Good day fellow hoteliers and welcome to episode 273 of The Hotel Marketing Podcast by TravelBoom. I’m your host Pete DiMaio, and I’m Mackenzie Livernois and together (along with the team off camera) we’re the Boomsquad.
We’ve said it on this show for years. No one is coming to stay at your property; they are coming to experience your area. Your property is just a necessity for the guest. (with the exception of a very few resorts). Therefore, your job as a hotelier is to be the conduit to the experience your guest is seeking. This is where experiential marketing comes in and that’s the topic today on episode 273.
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Newsaroos:
Headline: Illinois Bans Small Plastic Bottles in Hotels
https://www.the-sun.com/money/14558850/illinois-hotel-law-plastic-ban/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Starting July 1, 2025, Illinois will enforce a new law, Senate Bill 2960, banning the use of small plastic bottles (under six ounces) for complimentary shower supplies in hotels with over 50 rooms, as part of the state’s efforts to reduce plastic waste. By 2026, all hotels, regardless of size, must comply with this regulation. The move aims to reduce the hundreds of thousands of single-use plastic items used monthly by large hotels, most of which end up in landfills. Major hotel chains like Marriott have already adopted sustainable practices by replacing small bottles with larger, refillable pump bottles, significantly reducing plastic waste. Illinois is not alone in this initiative—California began a similar ban in 2023, while New York and Washington will implement comparable regulations in 2026 and 2027, respectively. These measures collectively reflect a nationwide shift towards sustainability and reduced dependency on harmful single-use plastics.
TravelBoom’s Room for Improvement: Fixing Hotel Failures
https://www.reddit.com/r/hotels/comments/1lc1qi4/whats_an_appropriate_timeline_for_a_hotel_manager/
The Main Topic: Crafting Memorable Guest Experiences Through Experiential Marketing
Experiential marketing is gaining traction as hotels seek to create memorable and shareable experiences for guests. From hosting social hours to collaborating with luxury fashion brands for immersive events, hotels are finding innovative ways to engage guests beyond traditional amenities. In this episode we delve into successful case studies and provide actionable strategies for hotels to implement experiential marketing initiatives that resonate with their target audience.
Experiential Marketing Fast Facts:
- 73% of Gen Z and Millennials prioritize experiences over products, according to an Eventbrite report, and they are spending their money on memories, not material things.
- 85% of consumer purchases are driven by experiential marketing, based on an EventTrack 2023 research report
- Social media engagement increases by 71% through immersive experiences according to a study by Splash and the Harvard Business Review
- 80% of travelers are willing to pay more for unique experiences per a Booking.com sustainable travel report.
- 98% of consumers create digital or social content during experiences according ot Statista.
It is clear that experiential marketing drives stays; however, very few hoteliers actually do a good job of connecting guests to the experiences they are seeking. This is a major opportunity for our industry, even for those who think they’re doing it well.
We’ve created a seven-point checklist for you to help make the transition from selling to connecting.
Your role is to enhance the guest’s experience authentically, not to exploit it as a marketing gimmick.
The Experiential Marketing Hotel Guide
- Authenticity
You’re not just a place to stay, you are part of the experience. Position yourself as the true local expert.- First and foremost, you are not pretending to be the experiential expert for your area; you ARE the expert. Live it, breathe it, share it.
- Take the time to deeply understand your destination: history, culture, cuisine, people, and nature.
- Train your staff to be ambassadors of the area—not just for on-property service but also local insight.
- Be passionate about your area and sharing your area with guests
- Curate Local Content
Educating and inspiring guests before, during, and after their stay starts with great content.- Build evergreen content around themes like local history, cuisine, hidden gems, famous personalities, and annual events.
- Understand why guests come to your destination (e.g., hiking, food, beaches, history) and develop content clusters around each.
- Use multiple formats: blogs, videos, photo essays, guides, and downloadable itineraries.
- Become the Local Concierge
Move beyond the pamphlet rack and become the go-to source for unforgettable local experiences.- Create a rich “Area Guide” section on your website, integrating the content from above throughout, not just hidden in a blog.
- Don’t add an event calendar unless you’re ready to update it, partner with a reliable source, or omit it.
- Build partnerships with local experience providers: guided hikes, kayak rentals, ghost tours, yoga studios, wineries, etc.
- Offer themed pre-built itineraries (e.g., Foodie Weekend, Family Explorer, Romantic Escape) to make travel planning easy.
- Curate Your Hotel’s Story Through Design & Detail
Your property has a story. Make sure guests can feel it from the moment they arrive.- How does your hotel fit into the fabric of the destination? Celebrate that through design and messaging.
- Highlight your building’s history. Was it once a train station, post office, or someone’s home? Have a new building, what was there before?
- Incorporate local art, photography, and furnishings that reflect the area’s character.
- Include plaques, in-room materials, or QR codes that tell the story behind the décor.
- Create Unique On-Property Experiences
Give guests a reason to stay longer, connect deeper, and share their stay.- Avoid generic offerings, focus on what resonates with your audience and is authentically local.
- Ideas include: live music from local artists, rotating food trucks, foraging walks, beach yoga, bonfire storytelling, or cocktail classes with regional spirits.
- Tie experiences to feelings, wellness, wonder, nostalgia, joy, not just activities.
- Get Hyper Engaged
- Engage socially on the channels that make sense (Facebook, IG, Reddit, TikTok, etc)
- Let your social media be a resource for people coming to your property; this is not a sales pitch
- Find potential leads by exploring nearby social channels
- Use your guests’ UGC for better engagement and storytelling
- Connect the Booking to the Stay, and beyond
- Send pre-arrival emails with personalized suggestions and optional itinerary add-ons.
- Offer in-stay communication via SMS or app to keep experiences top-of-mind.
- The guest journey doesn’t end at checkout, it evolves into a relationship.
- At checkout, surprise guests with a small local gift (like coffee beans, hand-poured candles, or artisanal postcards) to help them remember their trip, and your brand.
So if you’re running a boutique or independent hotel, experiential marketing isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s your biggest competitive advantage. You’re not just selling rooms—you’re selling memories, stories, and connection
And the best part is, most of these ideas don’t require big budgets—just intention, creativity, and a real love for your location.
60 Seconds to Success:
People buy benefits, not features. This is a common saying in sales and holds in hospitality as well. Premier Inn’s “Good Night Guarantee” doesn’t go into the boring details of thread count or mattress type, they highlight what the guest actually cares about, a great night’s sleep.
Focus on storytelling to create an emotional connection with your audience that connects the benefits the guest desires with the features you offer. Highlight the unique experiences and memories your property can offer to create a sense of aspiration and belonging that goes beyond price or amenities. Remember, people don’t just book rooms—they book feelings, moments, and experiences.
Audit your hotel’s messaging through the lens of delivering experiences and watch your bookings soar.
Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to @_travelboom or info@travelboommarketing.com.