So, your hotel wants influencer marketing. Where do you start?

You’ve just left a meeting with the senior team. The GM or owner has been scrolling Instagram and spotted a reel from a competitor, a travel influencer sipping cocktails by their rooftop pool, pulling big numbers.  

And just like that, influencer marketing is now on your to-do list.
“Let’s get more influencers on board. Everyone’s doing it.”

You feel the dread setting in. You’ve never run a full scale  influencer campaign before. And let’s be honest (your to-do list was already a mile long!)

Sound familiar?
If you’re managing marketing or social media for a hotel, it’s easy to feel unsure where to start. But here’s the thing: influencer marketing isn’t just a trend, it’s one of the most powerful channels to reach today’s travellers.
Connect with the audiences who matter most.

• Showcase why guests choose your hotel over the competition.

• Build the kind of social proof that drives bookings.

• Make your hotel memorable for all the right reasons – the place they’ve seen, saved, and can’t wait to experience.

Step 1: Nail down your why

Before you start thinking about influencers, take a step back. What’s the goal here?

Ask yourself:

• Are you trying to put your hotel on the map and build brand awareness with new audiences?

• Do you need a library of stunning, high-quality content that showcases your rooms, dining, wellbeing  and guest experiences. Content you can reuse across Instagram, your website, email campaigns and even brochures?
  
  

• Or is this about driving direct bookings, filling rooms during quieter months, boosting midweek stays or promoting seasonal packages? 

• Maybe the pressing need is increasing footfall to your restaurant, or shining a light on signature experiences like afternoon tea, brunches  or wellness retreats.

Getting clear on this early makes it so much easier to shape your campaign and prove its value to the senior team later.

Pro tip: Tie your goal back to your hotel’s broader strategy…think occupancy targets, direct booking growth, or elevating your brand in a competitive market.

Step 2: Find your perfect match

Not every influencer will be the right fit for your hotel. Instead of focusing on follower count alone, look for creators who tick these boxes:

• Relevance – Do their posts and style align with your brand?

• Audience – Are their followers the kind of guests who would book a stay?

• Engagement – Are people actively commenting, saving and sharing their content?

Micro-influencers (10k–100k followers) are often a great place to start. Their audiences tend to be highly engaged, they’re enthusiastic about collaborating on-brief, and simpler to work with compared  with big-name creators.

Tip: Fancy receiving vetted,  inbound influencer applications that align with your goals, saving hours of manual searching. Get Gifted.

Step 3: Plan the deliverables

A successful influencer partnership should feel like a win-win – for your hotel and the creator.
Think about:

• What to offer – A complimentary stay, a dining experience, or a spa treatment that showcases your property’s best features, and how you want to be seen on socials

• What to request – Instagram posts, reels, stories, or even a vlog feature.

• How to measure success – Cross-campaign reporting, unique booking links or discount codes to track ROI and see what’s working.

A clear brief is key. It sets expectations from the start, outlining deliverables, timelines, and usage rights for any content created.

Psst…we’ve got collaboration brief templates THAT GET RESULTS  ready to go, to save you time.

Step 4: Track what works (and do more of it)

Even a small campaign can deliver insights. Track:

• Engagement on influencer content.

• New followers on your hotel’s social channels.

• Website traffic or bookings generated through their posts.

Ready to make it happen?

Influencer marketing doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Start with clear goals, work with the right creators, and approach campaigns strategically. With the right tools, you can turn this trend into a scalable, effective channel for your hotel.

And when your next competitor’s campaign pops up on Instagram? You’ll already be one step ahead. Get Gifted.