the hotel's services; it transported viewers into a realm of possibility—a place where they could write their own stories. And that is the essence of selling an experience." --- I hope this helps you craft a compelling narrative for your commercial. Remember, it's about creating a journey that the audience can embark upon, even before they set foot in the hotel. #contentmarketing #contentstrategy

Spring is here, and so is a fresh wave of social media trends in the hospitality world. As we head into a busy travel season, here are a few social media trends I’m seeing in hospitality and some spring content ideas to help your brand stand out. Top Trends to Watch • Short-form video is king. Reels and TikToks showing behind-the-scenes moments, staff spotlights, and authentic guest experiences are driving the most engagement. • User-generated content (UGC) is more valuable than ever. Travelers trust peer content. Encourage guests to tag you and repost with credit. • Storytelling over selling. Brands that lean into emotional, immersive storytelling are connecting better with their audiences. • Seasonal content is thriving. Posts that tap into springtime vibes, local events, or special offers are getting more traction. Whether you’re managing a boutique hotel, resort, or destination brand, this season is the perfect time to show your personality and connect with your audience in fresh, creative ways. What other Spring content ideas are you planning to try? 📸 These photos are perfect examples of user-generated content (UGC). The best part? You can create this kind of authentic, engaging content yourself, often without ever showing your face. #HospitalityMarketing #SocialMediaTrends #SpringContent #HotelMarketing #TravelMarketing #SocialMediaStrategy

How to maximize your property’s experience-based bookings? Earlier, Hospitality Net and its topic champ @ScottDahl asked its World Panel of revenue management experts a very pertinent question: How is the hospitality industry’s shift toward experience-based booking reshaping hotel revenue strategy? Travelers are no longer choosing hotels based on the cheapest room they can find but based on experiences: in the destination or at the property: a wellness package, a chef-led dinner, a sustainable stay, or a curated local adventure that feels uniquely theirs. According to research by Arival Travel, the In-Destination Experiences Industry Organization, the vast majority of travelers 18-54 years of age choose their travel destinations based on a) the appeal of the destination, b) activities and experiences in the destination, c) local food and cuisine, and d) famous attractions in the destination. So, how to maximize your property's experience-based bookings? Here is my take: Make your hotel the "hero of the destination!” Smart hoteliers realize that travelers do not visit their destinations just to stay at their hotel. This is why they aim to position their hotel as the "hero of the destination" by positioning their property as the "gravitational center" of the destination. How do you do that? By creating, focusing on and expanding the content (textual, visual, merchandising) about nearby attractions, places of interest, activities and experiences: * on the hotel website * in your social media posts * in your PR and digital marketing initiatives. Your marketing content has to become a valuable resource about the destination and everything travelers can experience while staying at your hotel. You can position your hotel as the "hero of the destination" by launching enticing packages, special offers and campaigns that promote: * Experiences in the destination: attractions, museums, activities, festivals, local happenings, tickets to local attractions and sporting events; local dining, passes for public transportation or Uber. Introduce "live like a local" messaging in your marketing efforts. * Experiences at the property: packages/special offers for family stays, spa, golf, tennis, F&B, friends getaways, family rates for suites/adjacent rooms, etc.