Hotel marketing is evolving faster than ever. As 2025 draws to a close, it’s clear the industry is entering a new phase. The past year has seen AI reshape search behaviour, short-form video cement its dominance, and OTAs regain aggressive pricing tactics. The year ahead will demand a sharper, more strategic approach – one that blends creativity with data, and brand storytelling with commercial agility.
Here are the key trends we think are set to shape hotel marketing in 2026 and what you can do to stay ahead.
1: TikTok travel ads - from inspiration to conversion
TikTok has evolved from an inspiration platform into a genuine booking channel. With the rollout of TikTok Travel Ads, you can now showcase rooms, packages and experiences directly within the app – and in some markets, even complete the booking journey without guests leaving the app. For hotels, especially those targeting younger luxury travellers, success depends as much on authenticity as on advertising.
How to put this into practice:
Build a strong organic presence first. Regular, authentic content builds trust. Share short clips of daily life at your property – from the chef plating dishes to the concierge arranging local experiences. This foundation strengthens any paid activity.
Layer paid campaigns on top. Use TikTok’s Travel Ads formats – dynamic travel cards and catalogue videos – to promote live rates and availability or vouchers. Link directly into your booking engine or voucher platform to capture conversions.
Track the right metrics. Move beyond likes and follows. Measure click-throughs, enquiries and confirmed bookings to identify what really drives revenue.
Partner with creators and guests. User-generated content is particularly persuasive in the luxury space. Collaborate with micro-influencers who reflect your brand values and encourage high-value guests to share their experience.
Test and refine. TikTok favours experimentation. Trial different tones and formats to see what resonates with your ideal guest profile.
2: Getting found in the age of AI search
Search behaviour is shifting rapidly. With Google’s AI Overview, ChatGPT and other generative search tools summarising results instead of listing links, hotels must think differently about SEO. The focus is now on GEO – Generative Engine Optimisation: ensuring your content can be easily cited and summarised when travellers ask conversational questions. For luxury hotels, this is especially important – high-spend guests increasingly research through AI assistants rather than traditional search.
How to put this into practice:
Refresh web copy and include conversational language. Guests now ask natural questions like “Which luxury hotels in the Cotswolds offer private spa suites?” Write your copy and FAQs in the same conversational tone.
Add structured data. Use FAQ schema and question-and-answer formats so your content is easier for AI to interpret.
Secure reputable citations. Work with digital PR partners to earn mentions in credible online publications, ensuring the focus is digital-first. Citations from high-authority sources increase the likelihood of AI tools referencing your property.
Monitor visibility. Track where you appear in AI Overview or “answer” summaries, not just in standard rankings. Tools such as Peec.Ai are emerging to help monitor this new layer of visibility.
3: Outsmarting OTAs – direct booking strategy 2.0
OTAs remain a necessary part of distribution, but their renewed aggressiveness – built-in discounts and loyalty pricing that undercut your own rates – means hotels must rethink how they balance control and exposure. In 2026, direct channels should be positioned not simply as cheaper but as better value and more exclusive for your most profitable guests.
How to put this into practice:
Control your inventory. Consider giving OTAs access only to higher-priced rooms or categories, keeping your entry-level and premium suites reserved for direct bookings. This ensures your own website consistently looks more competitive.
Add value, not just discounts. Offer direct-book guests curated extras – a complimentary spa treatment, late checkout or private transfer. These resonate particularly well with high-value and luxury travellers.
Measure the true cost. Review OTA commission, lost ancillary spend and reduced data ownership versus the margin and guest insight gained through direct bookings.
Create exclusivity. Promote experiences and limited offers that are available only when booking directly, such as chef’s-table dinners or bespoke itineraries.
Maintain relationships wisely. OTAs still play an important visibility role, but manage them strategically to maintain rate parity while protecting your brand value.
4: Reputation & Review Management in the AI Era
The way travellers form opinions about your hotel is changing – not just because of what they read, but how they read it. As generative AI tools (like ChatGPT, Bing Chat and Google Gemini) summarise review content into quick snapshots, your average rating is no longer the only measure that matters. How your property appears in aggregated sentiment, how consistently you respond, and how those reviews align with your brand story now all influence perception – especially among discerning, high-value guests who expect reliability and personal attention.
How to put this into practice:
Audit your review landscape. Review major platforms (Google, TripAdvisor, Booking.com) to identify common themes and sentiment patterns.
Respond promptly and professionally. Consistency signals care – and AI tools increasingly interpret response quality as part of brand credibility.
Use positive themes in your marketing. If reviews consistently highlight “exceptional service” or “seamless experience”, weave those phrases into your web copy and digital ads.
Address negative patterns transparently. If feedback mentions weak Wi-Fi or dated rooms, fix the issue and communicate the update (“new high-speed fibre Wi-Fi throughout”, for example).
Encourage authentic new reviews. High-spend guests tend to leave fewer reviews, so follow up personally post-stay to invite feedback and strengthen advocacy.
Track emerging metrics. Beyond star ratings, monitor sentiment score, recency and whether your hotel appears in AI-generated “top hotels near…” summaries.
5: Redefining Luxury – Experience, Privacy and Authenticity
For high-value travellers, the concept of luxury has moved beyond thread counts and marble bathrooms. The modern guest values experiences that feel personal, private and rooted in place. Rather than asking “what amenities does this hotel offer?”, they’re asking “what moments will I remember?”. This shift is redefining how hotels – especially those in the premium and boutique sectors – design, market and price their offering.
How to put this into practice:
Lead with experience, not amenity. Focus your messaging on what guests do, not just what they get. Replace “our rooms include…” with “discover private dinners, curated art tours or sunrise yoga on the terrace.”
Curate partnerships. Work with local businesses, galleries and guides to create moments that feel authentic to your destination. Experiential travel isn’t an add-on – it’s now central to how luxury is judged.
Champion privacy and exclusivity. Offer secluded dining options, unique experiences or behind-the-scenes access to previously off-limits parts of the hotel (for example, a chef’s table in the kitchen or pick-your-own ingredients in the garden). Make it clear that guests can engage on their own terms.
Redefine your spaces. Position your property as a lifestyle hub, not just accommodation. Use communal spaces for local pop-ups, exhibitions and social events that connect guests to culture.
Tell these stories in your marketing. Use photography and video to show people in the experience, not standing beside it. Capture emotion – not just interiors.
Price for meaning. Guests are increasingly willing to spend more for authenticity and access. Highlight the craftsmanship and narrative behind experiences rather than competing on room rate alone.
2026 will reward hotels that blend innovation with control. Platforms like TikTok are blurring the lines between inspiration and conversion, AI is reshaping how travellers discover and evaluate brands, and distribution dynamics are shifting again in favour of whoever manages data and narrative most effectively.
For luxury and independent properties alike, the message is clear: prioritise authenticity, protect your direct channel, and actively manage how your story is told – by guests, by media, and increasingly, by machines. The hotels that thrive in 2026 will be those that lead with creativity, precision and purpose – turning data into stories, and stories into bookings.
Turn your 2026 marketing vision into measurable growth.
Journey helps hotels stay ahead through strategy, creativity and performance-driven digital marketing.
Speak to our team to shape your 2026 digital strategy.
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