Marketing
for hotels

Marketing for hotels: the direct booking is the goal

For an independent hotel, inn or lodge, marketing for hotels comes down to one number: how many nights are booked directly. Online travel agencies are useful for reach, but every night they sell carries a commission, and the guest's email stays with them. A direct booking costs less and lets you invite that guest back. Most of what I build for a property points at that.

The website does the heavy lifting. Guests compare rooms, look at the bathroom, check whether breakfast is included, and want the total price before they commit. A business website with a page for each room type, honest photos, the area around you and a booking button that works on a phone does more than any campaign.

Seasons in Canadian hospitality

Canada gives most properties two or three peaks and long quiet stretches. A ski lodge lives on December to March, a lake resort on July and August, a city hotel on events and conferences. The shoulder seasons decide the year. I write down your calendar before spending a dollar:

• What weeks fill without help
• What weeks need a package or an event
• Who is close enough to come on short notice
• Which past guests could come back in another season

Campaigns for spring and late fall go out weeks before, aimed at cities within a few hours' drive. A fall colours weekend, a spa and dinner package or a winter midweek rate gives people a reason to choose those dates.

Reviews close the loop. Guests read them on Google and on booking sites before they read your own description. A short, personal reply to each one, including the awkward ones about thin walls or a slow check-in, shows the next guest that someone cares. I set up a simple routine so replies take minutes a week.

Pricing rules worth knowing

The Competition Bureau has been clear that the advertised price should include mandatory fees, apart from taxes. Resort fees, cleaning fees or service charges added at the last step can count as drip pricing. I write rates and ads so the number a guest sees first is the number they pay before tax. It protects you and it reduces abandoned bookings.

Privacy matters too. If you track bookings with Google or Meta pixels, your site needs a clear privacy policy and, in Quebec, consent for tracking under Law 25. I set up analytics with GA4 and Tag Manager so you see bookings by source while respecting consent.

What guests search

US visitors are a real audience for many Canadian properties, especially near the border or in famous parks. A short note on prices in Canadian dollars and what is included helps them decide.

If you host weddings and events, read marketing for event and wedding venues too. For the ads side, see Google Ads management, and for travel sellers who package stays, marketing for travel agencies.