Seclusion, relaxation and romance. The three things couples are after when booking hotels for getaways, vacations, and honeymoons.
Couples seeking an ideal honeymoon locale or romantic getaway are looking for the best hotels and the best deals. With all of the options out there for accommodations, why should a couple choose your hotel? Consider all of the factors that make your hotel a destination for romance. What is there to do in the surrounding area? What can guests do while staying with you?
Most people book accommodations online, so with the different search engines and overwhelming information out there, how can you set yourself apart?
Follow these four tips to create the best romantic hotel experience.
Play up What You Already Have
Does your hotel have a spa on site? What amenities do you have to offer guests? Create spa and romance packages and list them on your site. Include dining in your restaurant, relaxing in your spa or exploring your grounds in the package. Associate events like anniversaries with your hotel and make a stay at your hotel a memorable experience.
It’s All about the Language
The language that you use is important. Use words that describe the experience you are trying to create. For example: romance, luxury, seclusion, cozy, relaxation, intimate and indulgence.
The images you use to pair with the language are key. If you haven’t taken updated photos of your rooms or grounds, have professional photos taken that will show your hotel in the best light. Take photos of your cozy, romantic bedrooms, luxurious spa and private garden. If the words don’t draw them in, the photos will.
Add Perks to Sweeten the Deal
Include a bottle of sparkling wine or flowers upon arrival. Often, when people buy weekend getaways on sites like Groupon, they get special items like wine or chocolates in their room. These added perks can come at a low-cost to you and be the extra push to get people booking rooms.
Adding something as simple as flowers is a great way to give a room an extra hint of romance. You can partner with floral sites like FTD to cater to couples looking to stay at your hotel. Purchase their floral arrangements, gift baskets and treats to include in a stay. Include an anniversary bouquet with the room rate to make the stay more special. Wyndham Resorts has cleverly partnered with FTD to allow online shoppers to get hotel points when purchasing online with FTD. These kinds of partnerships will help sweeten the deal for couples on the hunt for a great hotel.
Use Social Media to Get the Word Out
Social media can go to waste if you aren’t taking full advantage of all it has to offer. Social media offers opportunities to engage with guests and people searching for hotels.
The visuals you post on social media are incredibly important. Use sites like Pinterest to create boards that entice travelers. The Pin.Pack.Go Pinterest project by Four Seasons was a great way to bring brand awareness through social media. Users were asked to create their own Pinterest projects to plan their vacations, all with Four Seasons in mind.
Using Instagram is a visual way to reach out to travelers. Check out Marriott on Instagram for insight on what hotels are doing on their Instagram accounts. Posting beautiful photos of your hotel rooms, and grounds is an obvious strategy, but regramming other users photos from their experiences is also a great way to spread the word and connect with travelers. Share photos users took—with their permission—and ask other users to share their photos with specific hashtags that you can track.
Create visual contests on your Instagram account. This year, InterContinental Hotels Group hosted a contest that asked Instagram users to post pictures of their hotel stays with the hashtag #DiscoverIHG for the chance to win 100,000 to 1 million IHG Rewards Club points.
While you don’t have to host a contest to win reward points, you can create images, contests and hashtags around romance packages and weekend getaways.
Author Bio: This article was contributed by Katie Selph, a freelance writer living in Phoenix. She currently does marketing and communications work for The Phoenix Chorale and Mesa Arts Center.