Tips & Tools

The way you present yourself on OTA’s and listing sites is important. You want to make a great first impression! Remember that most visitors will only look at your listing for not longer than a second to decide whether they want to see more or scroll. These tips can help setting up a great profile.

Make sure you have great photos. Photography tips can be found in Step 2: Orientation phase. More variety is better. Guests want to be able to picture themselves at your property! Don’t forget to add pictures of tourist attractions and the surroundings of the hotel.

Start your photo album with photos of your Unique Selling Points. Here’s a quick hotel photography shot list to reference:

• Front Exterior - aim for the most attractive angle(s), and get a mix of daytime, sunset/dusk, and night

• Hotel Lobby - with and without front desk colleagues

• Rooms - shoot every room category, if possible. Get a “hero” shot showing the full space, as well as details like the view, work area, and bedside. Don’t forget the bathrooms!

• Meetings - aim to showcase the flexibility of your meeting rooms by setting up different configurations

• Dining - at minimum, aim for a few wide “hero” shots of your F&B outlets and some attractive shots of your standard menu offerings. You may want to also get an appealing photo of your in-room dining offering.

• Spa - if you have a spa, grab some “hero” shots and some detailed photos of specific offerings like the massage area, beauty treatments, or sauna.

• Pool - resort amenities like a pool or beach access are particularly great to shoot from above with a drone!

• Other Amenities - this list could go on! The important thing is to capture what makes your property unique and attractive to potential guests.

• The Area and Activities - show what your customer can see and do nearby.

1. Good content should address all of your guests’ most pressing questions. So answer the following questions in your text: Where is the hotel located and how do I get there from the airport/in my car? What is there to do nearby? How big is the room? Is there a view? Should I pack my hairdryer?
   Put yourself in your target guest’s shoes and make sure the content on your website speaks to what they want.
2. Mention all facilities. 
3. Make sure information is accurate. For example: it is January - Guests don’t want to read about the Christmas Day Buffet.
4. Add contact information. Your address needs to be prominent and a map is accessible. Especially when the surroundings and tourist attractions are your USPs.
5. Make sure you respond to guests' reviews. It makes you a property that cares about its guests and their experiences. 

Whenever you have the chance, add photos that help your customers picture themselves being there. Let them experience: "This could be me!" This is particularly valuable for tour operators. Ask the guests in the picture for permission to use those photos.

On most sites, the pictures will appear in the order that you have added them to the site (from new to old). You can, however, often choose a feature/main picture and you might be able to re-order them. So, if you are re-doing your pictures for the reception, they are likely to be the first ones to show, but you may want to put them 'lower' in your photo gallery.