The foundation of sustained hotel revenue lies in building trust, creating memorable experiences, and strategically positioning your property in the market. The right mix of public relations (PR) and sales strategies will deliver tangible results, converting first-time visitors into loyal guests. Through tailored PR campaigns, creative activations, and strategic partnerships, True Story has helped hotels of all sizes achieve long-term growth. Here’s a blueprint of techniques we employ to increase bookings, maximize guest retention, and improve profitability.

1. Leverage PR to Build Trust and Credibility

Travelers seek reliability and reassurance when choosing accommodations, making trust an essential factor. PR builds credibility by promoting awards, media features, and glowing guest testimonials, all of which reinforce a hotel’s reputation. PR also serves as the top of the marketing funnel—introducing your brand to new audiences and laying the groundwork for future bookings.

PR agencies know the power of external validation. Beyond awards, they secure editorial coverage in respected travel outlets, share guest reviews across marketing channels, and create compelling narratives about the property’s standout features. This combination of social proof builds guest confidence and simplifies booking decisions.

Quick Tip: Incorporate media mentions and awards into your website, booking pages, and social media profiles to make trust-building touchpoints part of the guest journey.

2. Promote Seasonal or Special Packages with PR Campaigns

Seasonal promotions and limited-time offers are highly effective for securing bookings, but they require proper promotion to produce results. PR campaigns can broadcast these deals through targeted outreach, influencer collaborations, and local media coverage, ensuring that your message reaches guests when they’re ready to book.

True Story’s success with the inaugural “Summer of Seltzer Festival” at The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach exemplifies how seasonally themed campaigns and community partnerships paired with PR can drive long-term brand recognition and spike profits. The event featured over 150 seltzer varieties from renowned brands, live local music, outdoor games, and delicious bites from the resort’s new food truck. The resort further underscored its commitment to philanthropy and sustainability by partnering with Big Iron Environmental, a local recycling company that donated approximately $0.55 to the Special Forces Association Chapter 7 for every pound of aluminum recycled. The festival’s success translated into a substantial boost in reservations and over $8,000 in food and beverage revenue within the three hour festival alone. 

Additionally, consider creating packages tied to holidays, local festivals, or exclusive experiences. For example, a Mother’s Day spa package could bundle discounted stays with treatments and be promoted through guest reviews, blog posts, and influencer features.

Quick Tip: Time your campaigns to correspond with key travel booking periods, such as summer vacation or the holiday season, to increase overall revenue and credibility.

3. Collaborate with Local Businesses for Bundled Packages

Partnering with local businesses can help hotels deliver unique guest experiences while expanding their audience. A PR agency can identify and negotiate collaborations with complementary partners, such as restaurants, museums, or adventure companies, to create bundled packages that appeal to specific demographics. This approach is an effective way to boost a hotel’s visibility by highlighting what sets it apart: curated, local experiences that reflect the unique charm of its destination.

These collaborations are particularly impactful when marketed through co-branded press releases, blog posts, and local media features. PR efforts can emphasize the value of the bundle, making the offer feel exclusive and desirable.

Example: A beachside hotel could partner with a local surfing school to offer a “Surf & Stay” package that includes lessons and accommodation.

4. Focus on Guest Experience Storytelling

The guest experience is at the heart of any hotel’s success, and sharing these stories can forge strong emotional connections. PR agencies craft narratives that accentuate memorable moments, such as unique proposals, once-in-a-lifetime vacations, or exceptional service encounters.

For instance, when True Story launched the “Storyteller Dinner” at Watersound Village Market, they brought the owners’ travel-inspired dishes to life through storytelling. Media and influencers who attended shared their experiences, resulting in over 41,000 reel views and coverage from local outlets reaching 400,000 readers.

Hotels can replicate this by sharing guest stories through blogs, social media, and email marketing. Highlighting behind-the-scenes moments or staff interactions can make the hotel feel more personable and approachable.

