While Christmas decorations may make some people cringe this early in the year, for a hotel, the sooner the better.

Why? Because this means you get the jump on your competition, especially when it comes to online marketing.

Potential guests are already browsing the internet looking for properties for their winter getaways, and you want to be the first and last hotel they think of when it comes time to book a room.

Identify Your Target Audience

Exactly what type of traveler are you trying to lure in during the holidays? Is your property a haven for the holiday traveling business person or is it the perfect place for a family, including pets, to stay when they are traveling to see their family over Christmas? Identify your target market and prepare yourself to blow up social media as well as online advertising with visuals that will make it very clear who you are targeting.

Get Decorating

Call your decorators up and get them to now. The sooner your winter village is up, the sooner you can start posting. However, you should also be decorating your website and social media pages with holiday themes that will draw a little extra attention to the page and profiles.

Holiday-Themed Packages

Developing your guest’s stay as well as F&B packages to lure in certain travelers, and the holidays are no different. This is especially true if your hotel is a family-oriented property and accepts pets. Offering free Christmas movie rentals or a Santa-themed break is just the starting point, as you can also offer pet-sitting services, free visits to Santa (either at your hotel or possibly a trip to an outside location that has a Santa). The more options the better.

If you happen to be in an area where restaurants or theaters are offering special holiday meals or entertainment, get together with them to work out joint packages that can profit both parties. You may even want to consider some open entertainment on Christmas day for non-Christian guests so they don’t feel left out. If your ballrooms are empty, consider a non-stop film festival that is open to all guests, all day.

Give Out Presents

A lot of guests traveling over the holidays will be without something to open on Christmas morning, so do your due diligence and start scanning through your reservations for guests that would appreciate a little something under the tree. Something as small as a box of candy or a bottle of wine will go a long way to win favor as well as some free social media postings about the hotel.

Update Your Website

If there are going to be limited hours during the holidays, make sure this information is readily available on your website. You may even consider creating a holiday-specific page so guests are fully informed as to what will and will not be open as well as operational times during their stay. If your restaurant and room service is going to be limited, find out what restaurants in the area will be open and post menus or links so your guests have to do as little work as possible to find the information.

Encourage Sharing

Once the holiday season is in full swing, make sure you encourage your guests to share their experiences. Offer free prizes on a random draw for guests using a specific hashtag. If you go this route, make sure you have someone on duty for every shift that is tasked with monitoring social media so these interactions are liked and shared by your hotel’s profile as soon as possible after the posts are made.

Is your marketing department developing a strategy to market your hotel specifically during this holiday season? If they are missing these opportunities, it may be time to find better talent, such as the managers JDI has been placing for years. We are a top-rated U.S. hotel recruiter because we do more than find candidates; we find the ideal candidate to meet your specific needs.

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