Boutique Hotel Marketing Strategy
Running a boutique hotel or hospitality management company is equal parts passion and pressure. This guide is here to walk you through core elements of a marketing strategy from a place of intention, creativity, and clarity.
This overall strategy our go-to framework at Brosy Studio and it’s designed specifically for small hospitality brands who are ready to grow while staying sane. 🤍
Step 1: Clarity & Story
Before you jump into social media, SEO, or booking engines, give yourself space to reconnect with why you started.
Clarify the value of what you’re offering.
Ask yourself:
What do I want guests to feel when they come across our brand?
Who is your ideal customer?
What do you want guests to remember you by?
Your answers become the foundation for your visuals, messaging, and marketing strategy.
Tip: Write a short “brand story” paragraph and use it as a filter for everything, from your website copy to your Instagram captions. Here’s an example brand story. <3
This example brand story highlights the brand’s core values, brand intention, aesthetics and target guests.
2. Optimize Your Website for Direct Bookings
Your website should work for you 24/7! Many boutique hotels lose bookings simply because their site is unclear, clunky, or outdated. For hotel websites, the average bounce rate is approximately 36%, according to Hotel Benchmarking. This means that over a third of visitors leave a hotel’s website without exploring further than the first page they see.
Here’s what your site needs:
Clear photos and descriptions that set the mood
Visible “Book Now” buttons on every page
SEO-friendly copy so guests can find you in the first place
Bonus: Add a freebie download to capture emails and retarget.
We’ve seen such success with growing emails lists when websites offer folks a truly interesting and helpful freebie.
3. Show Up Where Your Guests Are
Not every platform is right for every property, but if you want to connect with modern travelers, you can’t rely on OTAs alone.
Our favorite platforms for boutique stays:
Instagram/Facebook/TikTok: For dreamy visuals, storytelling, and brand building
Email Marketing: For past guests, promotions, and direct-booking pushes
Google Search + Maps: For visibility + reviews
Focus on 1–2 platforms that your guests already use, and show up consistently with intentional content.
4. Use Social Media Strategically (Not Just for Likes)
We literally don’t know anyone who’s succeeding using social media by randomly posting pretty photos and calling it a day.
Try to add a little of all of the below each month:
Inspiration: Romantic scenes, nature, guest experience moments
Information: Booking tips, local recommendations, “how to get here”
Connection: Behind-the-scenes, team intros, story takeovers
Calls-to-Action: Encouraging guests to book or sign up for emails
Pro tip: Reels and carousels tend to outperform static posts. Show up on video, even if it’s just a 10-second room tour.
5. Turn Guests into Your Best Marketers
Your current guests are your greatest asset. Invite them to share their stay, and make it easy:
Create photo-worthy moments (cozy corners, fire pits, styled welcome notes)
Offer small perks for tagging you on IG or writing a review
Repost their content and celebrate their stories
User-generated content (UGC) adds trust, social proof, and reach, and it costs you nothing!
6. Keep It Measurable
Marketing without tracking is like hiking without a map. You might make progress, but you won’t know where you’re headed.
Track these metrics monthly:
Website traffic (especially direct vs. OTA)
Social engagement (and what content performs best)
Email open + click rates
Booking conversion rate
Need help tracking or interpreting these? That’s our specialty.
Final Thoughts
Marketing your boutique hotel shouldn’t feel like guesswork. With the right strategy, you can attract your dream guests, tell your story beautifully, and grow your bookings without burnout.
If you’re ready for support from a team that gets hospitality, we’d love to help.
