Destination Marketing vs. Hotel Marketing: How to Balance Both in Your Content
Creating an experience
When travellers scroll through Instagram or start Googling their next trip, they’re not just looking for a bed. They’re looking for an experience, somewhere that tells a story, sparks excitement, and feels like the right fit for their dream getaway.
That’s where hotels often hit a crossroads: should your content focus on the destination (the city, the beaches, the hidden gems), or on the hotel itself (the rooftop views, the spa, the cocktails at sunset)?
Lean too heavily on destination content and you risk blending in with every other “Top 10 Things To Do in…” article. Focus only on yourself, and you might miss the chance to catch travellers while they’re still deciding where to go in the first place. The sweet spot? A balance of both.
Destination Marketing vs. Hotel Marketing: What’s the Difference?
Destination marketing is all about the bigger picture: showcasing the culture, attractions, food, and experiences in your area. Think: “5 Reasons to Visit Lake Como This Summer” or “Top Hidden Beaches Near Lisbon.” It’s about putting your location on the map.
Hotel marketing, on the other hand, zooms in on you. It’s the content that highlights your rooms, amenities, special offers, or unique touches, the infinity pool, the wine cellar, the yoga classes at sunrise.
Both are valuable. Destination content captures attention at the dreaming stage, while hotel content helps you seal the booking once travellers are choosing where to stay.
Why Hotels Need Both
Travel planning is a journey in itself:
First comes inspiration: a traveller stumbles across a dreamy post about your region.
Then comes consideration: they start narrowing down options for where to stay.
Finally, conversion: they book a room.
Destination marketing helps you appear right at the start, when travellers are still deciding where to go. Hotel marketing steps in later, making sure your property feels like the obvious choice. Together, they guide potential guests from first spark to final booking.
Striking the Right Balance
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula for balancing destination and hotel marketing, it really depends on what kind of experience you offer.
If your hotel sits in a gorgeous destination with endless things to do, then lean heavily into showcasing the area, hikes, beaches, culture, local food, while still weaving in your property as the perfect base.
On the other hand, if your property itself is the star, maybe you’ve got a world-class spa, a fine dining restaurant, or interiors that stop people mid-scroll, then it makes sense to spotlight those strengths rather than the nearby town.
It also comes down to how guests use your hotel. If they come to explore all day and just need a home base, destination content should play a bigger role. But if they’re booking you for the experience of staying in your property itself, your content should showcase that front and centre.
The balance isn’t fixed, it shifts with your audience, your location, and your unique selling points.
One way to really make sure you’re doing a bit of both, is by blending destination marketing with hotel marketing…
Practical Content Ideas for Blending Destination and Hotel Marketing
The best content doesn’t treat “destination” and “hotel” as separate silos, it ties them together. Here are some creative ways to make both shine side by side:
Do a “local insider” series. Interview your chef about their favourite farmer’s market, or your concierge about the best hidden wine bars. Guests learn about the destination while seeing your staff as part of the story.
Pair destination spots with your amenities. Show a reel of guests exploring a local hiking trail, then cut to them soaking in your rooftop hot tub afterwards. Caption: “Adventure by day, relaxation by night.”
Use carousels for double value. The first slides could be “5 Hidden Beaches in Bali” and the last slide, “Here’s where to stay to be close to them.”
Highlight seasonal crossovers. Autumn foliage nearby? Pair it with cosy lobby shots and hot chocolate at your bar. Summer festival in town? Promote your hotel as the ideal after-party base.
Show “how to get there.” Create TikToks or reels with quick tips on reaching local attractions, then position your hotel as the most convenient place to stay.
Collaborate with local partners. Do joint posts with nearby restaurants, yoga studios, or tour guides. You’ll showcase the destination and strengthen your hotel’s role as the gateway to it.
Spin guest-generated content. If a guest shares a reel of a local hike, repost it alongside a clip of them returning to your property for dinner. It connects their adventure back to your hotel.
Run “day in the life” features. Show a guest itinerary: morning coffee on your terrace, a day trip to a local vineyard, back for cocktails at your bar. Destination + hotel in one storyline.
Lean into TikTok trends. Use trending audio to show the contrast between “Before the hike (local attraction)” vs. “After the hike (hotel spa robes + wine).”
Create themed itineraries. Write a blog or reel like “A Perfect Weekend in Barcelona” where the journey naturally starts and ends at your hotel. Feature breakfast in your restaurant before sending guests out exploring, then showcase your spa as the ideal wind-down.
Examples in action
Take Marriott Bonvoy, for instance: their feed is packed with beautiful destination photography, but the hotel always feels like part of the story, not separate from it.
On the boutique side, many eco-lodges do this well by spotlighting the surrounding landscape and culture, then gently weaving in their sustainable design or guided experiences.
The Takeaway
Destination vs. hotel marketing isn’t a tug of war, it’s a partnership. Destination content inspires, hotel content converts.
When you strike the right balance, you’re not just selling rooms or sharing local tips; you’re showing travellers how your hotel is the gateway to experiencing a place in the best possible way.
