“People will forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

For most travelers, booking a hotel is not just a logistical step. It’s emotional. It reflects their desire for rest, inspiration, escape, or celebration. And in a saturated market, where every hotel promises luxury and comfort, it’s the emotional hook that sets one brand apart from another.

This is where the role of a hospitality marketing agency becomes not just relevant—but essential. At Chamberlin Public Relations, based in San Francisco, we help hotels go beyond “promoting” their services. We position them to be remembered, talked about, and shared—not just booked.

Why Can't Hotels Rely on Traditional Marketing Anymore?

Today’s travelers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, look for something deeper than amenities. They want a hotel that fits their personal aesthetic, values, and lifestyle. They trust authenticity over offers.

Some key shifts:

  • 72% of guests say they form impressions of a hotel based on digital content, not brochures or ads. (Deloitte, 2024)

  • 81% of younger travelers use Instagram and TikTok to research travel, often before they hit a booking site. (Expedia, 2023)

  • Visual storytelling has a direct link to bookings. One short-form video, if done right, can outperform months of static ads.

Hotels that rely only on stock imagery or price discounts may attract clicks—but they lose out on long-term loyalty and emotional recall.

What a Hospitality Marketing Agency Actually Does?

A true hospitality marketing agency isn’t just a content factory. It operates at the intersection of data, creativity, and cultural insight. At Chamberlin PR, we craft campaigns that connect emotionally while staying true to the brand's DNA.

Our approach includes:

  • Defining brand tone and story that aligns with real guest behavior

  • Creating scroll-stopping social media campaigns that drive both engagement and conversion

  • Leveraging user-generated content and influencer partnerships to build social proof

  • Optimizing for relevance, not just visibility—because attention is good, but retention is better

Instead of simply amplifying noise, we focus on building identity. That’s the difference between a hotel with followers and one with fans.

Social Media is the New Booking Funnel

A property’s Instagram or TikTok account is often the first impression a guest receives. And that impression can lead directly to revenue—if it’s handled with strategy.

Consider this:

  • Posts with emotional resonance get up to 3x more shares and saves, increasing organic reach

  • Reels with behind-the-scenes content or guest experiences outperform generic hotel promos by over 40% in engagement

  • Hotels with cohesive storytelling across platforms see 27% higher direct bookings, on average

Chamberlin PR doesn’t treat social media as a standalone channel. We treat it as the hotel’s most public-facing concierge—there to answer questions, inspire decisions, and shape brand sentiment.

What Most Hotels Get Wrong?

Many hotels—even luxury ones—still use social media like it’s a catalog. Pretty photos. Generic captions. No emotional pulse. This creates an image, but not a connection.

We have seen stronger results when hotels:

  • Share real guest stories instead of over-polished campaigns

  • Highlight unique, hyper-local experiences rather than repeating clichés

  • Post fewer “perfect” images and more behind-the-scenes, in-the-moment content

  • Use social platforms to engage—not just broadcast

In one campaign we managed for a remote resort in Arizona, we pivoted from spa-focused imagery to content around silence and digital detox. The result? A 36% spike in bookings over one quarter, and a 2x increase in direct messages asking about availability.

Emotion First, Offers Second

A discount might catch someone’s attention. But it’s emotion that makes them stay—and return. According to HubSpot’s 2024 brand study:

  • Content that sparks emotion increases brand recall by 23%

  • Brands with strong emotional narratives see up to 35% higher loyalty rates

This is where hospitality marketing becomes an art form. You are not selling a bed—you are selling the feeling of waking up somewhere worth remembering.

At Chamberlin PR, we help hotel brands figure out what that feeling should be—and then build everything around it.

The Market May Be Crowded, But Your Story Isn’t

In a world of identical amenities and predictable promotions, what truly stands out is soul. A well-told story, a consistent voice, and a sharp emotional focus are now just as important as location and pricing.

That’s why working with a dedicated hospitality marketing agency like Chamberlin Public Relations is no longer a luxury. It’s a strategy. And one that pays off not just in clicks—but in connections.

So, want your hotel to be more than a listing? Let us help you build a digital presence that sparks interest, earns trust, and inspires bookings. Also, explore how we manage hotel social media that actually works.