Today, we’re talking about … how four hotels are leveraging video to tell a better story.
NB: This is an article from Tambourine
What are you really selling?
That’s the single most important question in hotel marketing. Just like Apple doesn’t sell computers and Disney doesn’t sell rides, you don’t sell room nights.
So… what are you really selling?
What’s that one unique aspect about your property that differentiates you from your compset? Or better yet, why would your demographic benefit by choosing your hotel instead of the one down the street? Marketers answer this important question in the form of a UVP—unique value proposition.
Does your website struggle to communicate your UVP?
A great hotel website communicates the property UVP instantly, typically in the form of a headline and header image on the homepage of the website. (Easier said than done.) Sometimes a single photo falls a little short of communicating the true value. That’s why many hotel marketers are looking to video to help them expand on the answer to that most important question.
Let’s look at a few hotels that are doing it well.
The Farmhouse Inn, Sonoma Wine Country
One minute you’re shopping hotels, the next you’re strolling through vineyards somewhere in Sonoma. But what sets this wine-country inn apart from its wine-country competition? One special thing: Intimacy.
You don’t need to scroll beneath the header video to feel the communal, yet intimate nature of this stay. A small garden path separates quaint bungalows, guest dinners are hand prepared then shared at long, communal tables.
Chateau Elan Winery & Resort, Georgia
Chateau Elan is a different kind of luxury experience. This is not just a resort. It is, in fact, a destination unto itself. Sprawling vineyards, golf courses, and grand interior architecture are just a few of the spaces so vast you could get lost in them for whole afternoons.
How could a single photograph ever capture the bounty of grand experiences that await?
The Georgian Hotel, Santa Monica
You might be surprised to notice that the video does not once take the viewer inside of the hotel. It is, in fact, the hotel’s unique relationship to the destination—Santa Monica herself—which is the focus here.
To fully understand the Georgian, you must see this landmark in context. Firstly, it’s unrivaled in its proximity to, well, everything. The aerials are particularly useful in orienting travelers to the neighborhood. Secondly, look how it stands out from among the neighboring architecture, a selling point unto itself.
Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club, Key West
You can almost feel the sun on your face. It’s that oh-so-subtle movement of the clouds that brings you there.
You stay at Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club for access to the ocean experience. Here is a place which prioritizes a lifestyle that can only be found in close proximity to water. The use of a single frame video is a wonderful lesson that you don’t need models, extravagant budgets, or drone photography to leverage the power of video.
Flash back!
What’s the UVP for your property? Does your hotel website accurately capture and communicate your hotel’s unique value proposition?
