Overview of Hotel Advertising Trends for 2025
Let’s touch on a few essential ideas as you begin to shape your hotel’s digital advertising strategy:Humanize Your Hotel
Consumers still view your hotel’s reputation as a preview of their experience, it’s important to put relationships first. A strong digital presence should reflect a genuine, human touch, one that speaks to who you are, not just what you offer.
Even if you offer top-tier service and luxurious rooms, guests are more likely to book with hotels that make them feel seen and valued. Ways to build this connection include sharing your hotel’s story, highlighting behind-the-scenes staff moments, responding to guest reviews with care, and cultivating a social presence that feels honest, warm, and active.
Customers are paying attention to how you respond to feedback, especially when things don’t go perfectly. An empathetic response to criticism can matter just as much as a five-star review.
Ensure a User-Friendly Experience
Today’s travelers expect ease at every step. Your hotel website should be clean, fast, mobile-first, and easy to navigate. Broken links, outdated blogs, or expired SSL certificates are instant red flags. A 2025 website refresh might include simplifying the booking path, speeding up load times, or improving ADA compliance.
More guests than ever are discovering hotels through third-party platforms or social search before they even land on your site. Your strategy should include OTAs, meta-search, and mobile booking engines. Make your hotel available and bookable through these avenues, or you risk losing customers. Recent studies show that most people prefer to book last-minute stays by mobile means. Keep in mind that Gen Z and millennial travelers are making last-minute decisions and doing it all from their phones.
Drive Traffic with Content
Content still powers digital marketing, and it’s more sophisticated in 2025. After all, 92% of all bookings often begin with a Google search or a scroll through social media. That means your content needs to be optimized for both.
Keyword-rich blogs, timely destination updates, visually engaging social posts, and compelling email campaigns still work. But to stand out, focus on storytelling, seasonality, and authenticity. Repurpose blogs into carousel posts. Turn FAQs into Reels. Share content that speaks directly to your target audience—whether that’s business travelers, families, or luxury seekers.
In 2021, 52% of online marketers reported that video marketing had the best ROI. As of 2025, short-form video continues to outperform other content types in terms of engagement and ROI. Consider VR room tours, TikTok travel tips, or testimonial clips from real guests. And don’t overlook the emerging interest in immersive experiences—VR and AR tools continue to gain traction, especially for pre-booking decision-making.
Boost these tactics using digital ads for your 2025 hotel advertising program. However, be careful not to trade ads for humanization. Your content should be attractive, relatable, and representative of the guest experience.
Follow 2025 Travel Trends
The post-pandemic mindset has shifted from safety-first to experience-rich. Travelers want meaning, flexibility, and personalization. In 2025, sustainable travel, wellness-centered stays, and "workcation" options are shaping decisions. While guessing what people want can help with the creative aspect of digital hospitality advertising, data-driven decisions will ensure you give customers what they’re looking for, which means higher conversion rates for your marketing efforts.
Millennials and Gen Z continue to drive demand for immersive, culturally resonant experiences. They prioritize ethical brands and expect digital touchpoints to feel seamless and smart. Think sustainability initiatives, app-based check-ins, hyper-local recommendations, and loyalty programs that actually deliver value.
Test and Evaluate Your Tactics
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Your 2025 digital strategy needs to have built-in feedback loops. Use platforms like Google Analytics 4, Meta Business Suite, HubSpot, and user session tracking tools to monitor your campaign performance.
Testing is key:
- A/B test your ad creative and calls to action.
- Track conversions from specific campaigns.
- Watch where users drop off in the booking process.
- Experiment with personalization.
A Detailed Look at Hotel Advertising Trends for 2025
Now that we’ve discussed some of the basic tenets of digital advertising, let’s take a more in-depth look at future trends in the hospitality industry.The Continued Rise of Social Media Advertising
Social media is no longer just brand awareness—it’s conversion-focused and shoppable. In 2025, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts are crucial for direct bookings and real-time engagement.
With in-app bookings, interactive content, and AI-driven targeting, the social landscape is more powerful than ever. Hotels should:
- Invest in micro-influencer partnerships.
- Use TikTok and Reels for walkthroughs, offers, and staff stories.
- Leverage user-generated content.
- Use interactive stickers, polls, and links in Stories to drive action.
Hotels in the Metaverse?
While the hype around the metaverse has cooled, virtual presence remains relevant in 2025. Select hotels are exploring:
- 3D hotel tours on websites and OTAs
- AR layers on mobile apps
- VR experiences for event planners and corporate clients
NFTs may not be mainstream, but some hotels are exploring them for loyalty rewards, exclusive access, and digital memorabilia.
Video Marketing Remains Lucrative
Video continues to drive results, with more platforms now prioritizing video-first content. Some key formats for 2025 include:
- TikTok and Instagram Reels (short, snackable content)
- YouTube Shorts (for SEO and reach)
- Hotel welcome videos (on your homepage and booking confirmations)
- VR walkthroughs and 360° room tours
Video is effective because it inspires, teaches, and converts. Whether you’re walking through your latest suite, explaining your booking process, or showcasing a local partnership, a great video builds trust quickly.
TikTok is Still Hot in 2025
With 1 billion active users, TikTok continues to grow and is still one of the best platforms for reaching Gen Z and younger millennials. Here’s why hotels should stay active on the platform:
- Authenticity beats polish—raw, real videos win.
- The algorithm is powerful for organic discovery.
- It’s a testbed for trends and campaign ideas.
