The summer months are the busiest time for the hospitality industry. As the sunny weather reappears once again, many people will begin searching for exciting getaways and weekend trips to make the most of it.
The hospitality market in 2023 has changed a lot since last year!
Summer 2022 was the first summer period with no lockdown restrictions, causing more people to splurge on summer holidays after two years of the pandemic. Plus, the lack of travel during Covid meant people had saved money on travelling and had built up more disposable income.
This year the situation is very different. People are struggling with the cost of living and spending less on non-essentials. Although we have to adjust this new situation, one thing remains the same. Everyone is still looking for a memorable holiday experience!
But with so much competition in the industry, how can you make your summer hotel marketing stand out? Our full service marketing agency shares creative ideas to make your hotel a top summer destination, and give guests a trip they’ll remember.
Hospitality industry insights for 2023
Influences from society and economic factors have contributed to some key changes that are likely to affect the hospitality industry this year.
The top insights are:
- Exchange rates will affect foreign travel and tourism
- Travel spending should increase this year
- Travel for work and travel for leisure will become more connected
- Eco-friendly travel will no longer a niche for businesses
- Digitalisation will enhance new travel experiences
- Travelling by train will continue to be popular
- Travellers more inspired to go local
These insights are representative of the current situation in society, but it’s not a negative thing! With more people inspired to stay local, and opting for cheaper holiday options like weekend trips and short city breaks, there’s an opportunity to showcase what’s so great about your location, and your offerings you provide in the hotel. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your ideas. The better the experience you offer is, the more likely you are to generate those all important bookings!
Create outdoor summer experiences
Providing guests with an experience, rather than just a hotel stay, is key to attracting visitors to your hotel. In summertime people are keen to get into the outdoors, make the most of the weather and get some much needed fresh air after the cold, gloomy winter weather.
Think about whether there’s anything your hotel can do outdoors during summer time. Do you have a restaurant and bar that could provide outdoor seating? Could you offer breakfast to take away so it can be enjoyed as a picnic? Are there any guided outdoor tours you could offer that are exclusive to your hotel? The opportunities are endless!
This also provides an opportunity to give your hotel a strong unique selling point that makes it stand out against competitors, and encourage people to choose your hotel. Even super simple ideas and changes can make a huge difference to a guest’s enjoyment.
Special offers and packages
Everyone is always searching for great value and people are wanting to get the most for their money, now more than ever!
Finding ways to add value to their hotel booking is a key factor that could make the decision between booking your hotel, or one of your competitors. Creating packages that give the guest something extra with their booking is a great incentive. Consider offering a welcome drink when they check in, a free breakfast, or complimentary snacks in their hotel room on arrival. This can even be tailored specifically for the summer months. If you want to offer something different during the season, how about a summer cocktail in the bar, or a free packed lunch for picnics in the town or city where your hotel is located?
Celebration packages are also attractive to potential guests if they’re wanting to book for an occasion. Offering balloons and a free bottle of fizz in the room for a birthday booking, or rose petals and chocolates for a romantic anniversary trip adds a special touch to their stay.
Limited edition summer menus
Summer is the perfect time to switch up your hotel restaurant and bar menus. Tastes change during the summer period, with people craving lighter bites full of fresh ingredients.
Limited edition menus provide your guests with something different, which could persuade people to try out the new options especially if they’ve already stayed before. It also helps bring that summer holiday feeling to your hotel, something that we’re all craving after winter!
How about a tasty set food menu bursting with summer flavours, or sweet summer cocktails that taste like sunshine?
Feel good summer design
Having marketing materials that portray that summer vibe to potential guests will put them in the mood for summer holidays. Carry across your social content theme over to your website; creating a dedicated landing page is the perfect way to do this. Make sure to include SEO led copy on the landing page that fits with the summer theme in your locations, this could include best summer restaurants or best summer day trips. This will drive more traffic to the website and has the potential to generate more bookings and brand awareness.
The way your campaign looks is just as important! Create visuals that use a great summery colour palette that fits the branding of your hotel. It’s also a good way to connect all of your summer marketing tactics under one theme, for consistency and a professional high-quality feel.
Summer things to do in your location
When it comes to marketing your hotel, you’re selling the location just as much as your hotel! People won’t want to book if they don’t know what’s worth doing in the location of your hotel, especially in summer when there’s so many different events happening.
Posting summer themed blogs on your website, and highlighting key things to do over the season in your social content will help your SEO across all of your digital platforms. This will increase your brand awareness across people searching these terms. When anyone thinks of summer, they’ll think of your hotel!
Feeling inspired to create the perfect summer marketing campaign for your hotel? We hope these ideas have given you the tools you need to craft the perfect summer experience for your guests!
Read more from our full service Leeds agency here.