In today's highly competitive hospitality and travel market, grabbing the attention of potential guests is more challenging than ever. Travelers are bombarded with countless options, from global hotel chains to hidden gems and destinations, all competing to inspire their next getaway.
Your hotel's next guest might find you on a booking site or search engine, but ideally, that's not where their journey begins.
Why? Because booking engines are designed for comparison, not inspiration. When travelers land there first, your property gets reduced to a list of prices, dates, and star ratings. What's missing? Everything that makes your experience special.
The good news is: more and more travelers are discovering where they want to stay before they ever search. That inspiration starts on social media. That's where travelers discover destinations they didn't even know they were looking for. It's where they save Reels of dreamy getaways, share TikToks of bucket-list stays, and follow creators who shape where they want to go next.
If you want to stand out in a sea of hotel options, you need to show up where the inspiration starts, and that's in the feed, not just the booking engine.
But showing up in a way that actually connects is where many hotels fall short. And it's not for lack of trying. Many hotel teams post regularly, but the content often feels overly polished, off-brand for platforms like Instagram or TikTok, or simply not optimized for today's fast-paced feed. The result? Low impressions, minimal engagement, and the (understandable) feeling that "social media just doesn't work."
But the real issue isn't the platform. It's the kind of content being shared.
To be fair, most hotel teams and agencies aren't set up to produce the kind of native, engaging content that thrives in today's social media environment. That's where influencer marketing steps in, not as a replacement but as a powerful way to enhance what you're already doing and show up where it matters most.
Influencers are already creating the type of content that performs well: story-driven, visually engaging, and optimized for social media. In this blog, we'll go beyond the "why" and focus on how hotels are using influencer marketing to elevate their brand, create standout content, and attract the right guests. Plus, we'll share real case studies that show what this looks like in action.
Influencers don't just post pretty pictures. They tell stories. Their audiences follow them for their everyday lived experiences, inspiration, and trusted recommendations. When an influencer shares their stay at a hotel or experience in a destination, it's a first-person narrative, not an ad. That makes their content perform far better on social media than most brand-owned posts.
But perhaps most importantly, influencers help you show up where your competitors aren’t. Most travelers turn to social media for inspiration long before they land on a booking site. Influencers place your brand in that discovery phase, while they scroll, the save folders, the group chats, helping you stand out and get on the radar before travelers start comparing options.
When selecting influencers, don't just focus on those who match your visual brand style — think about the type of content your guests are already posting too. Review your tagged photos, mentions, and stories. Are guests sharing cozy in-room moments, ocean views, food spreads, or poolside Reels?
The goal is to work with influencers who can create content that mirrors that guest's perspective while elevating it through storytelling and creator polish. This kind of alignment makes influencer content feel more authentic, achievable, and native to your brand. It also helps create a consistent look and feel across your social media presence, whether the content is coming from your team, creators, or guests.
Provide guidelines, but allow room for creative freedom. Influencers know what works for their audience and how to frame your brand in a way that drives attention. A natural, story-based post outperforms a scripted one every time.
Influencer content doesn't just live on their feeds. Repurpose it for your own. Use influencer Reels, photos, and TikToks across your brand's social channels, website, email newsletters, and even digital ads. This keeps your content fresh, social-native, and high quality without the production cost.
Crowne Plaza Foster City relaunched its Sunday brunch with a brand-new social media presence and a mission to create buzz. Today, it's one of the Bay Area's most viral brunch destinations.
Objective: To shift from traditional marketing to influencer-driven content by inviting creators to experience the re-launched Sunday Champagne Seafood Brunch and hotel stay to attract new leisure travelers and local food enthusiasts through authentic, first-person perspective content.
Approach: Leveraged Instagram and TikTok to drive visibility through immersive visuals, influencer storytelling, and content that spark local engagement around the Sunday brunch and hotel experience.
Results:
The always-on campaign resulted in over 5,100 new Instagram followers, a 1,020% increase, four price increases due to surging demand and is now the most viral Sunday brunch buffet in the Bay Area.
Located 15 minutes from downtown San Diego, the historic Grande Colonial is within walking distance to miles of beaches the La Jolla Cove and sea caves, shops, museums, galleries, and restaurants in the adjacent Village of La Jolla.
Objective: To increase brand awareness and destination appeal by partnering with influencers to spotlight Grande Colonial's ocean-view rooms, walkable location, and award-winning restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide.
Approach: Focused on Instagram to showcase the hotel's coastal charm and culinary offerings through influencer-generated content. Highlighted key experiences, including ocean-view stays, dining at the on-site Michelin-recognized restaurant, and exploring La Jolla's nearby beaches, shops, and attractions, all within walking distance.
Results:
Sitting atop Bunker Hill, Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza features luxurious accommodations to exceed the desires of today's business and leisure travelers.
Objective: Increase visibility and brand awareness by partnering with influencers to spotlight Omni Los Angeles Hotel's prime downtown location and its appeal to both leisure and business travelers.
Approach: Focused on Instagram to highlight skyline views, nearby attractions, and hotel amenities through influencer-generated content that captured the cultural, culinary, and corporate energy of DTLA.
Results:
The always-on campaign resulted over 2,100 new Instagram followers, a 115% increase.
If your hotel isn't seeing traction on social media, it's not because social media doesn't work, it's because your content isn't connecting. Influencer marketing is one of the most effective ways to change that.
By partnering with the right creators, you can flood your feed with engaging, native content that stands out, not just for a campaign window, but for weeks and months to come. And the best part? The content they create often outperforms paid ads, with higher trust and organic reach.
At Evolusen, we help hotels take the guesswork out of influencer marketing, from vetting creators to managing campaigns and measuring impact. If you're ready to level up your brand's presence on social, let's talk.
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