Multichannel Marketing for Hotels

How to Do Multichannel Marketing for Hotels in 2025

Hotel bookings are getting more complicated every year. Your guests aren’t just checking one website and booking anymore—they’re bouncing between Instagram, Google, review sites, your website, and probably three different booking platforms before they finally hit “reserve.”

And here’s the thing: if you’re not meeting them at every single touchpoint, you’re losing bookings to competitors who are.

The good news? You don’t need a massive marketing team or a six-figure budget to nail multichannel marketing. You just need the right strategy and the right tools.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to set up a multichannel marketing system that drives more direct bookings, keeps guests engaged throughout their stay, and turns one-time visitors into loyal customers. Plus, we’ll reveal why push notifications might just be the secret weapon your hotel’s been missing.

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What Is Multichannel Marketing for Hotels?

Think about the last time you booked a hotel. You probably started with a Google search, checked out some Instagram photos, read reviews on TripAdvisor, visited the hotel’s website, maybe got distracted and came back later, then finally booked.

That’s exactly what your guests are doing—and it’s why single-channel marketing doesn’t work anymore.

Multichannel marketing means showing up wherever your guests are looking. It’s about creating a connected experience across every platform they use, from social media to email to your website to push notifications.

But here’s what most hotels get wrong: they think multichannel marketing means being everywhere at once. That’s a recipe for burnout and wasted budget.

Smart multichannel marketing is about being strategic. It’s about understanding your guest journey and showing up at the right moments with the right message on the right platform.

The Modern Hotel Guest Journey (And Where You’re Losing Bookings)

Your guests’ journey to booking isn’t linear anymore. It looks more like a pinball machine than a straight line.

Here’s what’s really happening:

The Inspiration Phase: Someone sees a gorgeous hotel photo on Instagram or reads a travel blog. They’re not ready to book yet—they’re just dreaming.

The Research Phase: Now they’re serious. They’re comparing hotels, reading reviews, checking amenities, and visiting multiple websites. This is where most hotels lose potential guests because they’re not visible enough or their website doesn’t convert.

The Consideration Phase: They’ve narrowed it down to 2-3 hotels. This is your last chance to stand out. A well-timed push notification about limited availability or a personalized email offer can make the difference.

The Booking Phase: They’re ready to book, but they might still comparison shop for the best price. If you’ve done multichannel marketing right, they’ll book direct with you instead of through an OTA.

Pre-Arrival: The journey doesn’t end at booking. Smart hotels use this time to upsell amenities, share local recommendations, and build excitement.

During Stay: This is where push notifications really shine. Real-time updates about restaurant specials, spa availability, or local events can boost your revenue per guest.

Post-Stay: The best hotels turn this into the start of the next booking cycle with strategic follow-up and loyalty building.

Most hotels only focus on the booking phase. The smart ones optimize every single touchpoint.

The Essential Marketing Channels Every Hotel Needs in 2025

Let’s break down the channels that actually move the needle for hotels. We’re not talking about being everywhere—we’re talking about being strategic.

Marketing Channels for Hotels in 2025

Your Website: The Foundation of Everything

Your website isn’t just a brochure anymore. It’s your primary booking engine, your brand showcase, and the hub that connects all your other marketing efforts.

But here’s what most hotel websites get wrong: they’re built for the hotel, not for the guest.

Your website needs to answer three questions within 10 seconds:

  • Where are you located?
  • What makes you special?
  • How much does it cost?

If guests can’t find these answers immediately, they’re bouncing to a competitor or an OTA.

What actually works for hotel websites:

Mobile-first design isn’t optional anymore. Over 60% of hotel searches happen on mobile, and if your site doesn’t load fast and look great on a phone, you’re losing bookings.

Direct booking incentives need to be obvious. Don’t hide your “book direct” benefits in the footer. Put them front and center: free WiFi, room upgrades, flexible cancellation, whatever makes booking direct more attractive than using an OTA.

Local SEO is crucial. When someone searches “hotels near [landmark]” or “best hotels in [city],” you want to show up. This means optimizing for local keywords, maintaining accurate Google My Business listings, and creating content about your local area.

Social Media: Where Inspiration Happens

Social media isn’t about posting pretty pictures and hoping for the best. It’s about creating content that makes people want to visit your destination and stay at your hotel.