Quick Tip: Collect feedback from guests and use their stories to create authentic content that resonates with future visitors.

5. Optimize Your Online Reputation

A hotel’s online reputation directly influences booking decisions. PR agencies monitor reviews across major platforms like TripAdvisor and Google, ensuring that positive reviews are amplified through marketing channels and negative feedback is swiftly and professionally managed to safeguard the hotel’s brand reputation.

Here’s how PR agencies optimize your online reputation for maximum results:

• Positive Reviews: PR teams highlight glowing guest reviews on your website, booking pages, and social media channels, ensuring they become a key part of the decision-making process.
• Strategic Influencer Campaigns: By working with influencers who align with your brand, PR agencies generate thousands of positive interactions and social proof that can be shared across marketing platforms, including email campaigns and social channels.
• Backlinks: PR-driven media mentions and influencer collaborations often include links back to your site. These backlinks enhance your search rankings over time, driving traffic and improving organic visibility for future bookings.
• Negative Feedback Management: When a negative review appears, a PR agency steps in to handle the response professionally, demonstrating a commitment to guest satisfaction and protecting the hotel’s public image.

Quick Tip: Engage with satisfied guests post-stay and encourage them to leave reviews on major travel platforms. Featuring positive testimonials across your website and social channels helps validate potential bookings.

6. Expand Media and Influencer Outreach

Securing media coverage and influencer collaborations introduces your property to new audiences. The key is targeting media outlets and influencers whose followers align with your ideal guest profile. PR agencies can handle this outreach by negotiating contracts, organizing site visits, and ensuring the coverage reflects the hotel’s main selling points.

For example, True Story coordinated an influencer campaign for Watersound Village Market’s opening, which generated over 41,000 reel views and led to coverage from regional publications. These collaborations not only create buzz but also provide shareable content that hotels can repurpose across platforms.

Quick Tip: Offer influencers unique experiences, such as private tours or VIP packages, to diversify their content and maximize its impact.

7. Create and Promote Exclusive Experiences

Offering experiences that go beyond a standard hotel stay can attract high-value guests. PR campaigns can highlight offerings such as cooking classes, guided nature hikes, or wine tastings to differentiate the property and create additional revenue streams.

Bundle these experiences into packages, and use PR outreach to feature them in travel publications, blogs, and social media. This ensures that guests see the value beyond the room rate, leading to higher bookings and extended stays.

8. Set Your PR Campaigns Up for Success

PR can generate awareness and drive potential guests to your digital channels, but without a well-prepared infrastructure, these leads may go untapped. Many hotels rush to secure media features or influencer coverage, only to miss conversion opportunities due to poorly optimized websites or unappealing offers. PR-driven traffic needs more than visibility—it requires clear paths to booking and compelling reasons for guests to stay.

Ask yourself:

• Do you have a clear funnel? PR brings awareness, but is there a defined path to guide leads from curiosity to conversion?
• Are your marketing and sales teams aligned? Without coordination, PR-driven visibility may not result in measurable outcomes.

A well-structured funnel includes:

• A user-friendly website optimized with clear calls-to-action.
• Retargeting ads that follow up with visitors who didn’t book immediately.
• Email marketing campaigns to nurture leads and promote special offers.
• Compelling packages tailored to different audiences.

By establishing a cohesive strategy, hotels can ensure that PR efforts translate into measurable outcomes, sustaining both short-term gains and long-term growth.

Final Thoughts: Let PR Be the Catalyst for Consistent Hotel Visibility

Achieving long-term profitability isn’t just about discounts or last-minute deals—it’s about creating a strategic plan that builds trust, engages guests, and showcases the unique value of the property. By leveraging awards, influencer outreach, strategic partnerships, and compelling storytelling, hotels can generate both immediate and long-term growth.

True Story’s proven success with tailored PR campaigns highlights how the right strategy can transform visibility into bookings and build a loyal customer base. Ready to take your hotel’s success to the next level? Connect with True Story to unlock your growth potential.