Social Media Marketing for Hotels: Instagram, Google and More

Get the basics right: location, profile and links

Before posting anything, fix the places guests already look.

• Instagram location. Guests tag where they stayed, and those tags build a public page of photos for your hotel. Instagram only lets people tag existing locations; new ones can't be created in the app. Search your hotel name in the location field and check that it resolves to the right address and name.
• Instagram profile. Use a professional account so you can show your address, contact buttons and Insights. Put the neighborhood and hotel type in your name field or bio ("Boutique hotel, Old Town Lisbon") because those words are searchable. Our Instagram bio ideas guide has formats that suit hospitality.
• Booking link. Link to a mobile booking page, not your homepage. Add tracking parameters so you can see which bookings started on Instagram.
• Google Business Profile. Confirm your hotel name, address, phone, check-in times and amenities are accurate. This is often the first thing a traveler sees when they search your name.

Instagram content that helps people book

Booking sites answer "how much" and "is it available." Your social content should answer "what is it actually like."

Reels room tours

A single 20 to 40 second vertical tour, filmed in daylight, covers what a gallery misses:

1. Start at the door so viewers understand the layout.
2. Show the bed, then the window and the view.
3. Show the bathroom honestly: shower type, space, toiletries.
4. Show the work desk, storage and outlets if you host business travelers.
5. End on a detail that makes the room distinctive.

Film one tour per room category and pin the most-booked room type to your profile. Label each with the room name on screen so it matches your booking page. For vertical video specs and safe zones, see our Story and Reels dimensions guide, and our roundup of video editor apps covers tools for trimming and captions.

Content pillars for hotels

Stories for day-to-day updates

Use Stories for what's happening now: today's weather at the pool, a new menu, a quiet week with rooms available. Save the evergreen ones (rooms, dining, getting here, FAQs) to Highlights. More ideas are in our Instagram Story hacks.

Hashtags for hotel posts

Instagram allows up to five hashtags per post or Reel. Use one travel tag, your city or region, the experience and your property type. Our guide to the five-hashtag limit explains how to pick them, and our travel hashtags and beach hashtags pages have more sets.

Use guest photos (UGC) with permission

Guest photos are some of the most convincing content you can share, but they belong to the guest.

1. Ask before reposting. Comment or DM, explain where you'd like to share it, and wait for a clear yes.
2. Credit the guest by tagging their account.
3. Ask separately for ads, your website or print. A Story repost and a paid campaign are different uses.
4. Be careful with people in the background, especially children. If in doubt, don't share.
5. Make tagging easy. Put your handle and location on a card in the room or on the Wi-Fi login page.

Handle reviews on Google and social platforms

Reviews influence bookings, and your replies are read by future guests as much as by the reviewer.

On Google Business Profile, you reply to a review from your profile's reviews section. Google checks replies against its content policies before they appear; most are approved within about 10 minutes, though Google says some can take up to 30 days.

A practical reply approach:

• Positive review: thank them for something specific they mentioned, and invite them back. Keep it short.
• Negative review: acknowledge the problem, don't argue details in public, say what you've changed if that's true, and offer a direct contact.
• Suspicious review: reply briefly and politely, and use the platform's reporting tools rather than accusing the reviewer.

Stay on the right side of the rules. The FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, effective October 21, 2024, bans fake reviews, incentives conditioned on positive sentiment, and using threats or false accusations to suppress negative reviews. Never buy reviews or post reviews written by staff.

Google Business Profile: what hotels can and can't post

Google Business Profile is a separate channel from social media, but it's where many travelers compare hotels. Know its hotel-specific rule:

What you can do:

• Update posts about renovations, new amenities, dining or seasonal events, with a photo.
• Event posts for things happening at the property, such as live music or a market.
• Photos and videos that match what guests will actually find. Replace outdated shots after renovations.
• Review replies, as above.

Reuse your best vertical footage and photos here, so your Google and Instagram presence show the same, current hotel.

Other platforms worth considering

• TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Your room tours and neighborhood clips can be repurposed. Remove other platforms' watermarks and adjust text to each app's layout. Check platform hashtag rules in our TikTok hashtags guide.
• Facebook. Useful for events, weddings and group bookings, and for reaching guests who don't use Instagram.
• Pinterest. Suited to wedding venues and destination properties, where people plan months ahead.

Hosting creators: stays, contracts and disclosure

Hosted stays can introduce your hotel to a relevant audience, but set them up properly.

1. Choose by audience fit. A creator whose followers are local weekenders suits a city hotel; a family travel creator suits a resort with a kids' club.
2. Agree terms in writing: dates, room type, what's included, deliverables, posting timeline, usage rights for your own channels and ads.
3. Require disclosure. The FTC counts free or discounted products and services as a material connection, so a hosted stay needs a clear disclosure in the post itself, such as "hosted stay" or "ad," not just in a bio. For Stories, the disclosure should be on the image.
4. Use Instagram's paid partnership label as well. Instagram requires it on organic branded content, and the FTC advises combining platform tools with the creator's own disclosure.
5. Don't script reviews. Let creators share honest impressions. Asking for a positive-only review undermines trust and can create legal risk.

For outreach templates and what to include in a first message, see how to contact Instagram influencers.