For a hotelier, a renovation presents a terrific marketing opportunity. It’s a positive news story that will generate press coverage and excite your staff and provide reasons for new guests to give your hotel a second look, or a fresh excuse for current customers to book a return visit.
Whether it’s a multi-million dollar redesign or just a notable cosmetic change, hotel marketers should take full advantage of these favorable circumstances. Since a renovation is often a time when properties are willing to invest a bit more on its marketing, I’ve outlined a few key ways hoteliers can leverage a renovation.
Tell a story
Too often, marketers rely on the dollar value of the renovation as the top-line selling point. While “XYZ Property Undergoes $10 Million Renovation” is certainly a newsworthy headline, it’s not the kind of story that’s likely to get a reader excited to visit.
Instead, emphasize what’s new about the hotel. Better yet, tell a story about how it came to be. If it’s a historic property, emphasize the history of the building and how that was taken into consideration during the planning phase. If you made environmentally friendly enhancements, showcase those and how the property is leading the way with its green initiatives. Whatever specifics you can weave into the larger narrative about the hotel and how it’s changing, the more compelling the renovation will be.
Show, don’t tell
What’s better than telling the story of your recent updates and enhancements? Letting prospective guests/event planners, media, etc. experience it. Leverage the effectiveness and increasing affordability and convenience of virtual reality and 360-degree-video technology.
What’s better than telling the story of your recent updates and enhancements? Letting prospective guests/event planners, media, etc. experience it. Leverage the effectiveness and increasing affordability and convenience of virtual reality and 360-degree-video technology.
Make viewers feel as if they’re actually stepping into your newly improved property, perhaps using a before/after comparison or a virtual guide to point out details and updates. You might even consider adding an augmented reality element to your property’s app (if applicable) that will allow visitors to see the “before” look of the property using their mobile device while they’re on site, driving home the significance of the changes.
Get guests involved
Find ways to get guests involved in the process from start to finish. Ask for input (through surveys or a contest) from frequent guests about what changes they’d like to see at the property—and make it clear how this input shapes the final decisions about which enhancements are made. Promote each stage of the renovation through social media as well as press releases and email updates. Use interactive elements through the property’s app (if applicable) and website to ensure guests continue to be part of the conversation—from VR experiences as each stage is completed to live streaming the grand reopening.
Continue telling the story
The key to marketing a renovation well is to continue to tell the story after the ribbon is cut. That may include testimonials from longtime guests who are seeing the enhanced property for the first time, email promotions that continue to put the renovations front-and-center, or campaigns that show (through pictures, 360 video, or VR experiences) how guests are using the upgraded spaces. (Think a group holding an event in the new ballroom, a wedding in the new outdoor space, or families taking advantage of expanded entertainment offerings.)
Your goal with marketing a hotel renovation should be to maximize the value of the investment. This isn’t just an upgrade that will enhance guests’ experience of the property (though it is certainly that, too). It’s also an opportunity to reframe the hotel’s story so you can continue to attract new visitors for years to come.
Virtual experiences powered by YouVisit can help convey the full significance of your recent renovation. Learn more about how we can boost bookings at your hotel or resort.
Learn more about how YouVisit drives results for hoteliers here.
Alex Daniel is a travel writer and content strategist based in Brooklyn.