From Ad Hoc to Impact: Creators, Culture and Customers at Hotel Indigo
The challenge
Hotel Indigo is a global boutique brand, with each property designed to capture the spirit of its local neighbourhood. In Manchester, this means a striking blend of old and new — a restored Victorian tea warehouse with bold, contemporary interiors, right in the heart of the city.
Recognising the rise of influencer marketing as a key channel in the hospitality space, the team had begun incorporating creators into their strategy. But progress was inconsistent, time-consuming and reactive. Occasional influencer stays were individually negotiated and handled manually, without a clear framework or way to measure impact.
There was growing pressure to deliver on five key goals:
Drive direct bookings – Reduce reliance on OTAs like Booking.com and Expedia.
Build brand awareness & loyalty – Strengthen Indigo’s boutique identity and connect to build trust with guests.
Reach target audiences – Engage millennial and Gen Z travellers drawn to Indigo’s design-led vibe.
Leverage their location – Attract influencers and showcase Manchester’s culture.
Position the restaurant, “Mamucium” as a standalone brand – Grow non-residential bookings and establish it as a serious player in Manchester’s food scene.
The Manchester team needed a smarter, scalable influencer strategy with measurable results.
The approach
Gifted Social enabled Hotel Indigo to execute a scalable influencer Marketing strategy that delivered volume and value. Matched with micro-creators who had highly engaged, travel and lifestyle audiences, the team selected Collaboration Briefs that enabled authentic influencer stories that connected the hotel to Manchester’s cultural heartbeat.
Stays were scheduled in off-peak periods and lower occupancy days to drive impact when it mattered most, and showcase the best experiences the hotel had to offer. Crucially, The Mamucium Restaurant was given its own spotlight, with a complimentary campaign positioning the restaurant as a standalone destination within Manchester’s vibrant food scene.
This approach encouraged creators to showcase not only the hotel’s bold interiors and guest experience but also the energy of the surrounding neighbourhood and Mamucium’s distinctive food and cocktail offering.
The collaborations
The results were authentic, effusive endorsements. Time to Value for was immediate - 10 creator collabs were booked with vetted, inbound influencers, approved and posted - with another 10 subsequently scheduled, all managed and reviewed within a single dashboard.
Each brought a unique perspective:
@inarosca – Aspirational aesthetic content generating 76.7K views
@mrszaz – Relatable micro-creator vlog achieving a standout 10% engagement rate.
@Alina’s Street Podcast – Wove the hotel into Manchester’s city culture, driving 32K views.
@Nursing Planet’s Self-Care Series – Featured the hotel in a wellness-themed viral podcast, reaching a niche, highly relevant audience.
The impact
What started as a reactive process became a structured, strategic channel — and the results speak for themselves.
With all content licensed for Hotel Indigo’s use, selected Posts were included in their Instagram Grid - meaning fresh, new content every week, saving £3K+ compared to the cost of inhouse creation or UGC.
1,100% increase in views for Gifted’s Influencer Collabs > @hotelindigomcr Instagram
1,500% increase in engagement for Gifted’s Influencer Collabs > @hotelindigomcr Instagram
Within six months of starting with Gifted, Indigo Manchester's Instagram following grew by nearly 30%, from 6,088 in December to 7,945 in June fuelled by creator content that truly connected with audiences - following nominal growth for the 6 months prior.
So, what’s next?
With Manchester in full swing, learnings and data driven insights can be employed at scale across the UK and beyond - demonstrating proof of value and that influencer marketing drives unparalleled ROI when executed systematically.
We help hospitality brands harness influencer marketing as a channel to achieve real results — from bookings to brand-building.
