Choosing a marketing agency for a hotel or resort
What to ask a marketing agency before hiring them for a hotel or resort, and why understanding the OTA-versus-direct dynamic matters more than general creative flair.
4 min read
Many hotel photo galleries lean heavily on wide architectural shots of empty spaces, which look professional but tell a guest comparing options little about the actual experience of staying there — a gap that directly affects click-through and booking rates.
What photos actually drive bookings
- Room photos showing the actual view and layout a guest will experience.
- Real food and dining photos, not generic stock imagery of unrelated dishes.
- Photos capturing a genuine sense of atmosphere — a pool at golden hour, a real lobby scene — rather than only sterile, empty compositions.
Keeping photography current
Outdated photos that no longer match a renovated property, or omit a since-added amenity, undersell the current offering and can create the same mismatch-on-arrival problem as overly aspirational imagery.
A guest scrolling through ten similar hotel listings clicks on the one whose photos actually show them what staying there feels like.
Consistency across OTA listings and your own site
Use the same core photo set across every platform where the property is listed, updating all of them together when photography is refreshed, since inconsistent imagery across platforms creates confusion for a guest comparing listings.
The takeaway
Prioritise photos that show the actual guest experience — a real room view, a real breakfast spread — over wide, empty architectural shots that tell a guest little about what staying there feels like.
Written by Fibvo — Bengaluru and Erode, India — working with clients in other time zones. Questions, or think we have it wrong? Tell us.
Keep reading
Related articles
What to budget for digital marketing as a hotel or resort
How to size a marketing budget for a hotel or resort around the commission saved through direct bookings, not just a generic revenue percentage.
4 min readDigital marketing checklist for a hotel or resort in 2026
A practical checklist covering website, OTA parity, direct booking and seasonal promotion for a hotel or resort reviewing its digital marketing.
5 min readNext step
Tell us what you are trying to grow.
Send the problem in a paragraph. We will reply within one working day with an honest view of whether we can help, and what it is likely to cost.