More Top Video Marketing Platforms
Stories
Stories (on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok) are still key for engagement. These ephemeral, clickable formats drive bookings, highlight offers, and provide a casual touchpoint for your audience.
YouTube continues to be powerful for search-driven bookings. Make sure your videos are keyword-optimized and updated regularly. Use chapters, captions, and clear CTAs.
In 2019, Instagram Stories had 500 million daily active users. In the same year, Facebook Stories had 300 million daily active users. We can only assume that number has gone up, ensuring stories remain a valuable avenue for digital marketing.
Virtual Reality
VR is more accessible now than ever. Consider integrating:
- Virtual room walkthroughs
- Interactive destination previews
- Event space simulations
These tools are particularly effective for group business, weddings, and international travelers who want to “see it before they book it.”
For more information on VR and AR marketing, read our guide on How to Use Virtual Reality in Hotel Marketing.
In 2025, Google Ads continue to evolve, with better video options, dynamic ad formats, and Performance Max campaigns.
Retargeting Leads the Way
Booking abandonment, the rate at which your website visitors abandon ship in the middle of a booking, is more than 65% for hotels. The solution? Hotel remarketing.
Customers do not book trips lightly, and it isn’t unusual for them to visit up to 38 websites while trying to decide on travel arrangements. Hotels must know how to engage and reengage these travelers, and the best way is by retargeting.
Customers may abandon your website for the following reasons:
- They were just researching.
- The price was too high.
- The process was too complicated.
With retargeting or hotel remarketing, you can reach out to these customers again to engage them and meet their needs. Below are a few examples of retargeting.
- Website retargeting – Reach your guests who visited your site and left by offering specials, tips, or reminders.
- Social media retargeting – Show ads on social media after they’ve left your website.
- Email retargeting – Subtly remind users who started booking your hotel and left that they have an unfinished booking.
This paid advertising medium uses cookies and can be an asset in the realm of hotel remarketing.
Search Engine and Display Advertising Are Still Major Players
Display advertising for hotels continues to play a major role in advertising in 2025.
Examples of display advertising include:
- Pay-per-click
- Text ads
- Mobile ads
- Remarketing
Search advertising is paid advertising that ensures the name of your hotel shows up on the first page of results when someone searches for a place to stay.
Since customers are on different devices doing different things, you must offer multiple opportunities for them to book a stay. Hotel display ads make sure potential customers stay aware of your brand and know how to reach you.
Let’s investigate the ongoing importance of paid search and display advertising.
Paid Advertising Dominates
On skiff.com, Dennis Schall says, “The top dogs in digital marketing are Google itself and the largest and most skilled players that can pay for those clicks and convert the hell out of them.”
Priceline CEO Paul Hennessey shares a similar sentiment: “I believe it is a paid world.”
Although search engine optimization has its place, the fact remains that the best way to ensure visibility on Google’s search pages is to pay for it. Paid advertising is a necessity. This is especially true as potential customers move towards mobile devices, which have less space to show search results, meaning that businesses must pay for the privilege of being seen at the top of the screen.
Hotels that provide enticing and user-friendly content, cater to SEO, and pay for advertising are sure to have the most success when it comes to converting website visitors into customers for 2025.
Marketing Automation is Here to Stay
It’s becoming more common for hotels to turn to automated marketing services, like CRMs and chatbots, to convert customers. While we support this digital transformation in the hospitality industry, you mustn't lose sight of humanization.
In some ways, automated marketing can help with this. For example, all you must do to encourage someone who booked a room last spring break to book one for this spring break is create an automated message. It can save time and money while fostering relationships.
However, you won’t want to leave the entirety of your digital brand to a chatbot. Building a digital brand and having human help when devising creative ideas are necessary for any successful hotel business.
New Movements in the Industry
Relaxation & Well-being
Be sure to highlight well-being spaces and services. Offers like late checkout, room service, massage packages, etc., will help your guests feel cared for and create that relaxed atmosphere that many desire. These services also provide popular and shareable content. If your guests are having a great time, they’ll want everyone to know it.
Green Hotels
If you have a sustainable hotel, brag about it. According to a survey by Operto, 85.6% of travelers would pay more to stay in an environmentally friendly hotel. For more ideas on how to make your hotel more eco-friendly, read our article on going green.
A Wider Target Audience
In 2025, digital nomads continue to be more common, thanks to the work-from-home trend. Have a plan to appeal to those looking for a more extended stay, and be sure to mention that you have desks or other comfortable workspaces.
In general, it’s important to create advertising content that appeals to different hotel guest personas.
Customer Feedback
Customer feedback has always been important, but it will be even more vital in the coming year. Approximately 70% of customers say that online content influences where they choose to stay during a trip. You can also expect more video content when guests review your hotel. Make sure you monitor all platforms so you know what kind of a reputation your hotel has among all content creation categories.
The Takeaway in Hotel Advertising Trends
If you want to have a successful hotel advertising campaign in 2025, allocating money to digital marketing is a must.
It’s important to stay on top of trends, such as:
- Humanizing your hotel
- Ensuring a user-friendly experience
- Driving traffic with premium content
- Social media advertising
- Search and display ads
- Paid advertising
- Hotel remarketing and retargeting
- Video marketing
It’s most important to track and monitor your tactics. If you monitor your digital advertising channels and know what is and isn’t working, you’re sure to become a skillful navigator in the land of digital advertising.
As a hotel advertising agency, we guarantee that you will increase your bookings and we offer our service with care.