Key hotel marketing strategies to attract and retain your customers

In a context with countless options, the hotel industry must adapt to circumstances and invest in marketing actions that allow it to win over its audience and position itself ahead of the competition. Below are highly effective strategies to become the preferred choice for users.

Hotel revenue could have closed 2024 with a business volume of more than €20 billion, according to DBK forecasts in its sector report. For this industry to continue growing and remain the preferred option for customers, it must face increasingly intense competition: alternative accommodation options have emerged that meet the needs of certain segments of the population.

To keep moving forward, it is essential to focus on communication and marketing strategies specifically designed for this segment of the tourism sector. There are countless proposals, but below are highly effective formulas and examples of hotel marketing strategies that allow these companies to continue generating business.

What is hotel marketing?

Hotel marketing essentially consists of directing marketing actions to the hotel industry. It involves implementing specific strategies to position an accommodation or hotel chain against competitors, highlighting its competitive advantages and generating a positive connection with the target audience.

There are several key aspects to consider when developing hotel marketing actions:

• Objectives to achieve: define the goals to be reached.
• Set the budget and resources allocated to them.
• Design a specific marketing plan based on the company’s characteristics, its competitors, and the audience it aims to attract.
• Set deadlines for achieving objectives.
• Analyze afterward whether the expected results were achieved in order to assess return on investment.

Hotel marketing strategies

Today, initiatives can be implemented through both offline and online marketing across different channels to reach different audiences. Digital strategies make the difference and currently represent the largest share of budgets. Despite the rise of digital marketing, traditional strategies remain effective:

• Advertising on billboards located on highways and major roads with high tourist traffic.
• Investing in advertising in specialized magazines and media that reach the target customer.
• Bus stop shelters and other print-based formats that still deliver results.
• Loyalty cards: especially interesting for large hotel chains, but also adaptable to independent hotel businesses seeking to improve positioning and customer retention.

Digital marketing for hotels

Digital actions currently account for the largest budget share. There are different online strategies that are highly relevant for the tourism industry, especially for the hotel sector.

1. Email marketing: reaching potential customers via email with personalized offers, tailored proposals based on user profiles, and valuable content to build loyalty.
2. Mobile marketing: apps like Booking generate numerous hotel reservations. Users also check reviews and ratings on smartphones, which strongly influences decisions, making search engine positioning essential.
3. SEO and SEM: strategies for positioning in major search engines, especially Google. Essential for standing out among accommodation options.
4. New technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality. These are used to create virtual chatbots that answer user questions and help collect data that can later improve the customer offering.
5. Social media: nowadays, not being present on platforms like Facebook or Instagram is like not existing. However, it is crucial to manage these platforms strategically and professionally.
6. Influencer marketing: a key strategy today involves collaborating with well-known social media figures to promote hotel offerings, including influencers, artists, actors, and other public figures.

As can be seen, there are countless ways to promote hotels and accommodation services, especially in digital marketing. And since there is nothing better than practice to understand effectiveness, here are examples of hotel marketing strategies.

Examples of hotel marketing strategies

There are many success stories in hotel marketing, but we highlight two particularly innovative cases:

Starwood Hotels & Resorts

To promote one of its brands, Tribute Portfolio, the chain collaborated with influencers who visited its hotels and shared their experiences on social media. They worked with different profiles, from younger to older audiences, to reach a broad demographic range.

Palladium Hotel Group

The company launched the Palladium Connect program, aimed at travel agencies and B2B clients. It offered an e-learning program on its website through which participants could earn commissions on sales, accommodation discounts, and points to spend in partner establishments.

As mentioned, these are just two of many success stories in hotel marketing. For those wishing to develop their career in the hotel and tourism industry, at EAE Business School Barcelona we offer the Master’s in Hotel and Restaurant Management, which provides students with the necessary tools to stand out in a sector full of professional opportunities.