The Hotels That Win Aren’t Chasing Room Nights

After more than twenty years in hospitality, I’ve heard one question more than any other:

“How do we get more room nights?”

It’s almost always followed by a list of tactical solutions. More promotions, paid search, more email, and more OTA discounts. Maybe even a billboard. (For the record, I’ve gotten much better at hiding my reaction to that last suggestion.)

None of those ideas are inherently wrong. Each one of them has a place within a thoughtful marketing strategy. The problem is that they’re often mistaken for the strategy.

That’s why I’ve come to believe that we shouldn’t be asking, “How do we fill the hotel right now?” but rather, “What do we need to build so we aren’t asking that same question six days, six weeks, or months from now?”

That shift changes the role marketing plays inside a hotel organization. Marketing isn’t responsible for filling rooms today. It’s responsible for building a business that becomes easier to fill tomorrow. That philosophy ultimately became the foundation for the LotusIQ Hotel Marketing Framework.

Too often, hotels spend their marketing dollars chasing demand instead of creating it. Every occupancy dip triggers another campaign, discount, or an increase in paid media. The marketing activity never stops, but neither does the dependency on those tactics.

One of my favorite examples of this philosophy in action is The Elms Hotel & Spa. The Elms isn’t a cookie-cutter hotel, so a cookie-cutter marketing plan was never going to work. Its value extends far beyond guestrooms. Historic character, an iconic spa, destination dining, meetings and events, and memorable experiences all contribute to the business. Marketing is needed to reflect the entire commercial ecosystem, not just occupancy.

The first year of working with The Elms wasn’t spent chasing quick wins. It was spent building the foundation. Together, we clarified the hotel’s positioning, refined its voice, aligned marketing with ownership’s long-term business objectives, identified the revenue streams that mattered most, and ensured every owned and third-party channel reflected where the hotel was headed, not simply where it had been.

Only after that work was complete did the conversation naturally evolve. Instead of reacting to occupancy gaps, we’re now discussing midweek group, ancillary revenue, partnerships, and guest programming.

That’s the flywheel. When every department is working toward the same commercial objectives, marketing stops functioning as a cost center and starts becoming one of the hotel’s most valuable strategic assets. That alignment is exactly why The Elms Hotel & Spa is on pace to deliver the highest topline revenue in its history. Personally, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a strategy evolve into meaningful business results, especially for owners who had the patience and conviction to invest in the long game.

Marketing doesn’t create successful hotels. It amplifies successful businesses.

Learn more about the LotusIQ Hotel Marketing Framework or contact Lotus Marketing.