Marketing Ideas for Hotels in the Time of Covid-19

Although many hotel departments have unfortunately had to reduce their operations and operating margins, hotel marketing managers continue to work tirelessly. Even in times of downtime, it's necessary to spread the word. In many cases, the new normal has left marketing and sales departments scrambling to change how they communicate hotel marketing during COVID-19.

As part of our "Hotelier Chat" series, we brought together hoteliers from around the world to exchange ideas. Here, we summarize eight of the best marketing ideas for this period:

1 – Stay active on social media

"We've started sharing our chef's recipes and cocktail ideas that people can make at home. We're also posting photos and 360-degree tours of the properties and vineyards. We're also running an Instagram photo contest with a stay at one of our properties as the prize."

"What we want is to connect personally with people, and the music curated by our team is a great way to do that. We publish digital Spotify playlists created by our staff, from the housekeeping team to the chefs and front-of-house staff." Pedro Pinto , General Manager of Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel.

2 – Market with your unique selling point (USP)

"Our properties are beautiful castles located in rural areas with plenty of land, and our accommodations are self-contained, allowing our guests space and independence so they don't have to come into contact with other guests."

3 – Be positive in your communication methods

"Communication with guests is key. It's an ideal time to nurture existing relationships and, perhaps, establish new ones. We need to reassure potential guests and tell them to contact us, that we will reopen, and that our destination remains as beautiful as it has always been."

4 – Think about deadlines

"It's best to wait until you have approval from your local government to know when you'll be able to reopen before announcing any stays with a specific date. This way, you can give your guests a concrete answer when you're able to accept reservations." Darren Kennedy.

5 – Exchange ideas with people both on and off your team

“One of our general managers called and suggested we offer the hotel rooms as offices. A quiet place to work, away from partners or children, that would allow people to make video calls in peace and without distractions. We started promoting this on our website and then on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram. The press was happy to spread the word about the initiative, as it was positive news, so we appeared on TV, in the press, and on a radio podcast.” Reiner Bauch , Head of Operations at Achat Hotels.

6 – Try not to mention COVID-19 or coronavirus

"Don't mention the virus; try to focus on creating excitement and curiosity. On Instagram, using hashtags like "#stayathome" will show up in your followers' feeds, but if you're a hotel, you have to be careful how you use them. We try to use other hashtags that are more relevant to the message we want to convey to our followers, such as "#visitanoslater" or "#visitanosonline."" Emanuel Schreiner.

7 – Show unity

"We've stopped promoting our hotel as a place of luxury and exclusivity and instead focused on demonstrating our commitment to our staff. This is one of the best times to communicate to your guests that the staff is the most important part of your hotel." Pedro Pinto.

8 – Inform guests that you are preparing

"We'll be adding a new approach to our room service offering, as our restaurant won't be open at first, and when we can open it, we'll respect social distancing rules." —Darren Kennedy.

It's clear that we've had to modify the marketing strategies we had at the beginning of the year to connect with current guests and inspire confidence and a desire to travel in the future.