Social Media for Hotels and Hospitality: The Complete Guide (2026)

A traveler scrolls TikTok at midnight, watches a 20-second room tour of a boutique hotel in Lisbon, and by morning she has booked three nights directly through the property's website. That scenario plays out thousands of times a day: 61% of travelers have booked a hotel after seeing it on Instagram, and 32% have done the same after discovering a property on TikTok. Every one of those direct bookings is revenue that would have cost 15-25% in OTA commissions.

Whether you run a 12-room bed-and-breakfast or a 400-key resort, the math is the same: social media is the channel where guests discover you, research you, and decide whether to book directly or hand a quarter of your room rate to Booking.com. This guide covers the platforms, content formats, and strategies that turn scrollers into direct bookers. A social media scheduler ties the whole system together, keeping your presence consistent across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube without chaining your team to their phones during peak season.

This guide is part of our Social Media for Small Business series. See also: Social Media for Restaurants and Social Media for Ecommerce.

TL;DR

• 61% of travelers booked a hotel after seeing it on Instagram, and 32% after discovering it on TikTok -- social media directly drives revenue
• OTA commissions eat 15-25% of every booking -- social media helps you build a direct booking habit with guests
• User-generated content from guests gets 4x more engagement than branded hotel photography -- encourage and reshare it
• Short-form video (Reels, TikTok) is the top format for hotel discovery, with "room tour" videos consistently going viral
• 76% of travelers post on social media during their trip -- make it easy for them to tag your property
• Use a social media scheduler to plan seasonal content, cross-post across platforms, and maintain consistency year-round
• Combine social media with email retargeting to increase booking conversion by up to 30%
• Focus on six content pillars: property showcases, guest experiences, local guides, behind-the-scenes, seasonal events, and sustainability

Table of Contents

1. 61% of Travelers Booked After Seeing a Hotel on Instagram
2. Which Platforms Work Best for Hotels
3. 20 Content Ideas for Hotels
4. Video Content That Drives Bookings
5. User-Generated Content: Your Best Marketing Asset
6. The Posting Schedule for Hotels
7. Reducing OTA Dependency with Social Media
8. Working with Travel Influencers
9. Common Mistakes Hotels Make on Social Media
10. FAQs
11. Next Steps

61% of Travelers Booked After Seeing a Hotel on Instagram

That number is not a survey about "intent to travel." It measures travelers who saw a hotel on Instagram and actually completed a booking. On TikTok, 32% of travelers have done the same -- and among guests under 35, TikTok is now the starting point for trip planning, not Google.

Social media has replaced the travel brochure, the OTA listing page, and the word-of-mouth recommendation all at once. A single Reel of your rooftop pool at sunset reaches more potential guests in 24 hours than your OTA listing reaches in a month -- and it costs nothing in commission.

OTA commissions are unsustainable. Booking.com, Expedia, and similar OTAs charge hotels between 15% and 25% per booking. For a $200/night room, that is $30 to $50 per night going to a third party. Social media gives you a direct channel to potential guests -- one where you own the relationship, capture their email, and build loyalty without paying commission on every transaction.

The guest journey happens on social media. The path from inspiration to booking now looks like this: a traveler sees a stunning Reel of your rooftop bar, clicks through to your profile, browses your highlights, visits your website, and books directly. At every stage -- inspiration, research, booking, and post-stay sharing -- social media plays a role. 76% of travelers post on social media during their trip, creating a cycle where your current guests become your marketing team for future guests.

Visual medium for a visual product. Unlike software or professional services, hotels have an inherently photogenic product. The room, the pool, the lobby, the view, the food, the spa -- every touchpoint is content waiting to be captured. Hotels that lean into this advantage consistently outperform those that rely solely on OTA listings with static photos.

Ready to drive more direct bookings from social media? Try PostEverywhere free -- schedule room showcases, guest experiences, and local guides across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook from one dashboard.

Which Platforms Work Best for Hotels

Each platform serves a different role in the hotel booking journey. Here is where to invest your time and budget, ranked by impact for hotels.

