The best social media strategies for hotels do one thing above all: make people picture themselves staying with you, then make it easy to book direct. That means real photos and video of your rooms, food and location, a steady flow of guest content and reviews, and booking links that skip the commission you’d pay through online travel agents.

This guide is written for UK hotels, inns and B&Bs of any size. We cover which platforms to focus on, the content pillars that keep a feed fresh, how to use reviews and guest content, how to run influencer stays within UK advertising rules, and how to plan ads and content around your busy and quiet seasons.

Focus on the platforms where guests plan trips

Hotel social media marketing works best when you’re consistent on a few channels rather than patchy on many.

• Instagram is the shop window. People save places they want to visit, and Reels of rooms, breakfasts and views are exactly what they’re looking for.
• Facebook still matters for UK leisure guests, especially couples and families booking breaks, local diners, wedding enquiries and events. It’s also where many of your past guests will follow you.
• TikTok is increasingly used to find places to stay and eat. Short, honest room tours and “what £X gets you” style videos suit it well.
• LinkedIn is worth it if you rely on corporate stays, meetings or conferences.
• Pinterest can help venues that host weddings, as couples plan visually.

For a small B&B, Instagram and Facebook done well is plenty. A larger hotel with a restaurant, spa or events space might add TikTok and LinkedIn.

Content pillars keep your feed varied

Content pillars are the four or five themes you post about again and again. They stop you posting the same room photo every week and make planning much quicker. A typical set for a hotel looks like this:

Pillar	Example posts
The stay	Room reveals, the view from the window, turndown details, bathroom features
Food and drink	Breakfast, the chef’s specials, afternoon tea, the bar on a Friday night
Local area	Walks, attractions, independent shops, events coming up nearby
People	Meet the team, the housekeeper with 20 years’ service, the resident dog
Guests	Reviews, reposted guest photos, proposals, anniversaries and celebrations
Offers	Packages, midweek deals, seasonal breaks, gift vouchers

Keep offers to a small share of your posts. If every post is selling, people stop paying attention. The local area pillar is especially useful because it helps you show up when people search for things to do in your town, not just for hotels.

Show the real thing

Guests want to know exactly what they’re getting. Use your own photos and video, show rooms as they actually look, and include the less glamorous room types too. A guest who arrives to find the room matches your Reels is far more likely to leave a good review.

Guest content and reviews do the selling

People trust other guests more than they trust you. User-generated content (UGC), meaning photos and videos your guests post themselves, is one of the most useful things a hotel can collect.

• Make it easy to share. A photogenic spot, a small sign with your handle and location tag, and a line in your welcome note all help.
• Always ask before reposting. A quick comment or message asking permission, then credit the guest by tagging them.
• Turn reviews into content. A short quote from a genuine review over a photo of the room or dish they mention works well. Use the guest’s first name or initial only, with their permission.
• Reply to reviews and comments. Thank people for good feedback and respond calmly and helpfully to complaints. Future guests read the replies.

Be careful about how you ask for reviews. Since April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has given the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stronger powers over fake and misleading reviews. Don’t offer discounts or freebies in exchange for positive reviews, don’t only ask happy guests while discouraging others, and never post or buy fake reviews. The CMA’s online reviews guidance is worth a read.

Related reading: How Hotel Amenities Influence Reviews and Guest Loyalty: What the Data Shows

Influencer stays need clear labelling

Inviting a content creator to stay can bring great content and a new audience, but UK rules are strict. The ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) and the CMA both cover influencer marketing.

Know when a stay is an ad

According to the ASA’s influencer guidance, a free stay counts as payment. If you also have any control over the content, such as requiring a post, agreeing key messages or approving it before it goes live, the content is an ad under the advertising code. Even with no strings attached, consumer protection law still expects the audience to be told the stay was free.

How to label it

• The ASA recommends clear labels such as “Ad” or “#ad”, placed up front where people see them straight away, not buried in hashtags or hidden behind “more”.
• The ASA advises against vague labels such as “gifted”, “in association with”, “thanks to” or simply tagging the hotel, as they’re unlikely to be clear enough on their own.
• Use the platform’s paid partnership tool as well, but don’t rely on it alone.
• Both the hotel and the creator can be held responsible, so put disclosure requirements in writing.

Do it properly

1. Pick creators whose followers match your guests, not just big follower counts. Ask for audience insights such as location and age.
2. Agree in writing what’s included (nights, meals, treatments), what content you’d like, how it will be labelled and whether you can reuse it.
3. Look after them like any guest, and don’t ask for only positive coverage.
4. Track results with a unique booking code or link so you can see if bookings follow.

Make booking direct the easy option

Social media is wasted if people can’t book in a couple of taps. Every booking you take direct saves the commission you’d otherwise pay an online travel agent.

• Put your booking engine link in your Instagram and TikTok bio, ideally going straight to availability rather than your home page.
• Set your Facebook Page action button to Book Now and link it to your booking engine.
• Add links to Stories when you mention an offer.
• Give social followers a reason to book direct, such as a free upgrade on availability, late checkout or breakfast included.
• Use UTM tracking (tags added to a link so analytics shows where the visit came from) so you can see which posts lead to bookings.

Ads fill rooms when organic content can’t

Organic posts build trust with people who already know you. Paid social reaches people who don’t yet. For hotels, the most useful ad approaches are:

• Retargeting people who’ve visited your website or booking engine but didn’t book.
• Feeder market targeting, reaching people in the cities and regions your guests usually come from, such as London for a Surrey country house or the Midlands for a coastal B&B.
• Offer campaigns for quiet periods, gift vouchers before Christmas and Mother’s Day, and event packages.
• Meta’s travel ads, which can show room options and prices from a hotel catalogue. These suit larger hotels and groups with a connected booking system.

Use your best-performing organic Reels as ad creative. Budgets vary widely by location and season, so start with a modest test and scale what brings bookings.

Plan around your seasons

Most UK hotels and B&Bs have clear peaks and troughs. Your social plan should follow them, working a few months ahead of when people actually stay.

• January and February: people book summer holidays and spring breaks. Push summer availability, plus Valentine’s packages.
• Spring: Easter, bank holidays and wedding season promotion.
• Summer: show it off at its best and gather guest content for the rest of the year. Start selling autumn breaks.
• Autumn: cosy breaks, festive party bookings and Christmas gift vouchers.
• Quiet midweek periods: target retirees, remote workers and business travellers with midweek offers.

Shoot seasonal content when it’s in season, such as the garden in bloom or the fire lit in winter, and save it for next year’s campaigns.

Frequently asked questions

How often should a hotel post on social media?

Three to five posts a week on your main platform, plus regular Stories, is a good target for most hotels. Quality and consistency matter more than volume.

Is TikTok worth it for a small B&B?

It can be, if you’re comfortable on camera and have a distinctive location or story. If time is tight, focus on Instagram and Facebook first.

Do we need to label a free stay as an ad?

Yes, in practice. The ASA treats a free stay as payment, and consumer law expects disclosure. Ask creators to use “Ad” clearly at the start of their content.

Can we repost guest photos?

Yes, with permission. Ask the guest first, then credit them in the caption.

Get help filling more rooms

Delivered Social helps hotels and B&Bs across Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex with content, community management and reporting through our social media management, and with booking-focused campaigns through our paid social agency service. Contact the team to talk about your next season.