Influencer Marketing for Hotels: 4 Brands Who Are Crushing The Game

Influencer marketing for hotels has been the latest trend in digital marketing for the top hotel brands. Several chains have leveraged the tech-savvy, social, and relatively star-struck generation of travelers to combine all three into influencer marketing campaigns.

Get a glimpse into influencer marketing for hotels and how they are using key influencers to leverage their brands effectively.

1. Starwood Resorts

Starwood Resorts has been making Instagram their own since it first advertised there in 2014, especially internationally. Its latest campaign has involved five travel-related Instagram influencers.

These influencers were used to help promote two new properties in Paris, Le Metropolitan and Le Dokhan. Each influencer would post photos and content about their experiences at the hotels, and to increase bookings, a link to LiketoKnow.it (a European e-shopping site) was included in the description. When a post was liked, that user would get an e-mail from that website with booking information, or the user could book directly through the influencer’s post.

What are the results of this campaign? Starwood now has more than 500,000 followers and earned thousands more with the help of the influencer.

2. Marriott

Marriott is no stranger to influencer marketing campaigns. Namely, their campaign for its own brand using influencers on Snapchat.

Recently, Marriot created a campaign around its Moxy brand, working closely with comedienne Taryn Southern. Together, they produced a series of Do Not Disturb videos that have made the social media rounds and put Moxy on the map with their Snapchat followers.

Marriott enacted full-on Snapchat takeovers this summer and relinquished control to four social influencers. Jen Levinson, Sara Hopkins, Tom Jauncey, and Diipa Khosla each created a weeklong video journal of trips toBerlin, Seoul, Dubai, and New York. Marriott encouraged them to share the stories with their followers through the Marriott Snapchat and their individual Snapchat accounts to promote their Marriott Rewards program.

If giving up your social media account to an influencer scares you slightly, we hear you. It’s a good idea to vet your influencer to know their style and that he or she won’t post content that is too controversial. But know that associating your brand with the influencer’s followers is social media gold.

3. Hilton Hotels

Hilton Hotels has tapped into a younger generation of travelers with its Hilton@Play initiative. The initiative produces live music events at various Hilton properties across America and in the United Kingdom. But it’s not geared towards just anyone: it’s an exclusive group of guests. The event was open only to HHonors Rewards members who had a certain number of points.

Hilton added a level of access to artists like Nick Jonas, complete with live streams on Periscope. So even if you weren’t a HHonors member, it provided an incentive for fans to visit Hilton properties for travel so they can be invited to the next Live Nation-sponsored event.

4. The Ritz Carlton

Can you imagine your social feed being looked at by a major resort brand, then getting an invite to visit one of its properties for free? And all you have to do is post one or two photos per day during your visit to promote the brand to your followers?

The Ritz Carlton is one of several luxury brands that has taken on this initiative. Instead of posting stock photography, the marketing team looks for social influencers with followers in the thousands and active engagement. Then, they’ll invite them to visit one of their properties. Best of all, they’ll comp up to a week’s stay including airfare in order to reach those followers.

Influencer marketing for hotels is a growing tool for various hotel chains. Especially since being active on social has become vitally important. Being proactive with influential social media entities are driving engagement and loyalty for a whole new generation of travelers.