Instagram -- The #1 Travel Platform

Instagram is the most important platform for hotel marketing. It is where travelers go for inspiration, where they research properties, and where they share their stays. Key formats for hotels:

• Reels: Room tours, amenity highlights, sunset timelapses, and guest experience montages. Reels reach non-followers and are the primary discovery format on Instagram.
• Stories: Daily highlights, behind-the-scenes content, polls ("Which room would you book?"), and limited-time offers. Stories keep your property top-of-mind with existing followers.
• Carousel posts: Before/after renovations, "Top 5 things to do in [city]" guides, and seasonal highlight roundups.
• Booking links: Use the link in bio and story links to drive directly to your booking page -- not an OTA listing.

Learn how to schedule Instagram Reels to maintain a consistent posting cadence without being tied to your phone.

TikTok -- Viral Potential and High Conversion

TikTok is where hotels go viral. The "hotel room tour" format is one of the most popular and consistently trending categories on the platform. 42% of TikTok users who planned trips on the platform converted to actual bookings -- a conversion rate that outperforms most traditional advertising channels.

What works on TikTok for hotels:

• Room tour reveals (the "door open" format)
• "POV: You're staying at [hotel name]" videos
• Staff personality content (concierge tips, chef prep, housekeeping reveals)
• Destination and local area guides
• Responding to comments with video tours

Facebook -- Events, Reviews, and Luxury Travelers

Facebook remains relevant for hotels, particularly for reaching older luxury travelers and promoting events. Key uses:

• Facebook Events: Promote on-site dining experiences, spa packages, holiday events, and seasonal offers
• Reviews: Facebook reviews influence booking decisions, especially for business travelers
• Groups: Local community groups and travel groups drive referral traffic
• Ads: Facebook's targeting allows you to reach travelers by destination interest, travel dates, and booking behavior

Google Business Profile -- Critical for Local Search

While not a traditional social platform, your Google Business Profile is essential for "hotels near [location]" searches. Optimize it by:

• Uploading high-quality photos weekly (rooms, dining, amenities, events)
• Responding to every review (positive and negative)
• Keeping rates, amenities, and booking links current
• Posting updates about seasonal offers and events

YouTube -- Virtual Tours and Destination Content

YouTube is the long-form video platform for hotels. Virtual tours hosted on YouTube and embedded on your booking page significantly boost direct bookings by giving potential guests confidence in their decision. Destination guides, property showcase videos, and "day in the life at [hotel]" content perform well.

Pinterest -- Weddings, Events, and Travel Planning

Pinterest drives high-intent traffic for hotels that host weddings and events. Travel inspiration boards, wedding venue showcases, and seasonal travel guides generate clicks from users who are actively planning trips and events.

20 Content Ideas for Hotels

Running out of content ideas is one of the biggest challenges for hotel social media managers. Use an AI content generator to brainstorm variations on these proven formats, then schedule them in advance with a content calendar.

Property Showcases (1-5)

1. Room tour Reels -- Walk through your best room categories, highlighting unique features (the view, the bathroom, the minibar setup)
2. Amenity spotlights -- Pool, spa, gym, rooftop bar, business center -- each deserves its own post
3. Seasonal decor content -- Holiday decorations, spring garden updates, fall foliage from your property
4. Renovation reveals -- Before-and-after content of room or lobby updates
5. Sunrise/sunset timelapses -- Shot from your property's best vantage points

Guest Experiences (6-10)

6. UGC reposts -- Reshare the best guest photos and videos (with permission and credit)
7. Guest testimonial quotes -- Overlay their words on a beautiful property photo
8. Celebration moments -- Birthdays, anniversaries, proposals that happened at your property
9. "Guess the view" Stories -- Interactive content that drives engagement
10. Guest itinerary features -- "How [guest name] spent 3 days at [hotel]"

Local Guides (11-14)

11. Restaurant recommendations -- Your concierge's top picks within walking distance
12. Hidden gems -- Local attractions most tourists miss
13. Seasonal itineraries -- "48 hours in [city] this winter"
14. Partnership spotlights -- Local tour operators, restaurants, and experiences you recommend

Behind-the-Scenes (15-17)

15. Housekeeping reveals -- The satisfying process of turning over a room
16. Chef prep and kitchen tours -- What goes into your restaurant or room service
17. Concierge tips -- Your team's insider knowledge about the destination

Seasonal and Event Content (18-19)

18. Wedding and event showcases -- Real weddings and events hosted at your property
19. Holiday packages and promotions -- Seasonal offers with a direct booking CTA

Sustainability (20)

20. Eco initiatives and community impact -- Local sourcing, energy programs, community partnerships. Sustainability content is now a baseline expectation for hotel guests, not a differentiator.

