While Christmas decorations may make some people cringe this early in the year, for a hotel, the sooner the better. Why? Because this means you get the jump on your competition, especially when it comes to online marketing. Potential guests are already browsing the internet looking for properties for their winter getaways, and you want to be the first and last hotel they think of when it comes time to book a room.
Identify Your Target Audience
Exactly what type of traveler are you trying to lure in during the holidays? Is your property a haven for the holiday traveling businessperson or is it the perfect place for a family, including pets, to stay when they are traveling to see their family over Christmas? Identify your target market and prepare yourself to blow up social media as well as online advertising with visuals that will make it very clear who you are targeting.
Get Decorating
Call your decorators up and get them to the hotel ASAP. The sooner your winter village is up, the sooner you can start posting. However, you should also be decorating your website and social media pages with holiday themes that will draw a little extra attention to the page and profiles.
Holiday-Themed Packages
Now, you know I am a big believer in developing stay as well as F&B packages to lure in certain travelers, and the holidays are no different. This is especially true if your hotel is a family-oriented property and accepts pets. Offering free Christmas movie rentals or a Santa-themed break is just the starting point, as you can also offer pet-sitting services, free visits to Santa (either at your hotel or possibly a trip to an outside location that has a Santa). The more options the better, because holiday travelers will eat this up.
If you happen to be in an area where restaurants or theaters are offering special holiday meals or entertainment, get together with them to work out joint packages that can profit both parties. You may even want to consider some open entertainment on Christmas day for non-Christian guests so they don’t feel left out. If your ballrooms are empty, considering a non-stop film festival that is open to all guests, all day.
Give Out Presents
A lot of guests traveling over the holidays will be without something to open on Christmas morning, so do your due diligence and start scanning through your reservations for guests that would appreciate a little something under the tree. Something as small as a box of candy or a bottle of wine will go a long way to win favor as well as some free social media postings about the hotel.
Update Your Website
If there are going to be limited hours during the holidays, make sure this information is readily available on your website. You may even consider creating a holiday-specific page so guests are fully informed as to what will and will not be open as well as operational times during their stay. If your restaurant and room service is going to be limited, find out what restaurants in the area will be open and post menus or links so your guests have to do as little work as possible to find the information.
Encourage Sharing
Once the holiday season is in full swing, make sure you encourage your guests to share their experiences. Offer free prizes on a random draw for guests using a specific hashtag. If you go this route, make sure you have someone on duty for every shift that is tasked with monitoring social media so these interactions are liked and shared by your hotel’s profile as soon as possible after the posts are made.
If you are looking for examples of how to market your property better during the holidays, check out the Hilton Anatole on social media. They have been setting the bar for years and have social media followers drooling over some of their holiday posts. Their holiday village is incredible and there is absolutely no doubt at all who their target market is over Christmas. They not only draw in holiday travelers but locals in Dallas flock to the hotel every year just to see their displays.
Is your marketing department developing a strategy to market your hotel specifically during this holiday season? If they are missing these opportunities, it may be time to find better talent, such as the managers JDI has been placing for a decade. We are a top-rated U.S. hotel recruiter because we do more than find candidates; we find the ideal candidate to meet your specific needs. For more information about our hospitality recruiting services, please click here.