Sometimes, the first impression is the last. You only have one chance to make a first impression. And usually, once that impression has been made, it’s tough to alter.
Fortunately, this can work for us, as well as against us. By focussing on providing a fantastic first impression, you can make a real difference to how positively your guests perceive your hotel.
You want to impress your guests as soon as they walk in the room. It’s the tiny details that your guests will talk about after staying at your hotel and which will impact how they look back on the experience.
We are sharing some content ideas which can make a big difference in how your audience perceives your hotel.
Welcome note
Polite and friendly staff, perfect service and sparkling clean rooms all contribute to how welcome your guests feel – but there is something about nicely written, personalised notes that can really enhance that feeling.
If your budget allows you, combine a small selection of local delicacies, a bottle of local wine or a national drink. Consider offering guides, useful information and a note in a welcome basket.
Chances are you will be surprised at the impact that small, personal gestures like this can have.
Travel Guides
There is no traveller who won’t appreciate a well-written, useful travel guide. The fact that it can help you stand out is just cherry on top, as actually not many hotels have this under their belts.
How much information it should contain depends mostly on the location and the type of your hotel, however, try to be thorough to make sure the guide has something for all guests, including those coming to your hotel and city for the first time.
Here are just some of the ideas of what you could include:
- must-visit sights,
- the best day trips and excursions,
- travel tips for first-time visitors,
- city’s neighbourhoods guide,
- an itinerary off the beaten track and city’s hidden gems,
- bucket-list-worthy activities,
- exchange offices with the best rates, the emergency numbers, etc.
Creating a travel guide is a great way to showcase and offer your additional services. It can also be an opportunity to collaborate with other local businesses and tour operators from your community.
Food Guides
Food guides can also be valuable – showing your attention to detail and local knowledge. Consider negotiating discounts for guests, with local places that you like.
Here are just a few ideas that can be included in a food guide that all your guests – not just foodies – will thank you for:
- The best places to try local specialities
- A list of must-try dishes
- Recommended places that serve different types of cuisine
- Top-rated restaurants to have a business lunch
- A list of coffee shops to work from with good Wi-Fi
- Nice places to have a brunch,
- Cafes that serve the best coffee
- Places for cheap but good eats
Language Cheat Sheet
If English is not a first language in the country you’re located, then a very basic language cheat sheet will come very handy to your guests.
Not only is it polite to know some basic words but it can also be a nice introduction to your language – you never know, you might even inspire some guests to start learning the language.
The Best Photo Spots
Everyone wants to have nice photos as a memory from the trip.
The trend of sharing travel experiences on social media networks is an additional motivation to put more effort into creating perfect shots.
Help your guests here by providing them with a list of the best photo spots in the city. Don’t focus only on the most famous sights and main boulevards though, use your local knowledge here and share some lesser-known photogenic spots – think streets with authentic houses, old structures, rooftops, traditional open markets, bizarre cafes or any other place that could be an interesting backdrop.
If you want to go an extra mile for your guests here, add the time of sunrise and sunset throughout all four seasons.
Cultural Events and Festivals
If your hotel is in a bustling, lively city then you should consider investing time into creating an events guide.
You can create the guide as an annual overview of the biggest festivals and events or if you would like to provide more thorough information for your guests, you can have a guide that covers more in-depth each quarter or even each month.
You can include concerts, music festivals, exhibitions in museums and galleries, theatre shows or any other cultural events and festivals that you would warmly recommend attending.
Brochures
Brochures are important because they are a great way to introduce other relevant, add-on services to your guests.
For example, if your guests are mainly business travellers, then some of the additional services you could offer them are conference room for meetings, private office, transfers, quick laundry services – but don’t forget about their after-work time as well and add some relaxing options like a spa and wellness.
If you can’t provide something that could be relevant to your guests, you can always collaborate with other local businesses who can do that for you.
Brochures are there to present all your other services appealingly and subtly. They should show your guests how you can provide them with more comfort and upgrade their stay.
We hope we have given you ideas and inspiration for content that can be valuable to your guests and hotel.
We have more articles on our blog that can help you improve and elevate your Digital Marketing. They are all jam-packed with information and actionable steps that you can implement immediately. When it comes to Content Marketing, we highly encourage you to take a look at the following:
Content Marketing for Travel Businesses: how to plan content
Content Gap Analysis for Travel Businesses
If you need more help with content ideas for your hotel, or anything else, don’t hesitate to schedule a free 30-minute consultation call. We are always just a click away!
Stay healthy and safe,
Until next time,
