Everything is a place to differentiate your guest experience, everything is an opportunity to share the personality of your brand.
 
The way people find out about your hotel.
Your website.
Your mobile experience.
The number of ways people can contact you.
The booking process.
The upselling process.
Your entire pricing model. (including rate optimization and ancillary revenue strategy, in industry-speak)
The reservation confirmation email.
 
The first impressions I have on arrival.
How I feel about myself when I step into your hotel.
The location of the hotel.
The architecture.
The interior design.
The lighting.
The colors.
The scents.
The soundtrack.
 
Every single person on your staff: from housekeeping to the general manager to the reception.
The words the staff use with me.
How staff communicate with each other.
How long it takes to check-in.
The process of check-in.
How much of a hold you place on my credit card.
The valet.
The uniforms.
The doorman.
The hallways.
The elevator.
The room key.
The room doors.
The moment when I walk into my room for the first time.
The cleanliness of the room.
The coffee and coffee maker in the rooms.
The TV/entertainment system.
The placement of electrical outlets and charging stations.
The in-room literature and messaging.
The paper & stationary.
The bed.
The linens.
The bathroom facets.
The soaps & toiletries.
The toilets.
The shower.
The water pressure.
The towel racks.
The bathrobes.
The iron and ironing board.
Your laundry service.
The view from the room.
The lamps and in-room lighting.
The artwork.
The minibar.
The furniture.
The snacks in the room and what's available in the minibar.
The fitness center.
The pool. (including the art & music under the pool)
The lobby and common spaces.
The restaurant.
Room service: what is available, how much it costs and how long it takes.
 
What is available for free.
The books and movies available to borrow.
The way my expectations are met, disappointed or exceeded.
The way you surprise and delight guests.
Your other guests – and how much I interact with them.
The hotel-provided transportation.
How you tell the story of the hotel's history.
How staff answer questions.
Your approach to dealing with service lapses.
How the General Manager interacts with guests.
The meeting and conference rooms.
The presence (or absence) of technology.
The computers in your business center.
The WiFi. (speed, reliability, cost, router locations)
How you measure and work to constantly improve my satisfaction.
Your guest satisfaction survey questions.
The way you respond to online reviews.
Every single Instagram, Twitter & Facebook post and response.
The way you collect, save and use my preferences.
The way you define VIP guests.
What VIP treatment means at your hotel.
 
The multilingual fluency of your staff.
The freedom staff have to go off-script and act like real people.
The way you answer your phones.
The maps you provide of the neighborhood & city.
The activities you (and your partners) offer.
The wellness amenities you offer.
The number of free amenities you offer.
The sustainability initiatives you have in place.
Your social responsibility program.
What locals in the neighborhood think of you.
Your hiring practices.
The job titles you have for each staff member.
Your treatment of staff.
Your staff satisfaction levels.
Your staff retention.
Your key performance indicators and success metrics for the hotel.
The businesses & brands you partner and align yourself with.
The things your guests Instagram and tweet the most.
The last impression I have walking out the door of your hotel.
How you stay in touch with me after I leave.
 
In short:
Your attention and imagination in every single detail.
The type of person you say that I am.
The type of person you help me become.
Your generosity.
Your hospitality.
 
Great hotel marketing does not require massive budgets.
 
It's about personality-per-square inch.

Get more #HotelMarketing ideas from Josiah @Hotel_Intel