Instagram is still the king for hotels. But the strategy has evolved. User-generated content performs better than professional photos. Encourage guests to tag your hotel and repost their content (with permission). Stories and Reels get more engagement than static posts. And Instagram Shopping lets people book directly from your posts.

TikTok is the new frontier for reaching younger travelers. The content that works isn’t polished marketing videos—it’s authentic, behind-the-scenes content. Show your housekeeping team’s morning routine, your chef preparing signature dishes, or quick local recommendations.

Facebook is still valuable, especially for reaching older demographics and business travelers. Use it for event promotion, local community engagement, and detailed posts about amenities and services.

The key to social media success? Don’t just showcase your hotel. Showcase your destination. People book hotels to experience places, not just to have a place to sleep.

Email Marketing: The Relationship Builder

Email marketing for hotels isn’t about blasting promotional offers to everyone. It’s about building relationships that lead to direct bookings and repeat visits.

Pre-arrival sequences are where you can really shine. Start with booking confirmation, then send helpful information: local weather, restaurant recommendations, spa appointment availability, room upgrade offers. Each email should provide value while creating opportunities for additional revenue.

Segmentation is everything. Business travelers want different information than leisure guests. Families need different recommendations than couples. Past guests should get different offers than first-time visitors.

Personalization goes beyond names. Use booking data, past stay information, and engagement behavior to customize content. If someone always books spa services, lead with spa content. If they’re a business traveler, highlight meeting facilities and business amenities.

Post-stay follow-up should start the cycle for the next booking. Thank them, ask for reviews, share photos from their stay (if they’ve shared them), and start nurturing them for their next visit.

Push Notifications: The Game Changer

Here’s where most hotels are missing a huge opportunity. Push notifications have a 90%+ open rate compared to 20% for email. They’re immediate, personal, and perfect for the hospitality industry.

PushEngage dashboard interface showing hotel-specific push notification campaigns and automation features

Why push notifications work so well for hotels:

They’re instant. When you have a last-minute room upgrade available or a table just opened at your restaurant, push notifications let you fill it immediately.

They’re contextual. You can send location-based notifications when guests are near your hotel or time-based notifications when they’re most likely to need information.

They’re non-intrusive. Unlike phone calls or text messages, push notifications don’t interrupt guests. They appear when guests check their phones naturally.

How to use push notifications throughout the guest journey:

Before arrival: Booking reminders for people who browsed but didn’t book, check-in instructions, local weather updates, special offers for room upgrades or amenities.

During stay: Restaurant specials, spa availability, local event recommendations, housekeeping updates, checkout reminders.

After stay: Thank you messages, review requests, special offers for future stays, updates about hotel improvements or new amenities.

The PushEngage advantage: Unlike generic push notification tools, PushEngage is built for businesses that need sophisticated segmentation and automation. You can trigger notifications based on guest behavior, booking details, and preferences. Plus, it integrates with most hotel management systems, so you can automate notifications based on real-time data.

Paid Advertising: The Accelerator

Paid advertising for hotels is tricky because you’re competing with OTAs that have massive budgets. But there are ways to win.

Google Ads should focus on high-intent, location-specific keywords. “Hotels in [your city]” is expensive and competitive. “[Your hotel name] booking” or “hotels near [local landmark]” are more targeted and cost-effective.

Hotel campaigns in Google Ads let you compete directly with OTAs in search results. They show your rates, availability, and booking link right in the search results.

Facebook and Instagram ads work best for inspiration and consideration phases. Use them to showcase your property and destination to people who’ve shown interest in travel or your location.

Retargeting is where you’ll see the best ROI. People who visited your website but didn’t book are prime candidates for targeted ads with special offers or limited-time deals.

The key to profitable hotel advertising? Focus on driving direct bookings, not just traffic. Every click should have a clear path to booking on your website, not through an OTA.

Content Marketing: The Authority Builder

Content marketing for hotels isn’t about writing blog posts that no one reads. It’s about creating valuable content that positions your hotel as the local expert while driving organic traffic.

Destination guides are content marketing gold for hotels. Create comprehensive guides about your city, neighborhood, or region. Cover restaurants, attractions, events, hidden gems—everything a visitor would want to know. This content attracts people researching your destination and positions your hotel as the local authority.

Seasonal content keeps you relevant year-round. What’s happening in your area each season? What should visitors know about weather, events, or activities? This content helps with SEO and gives you fresh material for social media and email campaigns.

Behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand. Show your team, your processes, your local partnerships. People book hotels from businesses they trust, and transparency builds trust.

Guest stories are powerful social proof. Feature real guests and their experiences. This works across all channels—blog posts, social media, email campaigns, even push notifications.

Review Management: The Trust Builder

Online reviews can make or break a hotel. But review management isn’t just about getting good reviews—it’s about responding professionally to all reviews and using feedback to improve your guest experience.

Encourage reviews strategically. The best time to ask for a review is right after a positive interaction, not at checkout when guests are rushing to leave. Use post-stay emails or push notifications to request reviews when guests are most likely to give positive feedback.

Respond to every review, positive and negative. Thank guests for positive reviews and address concerns in negative reviews professionally. Future guests read your responses as much as the original reviews.

Use reviews as content. Feature positive reviews on your website, in email campaigns, and on social media. They’re powerful social proof that influences booking decisions.

Learn from negative feedback. Reviews tell you what’s not working in your guest experience. Use this feedback to make improvements that prevent future negative reviews.

Measuring Success: What Actually Matters

ROI comparison chart showing push notifications as the highest-performing marketing channel for hotels

Multichannel marketing generates a lot of data, but not all metrics matter equally. Focus on the ones that directly impact your bottom line.

Revenue metrics are what matter most:

  • Direct booking percentage
  • Revenue per available room (RevPAR)
  • Average daily rate (ADR) for direct bookings vs. OTA bookings
  • Guest lifetime value
  • Revenue per guest (including ancillary spending)

Engagement metrics help you optimize:

  • Email open and click-through rates
  • Push notification open and conversion rates
  • Social media engagement rates
  • Website conversion rates
  • Time spent on website

Push notifications consistently demonstrate the highest ROI among all marketing channels for hotels, often exceeding 4000% return on investment due to their immediate delivery, high engagement rates, and cost-effective implementation through platforms like PushEngage.

Days 1-30: Foundation

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between single-touch and multi-touch attribution?

Single-touch attribution assigns 100% of conversion credit to one touchpoint in the customer journey—either the first interaction (first-touch) or the last interaction (last-touch) before conversion. Multi-touch attribution recognizes that modern customer journeys involve multiple touchpoints and distributes conversion credit across several interactions based on different weighting schemes.

How do I know if my business has enough data for data-driven attribution?

Data-driven attribution typically requires thousands of conversions and touchpoints to identify reliable patterns. Google Analytics 4 recommends at least 3,000 conversions and 300 conversions per month for their data-driven model to function effectively. Businesses with fewer conversions should start with rule-based attribution models while building their data volume.

How does PushEngage help with attribution tracking?

PushEngage provides comprehensive attribution tracking that measures both direct conversions from push notification clicks and the broader influence of push notifications on customer behavior. The platform integrates with other marketing tools to provide unified attribution analysis across all touchpoints, helping businesses understand how push notifications work in combination with other marketing channels to drive results.

What should I do if my attribution data shows conflicting insights?

Conflicting attribution insights often indicate data quality issues, tracking inconsistencies, or the need for more sophisticated attribution approaches. Start by auditing your tracking implementations to ensure consistent data collection across all touchpoints. Consider whether your current attribution model accurately reflects your customer journey patterns.

How often should I review and update my attribution model?

Attribution models should be reviewed quarterly and updated when significant changes occur in your marketing strategy, customer behavior patterns, or business model. Major changes such as launching new marketing channels, entering new markets, or shifting target audiences often require attribution model adjustments.

Your Next Steps

Multichannel marketing for hotels isn’t about using every possible channel—it’s about using the right channels strategically to create seamless guest experiences that drive direct bookings and build loyalty.

Start with the foundation: a mobile-optimized website, basic email automation, and push notifications. These three channels alone can dramatically improve your direct booking rates and guest satisfaction.

Then expand strategically based on your guest demographics and business goals. Add social media marketing if you’re targeting leisure travelers. Invest in paid advertising if you need to accelerate growth. Develop content marketing if you want to build long-term organic visibility.

Start with whichever method feels right for your business. You can always upgrade to a more sophisticated solution later. The important thing is to get started and begin building those direct customer relationships that WhatsApp makes possible.

Your customers will thank you for making it easy to reach you. And your business will thank you for the increased engagement and conversions that come with better customer communication.

That’s all for this one.

Get started with PushEngage today!

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