4 steps to secure more bookings with staycations

According to STR, occupancy rates recovered a bit during the summer and later months. Data suggests this was in-part due to hotels tapping into their local markets. Nowadays, travelers are finding peace, comfort, and safety in staying close to home and would much rather book a hotel near or around their city for their next vacation. Hence, the word staycation. This change in behavior for travelers means hoteliers need to adapt their marketing strategies to include local targeting.

To help secure more bookings with staycations we outline four steps to focus on that will improve your occupancy and help you reach local travelers with staycations!

Step 1 - Assess the demand

Your marketing agency should be able to provide you with a list of keywords with an indication of the volume of searches for that term. The goal is to identify if there is a clear upward trend indicating interest in your area for a given search term. If you do not have someone overseeing your online strategy, here are several tools that will help you with your keyword research.

Tools:

Step 2 - Create a "persona" for local market travelers

A traveler persona is a detailed description of the type of guests you want to target with your staycation offering. To leave no stone unturned and ensure you are considering everything, think about what these potential guests want right now:

  • Ability to work remotely.
  • Relax and de-stress.
  • Stay somewhere clean and safe.
  • Ability to get there quickly – driving distance.
  • Ability to book within 30-days.
  • Flexible cancellation policies.
  • The ability to brings pets.

Step 3 - Create your staycation packages

Now that you know the demand and have a persona for local market travelers in place, it is time for you to focus on developing the perfect staycation package.

For example, if you are tapping into the local millennial market, then maybe consider a “workcation package” highlighting the ability to work remotely in a healthy and safe environment. In your copy mention your upgrades like workstations in rooms, strengthened Wi-Fi coverage and signal, and maybe throw in a free cup of Joe delivered directly to their room each morning.

Tips:

  1. Make it bookable through your booking engine.
  2. Use a promo code to simplify booking and to show a visual of the discount.
  3. Mention your flexible cancellation policies.
  4. Communicate your COVID-19 health and safety policies.

Another example would be partnering with a local restaurant. Maybe you had to cut back or maybe you shut down your on-site dining service altogether.  Either way, you can work with nearby businesses to send customers their way and vice versa. You will pick up some extra business while working with the community and showing trust in other local businesses. Some inventive hotels are even converting rooms into private dining venues for small parties.

Step 4 - Promote your staycation package on all distribution channels

Let’s talk marketing. Without overlooking the basics, your website should have a dedicated landing page with your staycation package offering. Include all the details, pricing, promo codes, and contact information to ensure your future guest can take the next step and “book”. Add banners, pop ups, and call outs to make sure it’s seen by as many website visitors as possible.

Update your booking engine. The title, description, and images should be the same as what appeared on the website. Make the package available as an add-on in the booking process to ensure you get the most exposure.

Put together an email campaign targeted at past guests who live within a 30-mile radius. Let them know that you have a package just for them that gets them safely out of the house, allows them to work remotely, and supports local businesses. Link to your website for more information and your booking engine to “Book Now!”

Other channels:

  1. Social media – create a post with your staycation offer.
  2. Google Ads – set up ads that target your demand keywords and promote your offer.
  3. Press release – work with the local chamber of commerce or media outlets and share your offer.

The key is using multiple channels to maximize your reach.

There’s no doubt about it, these are challenging times for hoteliers. But those who succeed will be the ones who adapt to change and invest in their brand marketing to meet the needs of today’s travelers.

If you need help implementing a hotel marketing strategy, schedule a demo of our Ecosystem to learn how we can help you grow revenue and simplify operations.

Published: January 22, 2021