Video Content That Drives Bookings

Video is the format that moves the needle for hotels. Across every platform, video content outperforms static images for engagement, reach, and -- most importantly -- booking conversions.

The room tour format dominates. On TikTok, "hotel room tour" videos consistently trend because they satisfy a fundamental desire: people want to see exactly what they are paying for before they book. The format is simple -- open the door, walk through the room, highlight the view, show the bathroom, reveal any special amenities. Hotels that post room tour Reels and TikToks regularly report significant increases in direct website traffic.

Virtual tours boost direct bookings. When you embed a 360-degree or walkthrough video tour on your direct booking page, potential guests gain the confidence they need to book without going through an OTA for the "safety" of reviews and multiple photos. This is one of the most effective ways to convert social media traffic into direct revenue.

Content formats that convert:

• Room tour reveals (TikTok and Reels) -- The "door open" reveal format, 15-30 seconds
• Guest experience montages -- A compilation of moments from a real guest stay, set to trending audio
• Chef and dining content -- Plating sequences, kitchen tours, and "what breakfast looks like" videos
• Local area guides -- "5 things to do within 10 minutes of our hotel" in a fast-paced Reel format
• Virtual property tours -- Longer-form content (2-5 minutes) for YouTube and your website

Remember: 61% of travelers booked after seeing a hotel on Instagram, and 42% of TikTok trip planners converted to actual bookings. Video is the format that drives both of those numbers.

Schedule your hotel's video content in advance. PostEverywhere lets you schedule Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts from one dashboard -- so your room tours and guest experiences post consistently, even during your busiest seasons.

User-Generated Content: Your Best Marketing Asset

User-generated content from hotel guests gets 4x more engagement than branded hotel content. This makes UGC your most valuable and cost-effective marketing asset. It is authentic, it is free, and it performs better than anything your marketing team creates in-house.

Why UGC Works for Hotels

76% of travelers post on social media during their trip. They are already creating content about your property. The question is whether you are capturing and leveraging it. UGC works because potential guests trust other travelers more than they trust your marketing. A guest's iPhone photo of your pool feels more honest than a professional shoot -- and that authenticity drives action.

How to Encourage UGC

• Create photo-worthy spots -- Instagrammable walls, unique decor moments, stunning viewpoints with your branding subtly visible
• Branded hashtag -- Create a simple, memorable hashtag (e.g., #StayAt[HotelName]) and display it on check-in cards, in-room signage, and your WiFi login page
• Repost and credit -- When guests see that you reshare UGC, future guests are motivated to create and tag content during their stays
• Photo contests -- Monthly or seasonal contests ("Best sunset photo from our terrace") drive engagement and generate a library of content
• WiFi login prompt -- Ask guests to follow your social account or tag their photos when they connect to your WiFi

Permission and Credit Best Practices

Always ask permission before reposting guest content. A simple DM -- "We love this photo! Mind if we share it on our page? We will credit you, of course." -- is sufficient. Tag the original creator, credit them in your caption, and never crop out their watermark. This respect for attribution encourages more guests to share.

Featuring UGC on Your Website

Guest photos and videos should not live only on social media. Embed a UGC gallery on your direct booking pages to provide social proof at the point of conversion. A carousel of real guest photos alongside your professional imagery builds trust and supports the booking decision.

The Posting Schedule for Hotels

A hotel's posting schedule needs to account for seasonal booking patterns, platform-specific algorithms, and the operational reality that your team is busiest when your property is fullest. Here is how to structure it.

