Storytelling for Hotels: Where to Find the Stories Your Guests Will Love
- Gavin Hughes
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Which stories do you think your guests would resonate with?
Probably not your property’s history…
So what then?
In this piece on the basics of hotel storytelling, we examined how important it is to make your guests part of your story.
That means getting them excited to book by sharing content that highlights how you address their wishes.
If you still find yourself wondering what this could look like in practice, read on.
In the third and last part of this series, we’ll go over where to find your best stories and how to use them to convince more people to book direct.
Crafting Hotel Stories with Your Guests' Experience in Focus
By now, you know that storytelling isn’t about rattling off some facts about your hotel and its services. Instead, it’s about your guest and the experiences they can have at your property.
This approach draws in your readers because you’re showing them what they could gain from a stay with you. At the same time, it allows you to highlight services and offers without being pushy or salesy. That’s good for engagement and makes you more approachable for potential bookers.
Unearthing Compelling Hotel Stories for Effective Content Marketing
At first, finding the right stories may feel challenging. What should you start with? Are there even stories worth telling about your property? For sure, you need to learn how to unearth them. Once you get the hang of that, you’ll find stories everywhere.
To get you started, we’ll go through the hotel’s central departments because each one has plenty of share-worthy stories.
Front Office & Rooms
Let’s start with the front office, since it’s your guests’ primary point of contact during their stay.
First, examine your hotel’s layout and design. How does it fit in with its surroundings? Does it borrow elements from local architecture, culture, or history? Maybe your building has a cool backstory, or you have interesting neighbours.
Then look at your standards for welcoming guests. What’s different about your arrival process vs. your competitors’? Do you offer a special welcome drink? Maybe a traditional local sweet? The Grand Hyatt Istanbul serves a bit of Turkish delight, for example. It’s a small detail, but it can give you something to talk about.
Lastly, think of your team. Concierges, housekeepers, and porters have endless stories about their work and how they’ve gone above and beyond for guests. Profile these team members and some of the extraordinary things they do. That helps travellers become familiar with your team even before they enter the hotel.
Food & Beverage
Think of how many hotels feature their chefs as the masterminds behind their culinary offerings. That’s great storytelling in action! Introduce them, talk about their background and what makes their cooking special. Maybe that’s the commitment to using only local, organic ingredients. Or perhaps they love trying new spices and getting inspired by international cuisines.
While your chef can be a great source of stories, there’s so much more to talk about in your F&B department. Think about your sommelier, your restaurant manager, and the many other team members who serve your guests every day. Talk about them as well to give your business a face and create a personal connection with your audience.
Spa & Recreation
Since this department addresses deep desires for fun, relaxation, and enjoyment, there’s immense potential for stories here.
Let’s start with the spa itself. Examine your facilities and their designs. How does it make your guests feel? What vibe does it give off? Is it luxurious and relaxing? Or maybe energising and revitalising? That gives you a base for stories and the topics you can cover.
Then, go over your treatment menu. What are they inspired by? Do they relate to your surroundings? Perhaps you focus on specific teachings such as Ayurveda or aromatherapy?
The Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul does a nice job of that on its website for its on-site Çatma Mescit Hammam. It focuses on its traditionally designed hammam, the serenity of the experience, and its rich history.
You can use the same approach when discussing other recreational offerings. That can include on-site amenities like your fitness facilities and the pool, as well as off-site services like guided hikes or food tours.
Effective Hotel Storytelling Strategies for Direct Bookings
Now that you know where to find your stories, it’s time to look at ways you can tell them.
Storytelling on Your Website
Use your website to present your hotel in a way that draws in your potential guests and gets them excited to book with you.
Here are three essential steps you can follow:
Highlight how you fulfil your audience’s needs and desires when introducing your hotel and its services. Instead of just listing facts (e.g., room count, opening hours, type of facilities…), focus on the benefits your guests enjoy when staying with you.
Make your visuals and texts work together. Which stories do your photos tell? Do they communicate your hotel’s style and branding? Do they fit in with your content’s overall theme, tone, and style?
Leverage visual storytelling with a brand video or a 360-degree virtual tour. This goes beyond just using standard images and helps guests picture themselves at your property. Best Western does a fantastic job of that in this clip.
Sure, such a video or virtual tour requires an investment of time and effort. But a simple approach is already great to get started. Use Google My Business and the Street View Studio tool to set that up without busting your budget. You can always go for a fancier option later.
Storytelling on Your Social Media
Social media lets you tell more of your story with every post. That makes it an excellent tool for getting in front of new people and engaging with them.
An obvious way to do that is by showcasing your services in creative posts. But social channels allow you to go beyond that and get more personal. For example, use them to give behind-the-scenes insights into your operations, show how your team provides excellent service, or introduce your staff members. That makes your property feel more approachable and human to potential guests.
Short, entertaining videos (like Stories or Reels) or carousel posts work best for that. They’re also easier and cheaper to put together than a brand video. But their impact can be just as strong.
This brings us to the end of this three-part series on storytelling for hotels. Now you know that storytelling is all about creating a connection with your potential guests around the experience they can have at the hotel. You know which elements you need for a strong narrative. And you have some pointers for where to look for the best stories to tell.
That means it’s your turn now! Put your new ideas to the test. Play around with different formats, angles, and topics. You’ll quickly realise what works well with your audience. From there, you can keep refining your approach.
And remember that it’s most important to get started. You’ll learn as you go and steadily see more of your ideal guests gravitate towards you thanks to the power of storytelling.
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