Telling Your Hotel’s Story: How to Write Website Copy

It’s a challenge to make your property stand out among the deluge of online information and advertising. Those quaint bed and breakfasts blur together for potential guests once they’ve seen about ten of them. This is why storytelling has become a focus in hotel marketing; a property’s story differentiates it. You’re the bed and breakfast run by two sisters and their puppy.

Your story should be told through a variety of mediums on your website—photos, video, and written copy—all working together to create context, appeal to emotion, and convey the stay experience. This post addresses how to write effective website copy and use it to define the narrative for your guests.

Defining your property’s narrative begins with defining your property. The location, services (including amenities, dining, and activities), staff, and reason behind the business all contribute to “who” a property is.

This is where you double down on your unique selling proposition. What makes your property different from others out there? Is it your customer service? Or your Nordic spa? If you’re unsure what your strengths are, peek through your reviews and see what traits customers praise most.

As charming as you undoubtedly are, you are not the main character in your property’s story. You’re the mentor with the charcuterie board. The main character is–you guessed it–your guest. They’re the ones heroically trying to steal a weekend of relaxation (much like Prometheus stole fire from the gods). Your content should be addressed to and designed for them.

Of course, to do this, you need to know who your guests are. What customers do you attract, what motivates their travel, and why do they choose you? Use your property management system to gather guest data and define your target segments. Taking another scan of your reviews can be helpful here as well.

Know what information guests need to make a booking and answer those questions. Keep your tone as simple and informal as you can while adhering to your brand voice. You’re having a conversation, not delivering a lecture.

Rather than simply delivering facts, focus on the experience at your property. The best way to do this is to appeal to customers’ emotions. How will their stay make guests feel? (Hint: your unique selling proposition comes into play here too.)

Take this question literally and include plenty of sensory description: sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. Describe the taste of those cold, tart drinks and how the sand feels between the guest’s bare toes.

Avoid cliché by getting as specific about your property as possible. You may want to take a walk along the beach yourself for inspiration, in addition to asking other staff and perusing reviews. Lots of properties have white sand shores, so you have to dig deeper. What kind of birds do you have? Are there seashells?

Your location is a critical part of your stay experience, so weave this into your narrative by highlighting the neighborhood and nearby local attractions. This boosts your SEO as well (see below).

Be aware that you may not need as many adjectives as you think. Instead of saying that the beach is “breathtaking,” include a breathtaking image. (Visuals and social proof both enhance credibility).

Lastly, your experience changes from year to year and season to season, so keep your content updated. July isn’t the time for your snow pictures and ski copy.

Your website content has to appeal to search engines as well as potential guests. Do your keyword research and experiment with what works best. An FAQ page is your friend here.

Local SEO matters as well. Forty-six percent of Google searches are for local knowledge, so ask yourself what people want to know about your area. A blog or “Things to Do” page is a good place to slip in this information. Be sure you can commit to that blog before you start writing. A total of three posts won’t impress anyone.

Resist the urge to keyword stuff. Search engines have gotten wise to that, and it alienates your readers.

Your homepage should give a brief but compelling overview of your property that invites visitors to explore further through relevant CTA (call to action) buttons and easily navigable menus. It should appeal to each guest segment and show them where to go next .

From there, designating a single topic per page (like “Rooms” or “Amenities”) makes it simpler for guests to navigate and comprehend your content. Imagine that they’re viewing your site at the end of a long day after putting the kids to bed and catching up on their 500+ email inbox.

The faster you can articulate your point, the more effective your website. It’s easy to get carried away when writing about the stay experience, but long paragraphs put people off rather than draw them in. Readers give up when faced with a block of text the size of Hadrian’s Wall. Most scan through content, instead of going line by line. Chances are you’re scanning this post right now…

Here are tips for keeping it simple.

• Organize content under subheadings.
• Keep paragraphs short (about two or three sentences).
• Put the most important information first.
• Ask yourself if a great image can do the talking instead.
• Include clear CTAs that relate to the purpose of the page.
• Use bullet points!

Your headings are vital here too. Be clear, concise, and show the potential guest what’s in it for them.

Google has found that people researching travel online via mobile devices conduct multiple short burst searches across all planning stages to find answers to specific questions. These micro-moments are intent rich and present prime opportunities to capture customers’ attention.

Think about the questions your customers have at each stage of their travel planning journey and ensure your website answers them.

If you’re swamped for time or have a bad case of writer’s block, why not try ChatGPT to get the ball rolling? You can give it a brief summary of what you need, and it can expand that summary with additional information and ideas. It’s good for both brainstorming and generating copy. However, you need to review that copy before putting it out there to ensure accuracy and that it aligns with your brand voice. If you make tone suggestions to ChatGPT, it will do its best to follow them…but you know your hotel best.

Last but not least, keep your story real. Embellishing the truth results in disappointed guests and negative reviews. No one enjoys feeling like they’ve been tricked. Refer to customer feedback to determine whether your website portrays your property accurately and identify areas (both online and onsite) to be improved.

Consistency of voice also portrays authenticity. Write in a tone and style that reflects your property’s personality and resonates with your target audience–and stick to it.

Website copy plays a critical role in shaping your property’s story, along with photos, video, user-generated content, and overall site design. Invest time and effort into crafting your words to engage customers and inspire them to choose you.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published September 2016 and last updated February 2024.