Recommended Posting Frequency

• Instagram: 4-5 posts per week (mix of Reels, carousels, and static posts), plus daily Stories
• TikTok: 3-5 videos per week (room tours, staff content, local guides)
• Facebook: 3-4 posts per week (events, offers, reviews, community content)
• Google Business Profile: 2-3 updates per week (photos, offers, event posts)
• YouTube: 1-2 videos per month (virtual tours, destination guides)
• Pinterest: 5-10 pins per week (property photos, travel guides, event inspiration)

Check our guide on the best time to post across every platform to maximize reach and engagement.

Seasonal Strategy

Your content calendar should align with your booking cycle. Plan content in advance for these key periods:

• Peak booking periods (varies by market) -- Ramp up room tour content, direct booking CTAs, and package promotions 6-8 weeks before peak season
• Holidays and events -- Christmas packages, Valentine's getaways, summer family deals, and local festival content
• Shoulder season -- Focus on value messaging, unique experiences, and "secret season" content that positions off-peak travel as desirable
• Last-minute deals -- Stories and time-sensitive posts for filling remaining inventory

Content Calendar Example (One Week)

Day	Instagram	TikTok	Facebook
Mon	Room tour Reel	Room tour (different angle)	Local event promotion
Tue	UGC repost carousel	Chef prep video	Guest review spotlight
Wed	Story: Poll ("Pool or spa?")	"POV: morning at our hotel"	Seasonal package offer
Thu	Local guide carousel	Concierge tips video	--
Fri	Sunset timelapse Reel	Room tour (different category)	Weekend events roundup
Sat	UGC repost	Behind-the-scenes	--
Sun	Story: Weekend highlights	--	--

Use cross-posting to adapt and distribute content across platforms efficiently, and a calendar view to visualize your entire content plan.

Reducing OTA Dependency with Social Media

Every booking that comes through an OTA costs you 15-25% in commission. For a hotel doing $1 million in annual revenue through OTAs, that is $150,000 to $250,000 in fees. Social media is the most effective channel for building a direct booking relationship with travelers and reducing that dependency over time.

Building the Direct Booking Habit

"Book direct" messaging in every post. Your social content should consistently remind followers that booking directly through your website offers the best rate, perks, or experience. Include this messaging naturally -- not as a hard sell, but as a benefit.

Examples:

• "Book direct for our best rate guarantee + complimentary breakfast"
• "Direct bookings include free spa access -- link in bio"
• "Only available when you book through [hotel website]"

Website Retargeting from Social Traffic

Social media drives traffic to your website, and combining social traffic with email retargeting increases booking conversion by up to 30%. The strategy:

1. Drive traffic from social to your direct booking page
2. Capture email addresses through lead magnets (destination guides, packing lists, travel tips)
3. Retarget website visitors with social ads featuring the specific room or package they viewed
4. Send email sequences with direct booking incentives

Email Capture from Social Followers

Your social followers are warm leads. Convert them into email subscribers by offering exclusive content: a downloadable city guide, a packing checklist, or early access to seasonal promotions. Once they are on your email list, you own that relationship regardless of algorithm changes.

Loyalty Program Promotion

Use social media to promote your loyalty program consistently. Every direct booking through your loyalty program is a guest you are less likely to lose to an OTA on their next trip. Feature loyalty perks, member-exclusive experiences, and point milestones in your content.

Working with Travel Influencers

Influencer partnerships drive measurable booking increases for hotels when executed correctly. The key is finding the right partners, structuring deals that deliver ROI, and securing content rights that extend the value beyond the initial post.

How to Identify the Right Influencers

Look for influencers whose audience matches your ideal guest profile, not just follower counts. Evaluate:

• Audience demographics -- Location, age, income level, and travel interests
• Engagement rate -- A creator with 15K followers and 8% engagement is more valuable than one with 200K followers and 0.5% engagement
• Content quality -- Does their style match your brand? Would their content look natural on your feed?
• Previous hotel partnerships -- Check their history. Did they deliver quality content? Did hotels see results?

Micro vs. Macro Influencers

Micro-influencers (5K-50K followers) typically deliver better ROI for individual properties. Their audiences are more engaged, their rates are lower, and their content often feels more authentic. Macro-influencers (100K+) make sense for large resorts or hotel chains that need broad awareness.

