Black Friday is a shopping event that shapes consumer behavior across industries, and hospitality is no exception. For hoteliers, it presents valuable opportunities to boost direct bookings.
NB: This is an article from The Hotels Network, one of our Expert Partners
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To measure its impact, we carried out an in-depth analysis of 2024 data from more than 4,300 hotels. We compared website performance during the Black Friday period (November 3–December 2, 2024) with the previous month (October 3–November 2, 2024) to better understand how the season influences direct booking trends.
Hotels that launched Black Friday campaigns on their website saw impressive results, with direct bookings soaring by 63.8%, website conversion rates climbing 36%, and direct revenue nearly doubling with a 97.5% increase. Meanwhile, hotels that didn’t participate missed out on this opportunity and experienced declines or only modest growth across key metrics.
To help hoteliers make the most of the shopping frenzy Black Friday creates, we created an inspirational guide with tailored strategies for the hospitality sector. The guide highlights practical approaches that can be adapted to different needs, making it easier to boost direct bookings and capture more value from this key sales period. So let’s jump in and explore some of the most effective tactics and real examples from hotels that turn Black Friday into a success story.
Capture, Connect, and Convert
Don’t let website visitors leave without leaving a trace. Adding a Layer with email capture is a simple way to collect first-party data and start building relationships with future guests. One effective approach is to announce your Black Friday sale with a countdown and invite users to sign up so they don’t miss out. The Bear’s Paw Warmingham used this strategy to boost revenue beyond bookings by promoting vouchers. Try incorporating similar tactics to capture valuable leads and maximize the impact of your Black Friday campaigns.
Layer capturing emails for future marketing campaigns
Let Your Perks Do the Talking
Black Friday is the perfect moment to showcase the benefits you offer guests. Use a Layer with exclusive perks to clearly communicate the advantages of booking direct. For example, Dhigali Maldives promoted benefits like resort credit, a spa discount, and a room upgrade as a limited-time deal with a countdown. This approach helped the hotel increase ancillary revenue without sacrificing ADR. Consider highlighting your own direct booking perks in the same way to capture more value from Black Friday.
