How To Market Your Hotel to Families

South Point Suites reached out to me this month asking if they could put something together for the Boostly Blog. Below is a fantastic piece about how you can market your property for families.

Hotels looking to attract the attention of families with children will often have to go above and beyond to stand out from the fierce competition. With so many hotels vying for the care of families during the school holidays, it pays to go one step further. Those looking to market hotels to families need to champion family-friendly activities. These hotels also need to play on that relaxation factor that many parents crave. Take a look at some of South Point Suites top tips on marketing your hotel to families to see how you could increase your bookings. 

Make your website family-friendly 

Your website is the first impression customers get to your hotel, and first impressions do matter. If you’re looking to attract families, it’s well worth ensuring that your website is family-friendly. Either go all out with a homepage that shouts about your family-friendly credentials. You may also opt for a second page designed specifically for families. It also should have with a clear call to action that they definitely can’t miss. 

Proudly display feedback from families who have stayed at the hotel before. These feedbacks must be complete with lively, vibrant imagery that captures the imagination. Reassure the customers by the thought that has gone into the website. Through this information, they will immediately understand that this is a hotel that’s fully geared up for family holidays. 

Champion family fun 

Many hotels have activities and attractions that are perfect for families. However, they might not always market these to the best of their abilities. If your hotel has a kids club, creche, child-friendly restaurant, swimming pool, mini-golf course or anything similar, make sure your customers know about it. It’s just a case of adding information about these features to your website. Make sure to spread the word via social media and digital campaigns. Before long prospective customers will be thinking about how much their little ones would love your hotel. 

Make use of your blog 

Blogs are a great way to communicate with customers, and the opportunities for family-friendly content are endless. Share recommendations of attractions in the local area, and provide plenty of information about the things that you know families are searching. 

If there’s a beach nearby, make sure you tell your customers all about it in a full review on your blog page. Other appealing attractions to write about include water parks, zoos, nature reserves, museums, biking trails and any indoor activities that kids might enjoy. Get feedback from youngsters staying at the hotel to find out what stands out for them, and create a content campaign around these big selling points. 

Partner with local family attractions

Talking about local attractions is excellent. However, you can go one step further by establishing partnerships with family attractions in the vicinity of your hotel. Build relationships and design mutually beneficial offers for customers staying with you. Discuss options with local attractions. Soon, you may be able to offer your guests some vouchers, free transport to nearby activities, discounted lunches, and so much more. Guests will love it, and word will soon spread. 

Be prepared to answer family FAQs 

Parents travelling with young children often have a few questions to ask about what the hotel provides. These questions vary hugely depending on the age of the children. If you’re marketing your hotel to families, your team needs to be fully prepared to answer common questions from parents. 

Train staff in everything. This can be from your hotel’s provisions for babies and toddlers up to activities available at the hotel for older children. Make sure your team can answer questions about sterilising bottles, buying nappies, booking babysitters and anything else parents might need to know. A quick, considered response to common questions like these will put parents’ minds at rest. 

Create holiday-inspired campaigns 

Social media is an incredible tool for those marketing hotels. It’s excellent for family-friendly campaigns, too. Design and develop drives that are targeted at families, using compelling copy and fun imagery. Speak to parents directly in a friendly tone that conveys how well your business understands their needs. Take a look at what your competitors are doing on social media. Then draft a campaign that’s designed specifically for your target market. You can use social advertising to expand your reach. You can also partner with family bloggers and influencers to boost engagement. The more you communicate with your customers, the better the results will be. 

—

There are so many hotels looking to attract families, and with incredible options all over the world, parents can face some tricky decisions. Make their job easier by really shouting about the family-friendly credentials of your hotel, and spreading the word about family attractions in the local area. Once your campaigns catch the eye of parents on the hunt for a school holiday escape, you’ll soon find family bookings start to soar. 

Thank you to South Point for submitting this guest blog.