Comp Stays vs. Paid Partnerships

A complimentary stay is the minimum for any influencer partnership, but serious creators expect compensation beyond a free room. Budget for a combination of:

• Complimentary stay (room + dining + experiences)
• Content creation fee (for the actual production work)
• Usage rights fee (if you want to use their content in your ads or on your website)

Measuring ROI from Influencer Stays

Track these metrics for every influencer partnership:

• Direct booking link clicks -- Give each influencer a unique UTM-tagged booking link
• Promo code redemptions -- Unique discount codes track bookings directly attributable to the partnership
• Content performance -- Engagement, reach, saves, and shares on both their account and yours
• Content library value -- The cost of producing equivalent content in-house vs. what the influencer created

Content Rights and Usage

Negotiate content rights upfront. At a minimum, secure permission to repost their content on your social channels with credit. Ideally, negotiate full usage rights for a defined period (6-12 months) so you can use their photos and videos in ads, on your website, and in email marketing.

Manage your hotel's entire social media presence from one dashboard. PostEverywhere makes it simple to schedule influencer content reposts, room tours, and seasonal campaigns across every platform. See pricing.

Common Mistakes Hotels Make on Social Media

These are the patterns that keep hotel social media accounts stuck at low engagement and zero attributable bookings. Each one is fixable.

Posting only polished, catalog-style images that look like every other hotel. When every photo on your feed could be a stock image, guests have no reason to follow you over the property down the street. Travelers want to see real guest experiences, candid staff moments, and the messy charm of an actual stay -- not a brochure. Mix professional shots with raw, unscripted content that shows what staying at your property actually feels like.

Showcasing only the property and never the destination. Guests book a trip, not just a room. If your feed is nothing but interior shots, you are ignoring the reason most people travel. Show what is within walking distance -- the coffee shop around the corner, the market two blocks away, the sunset viewpoint a five-minute drive out. Position your hotel as the base camp for the entire experience.

Ignoring guest UGC when 76% of travelers post during their stay. Every guest photo, Story mention, and TikTok tag is free marketing you are leaving on the table. When a guest creates content about your property and you never acknowledge or reshare it, you send a signal to every future guest that posting is not worth their effort. Monitor tags and mentions daily, repost the best content with credit, and watch your UGC volume multiply.

Not including a "book direct" call-to-action in posts. Every follower who discovers your hotel on Instagram and then books through an OTA costs you 15-25% commission on that stay. Your social content needs to make direct booking the obvious next step -- link in bio, Story link stickers, and captions that reference direct booking perks. Without a clear CTA, your best content generates revenue for Booking.com instead of for you.

Missing seasonal content windows. Promoting your holiday package in December is three months too late -- travelers plan holiday trips in September and October. Showcasing your pool in June means you missed the families booking summer vacations in March and April. Map your top booking periods and launch content campaigns 6-8 weeks ahead of each one.

Treating social media as a broadcast channel instead of a conversation. When a potential guest comments "What is the view like from the ocean-facing rooms?" and nobody answers for four days, that is a lost booking. Guest comments, questions, and DMs are purchase signals. A replied-to question becomes a booked room far more often than an unanswered one.

Not creating Instagrammable moments on property. A photo-worthy pool setup, a striking lobby feature, or a room view that guests naturally want to share is marketing that runs itself. Hotels that design even one or two shareable moments into the guest experience generate a steady stream of organic content without lifting a finger.

Responding to negative reviews defensively instead of professionally. Future guests read your response to a complaint more carefully than they read the complaint itself. A defensive, dismissive, or template reply does more damage than the original review. Acknowledge the issue, explain what you have done to address it, and invite the guest to return. That response is not for the complainer -- it is for the hundreds of potential guests reading it before they book.

FAQs

How do hotels reduce OTA dependency using social media?

Every social media post is a chance to train your audience to book directly. Include "book direct" perks in your captions (best rate guarantee, complimentary breakfast, free upgrade), link to your direct booking page instead of OTA listings, and capture email addresses from social followers so you can retarget them outside of any platform. Hotels that build a consistent direct-booking message into their social content report measurable shifts in their direct-to-OTA booking ratio within 3-6 months.

What is the best format for hotel room tour content on TikTok?

The "door open" reveal works best -- start with a closed hotel room door, open it, walk in slowly, and let the camera take in the room before landing on the view or a standout feature. Keep it between 15 and 30 seconds, use trending audio, and add a text overlay with the room category and a "book direct" nudge. Film vertically, in natural light when possible, and shoot multiple room categories so you have a library to post from.

Should boutique hotels work with influencers, and how do we measure ROI?

Boutique hotels are often the best fit for influencer partnerships because micro-influencers (5K-50K followers) prefer unique, photogenic properties over generic chain hotels. Measure ROI with unique UTM-tagged booking links and promo codes assigned to each creator. Also factor in the content library value -- a single influencer stay can produce 10-20 pieces of professional content that you can repurpose across your own channels for months.

How do we get more guests to post about their stay?

Make posting effortless and rewarding. Add your branded hashtag to room key card sleeves, the WiFi login page, and check-in materials so guests see it repeatedly. Design at least one or two Instagrammable moments on property -- a striking lobby feature, a photo-worthy pool setup, or a room view that begs to be shared. Then actively repost guest content with credit; when travelers see that your hotel shares UGC, future guests are far more likely to tag you.

What should a hotel post during the off-season?

Off-season is when you build the audience that books during peak season. Post "secret season" content that positions your off-peak period as an insider move -- fewer crowds, lower rates, seasonal food and drink, weather that is underrated. Share renovation and improvement updates, staff profiles, and destination content about what the area offers year-round. Use this quieter period to batch-create content for the upcoming peak season so you are not scrambling when occupancy picks up.

How do we handle negative reviews on TripAdvisor and Google from a social media perspective?

Respond to every negative review publicly, promptly, and professionally. Acknowledge the specific issue, explain what you have done to address it, and invite the guest back. Avoid defensive or template language -- future guests read your response more carefully than they read the original complaint, and a thoughtful reply actually builds confidence that your property takes guest experience seriously. Never argue, never make excuses, and never ignore the review entirely.

Is it worth investing in virtual tours for our property?

Yes. Virtual tours embedded on your direct booking page give potential guests the confidence to book without relying on OTA review photos for reassurance. A well-produced 360-degree or walkthrough video tour reduces the perceived risk of booking direct, which is one of the main reasons travelers default to OTAs. The production cost pays for itself quickly when even a small percentage of OTA bookings shift to direct as a result.

Next Steps

Here is the action plan, broken into concrete steps you can start executing today.

1. Today: Audit your Instagram and TikTok for "book direct" CTAs. Open your last 20 posts and check how many include a clear path to your direct booking page. Every post about your property should make it easy to book without going through an OTA -- link in bio, Story link sticker, or a caption that spells out your direct booking perks. Fix the gaps before you post anything new.

2. This week: Film 3 room tour Reels in different room categories. Use the "door open" reveal format that performs well on TikTok -- open the door, walk in slowly, pan across the room, and end on the view. Film your standard room, your best suite, and one specialty category (pet-friendly, family, oceanfront). Post one per platform over the next week.

3. Create a UGC system. Set up a branded hashtag (e.g., #StayAt[YourHotel]) and add it to room key card sleeves, the WiFi login page, the check-in welcome packet, and the in-room compendium. Assign someone to check tags and mentions daily and repost the best guest content with credit.

4. Map your seasonal calendar. Block out your top 6 booking periods and plan content campaigns 6-8 weeks ahead of each. If summer is your peak, your pool content and family travel Reels should be going out in April, not June. Use a calendar view to visualize the full plan and spot gaps before they become missed opportunities.

5. Start scheduling. Use a social media scheduler to batch-create a week of content during a slow Monday morning and schedule it across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube from one dashboard. Your busiest operational weeks should not mean going dark on social media.

For more on building a consistent social media strategy, read our guide on how to grow your social media presence. If you are ready to schedule your hotel's content across every platform, start your free trial of PostEverywhere.

The hotels that will own their market in 2026 are not the ones with the biggest media budgets. They are the ones that make every guest want to share. A single guest's TikTok room tour -- filmed on their phone, posted for free -- can drive more direct bookings than a month of OTA advertising spend. Build a property and a social presence that guests cannot help but talk about, and the bookings follow.