Best Holiday Hotel Promotions to Drive Group Sales
The holiday and winter season are fast approaching, and if you are looking for ideas for holiday hotel promotions or seasonal stays, we’ve rounded up some great tips to increase group sales and hotel revenue. The holidays provide wonderful opportunities for hoteliers as guests tend to be in more of a spending mindset, and the new year brings opportunities for celebrations and vacation planning.
The 2023 holiday season is projected to have significant spending for holiday parties and hotels are highly sought after as shown in a recent survey of event planners. Whether you are a large hotel or a boutique property, it’s important to promote your hotel as best as possible this season.
1. Deck the Hotel
Our first recommendation to boost holiday sales is to make sure you decorate your hotel to make an impact on your guests. Decorations can certainly increase the beauty and ambiance of your space. A well-thought-out holiday or winter decor theme that is executed throughout the hotel can increase your guests’ overall joy and, well, their propensity to spend money.
Additionally, take advantage of your hotel space looking so beautiful, and be sure to take some high-quality photos. A picture is worth a thousand words, and these photos are wonderful to use in your marketing, including website updates, emails, social media, and ads. Nothing else will captivate potential guests more than some eye-catching images.
2. Create Seasonal Experiences
Leading up to the holidays and winter, it is great to create more experiential opportunities for your guests within your hotel. You’ll be seeing more and more group sales as holiday parties gather and both corporate and social groups celebrate the season.
Showcase what makes your hotel unique and use experiences to your advantage. Not only can you upsell your existing individual and group guests, but you can also bring in new customers to your hotel. Think about creative ways to incorporate future stays at your hotel, branding opportunities, charity, and partnerships. Consider ways to entice people to stop in for some festive food and beverages, shop at your hotel store, visit your spa, or even stop at a pop-up shop with local gifts in your lobby. Coordinate group sing-a-longs, s’more stations by the fire pit, or gingerbread decorating contests to add festive experiences.
3. Provide Seasonal Packages
Hotel packages are still a great way for hotels to drive demand. Packages can allow for longer hotel stays, minimal cancellations, and more lead time for potential upsell.
When gearing up for the holiday season, it is important to set the right price for holiday stays and utilize available pricing tools to help. Consider two pricing levels and an early booking offer, or maybe you use dynamic pricing, which adjusts depending on demand. Brainstorm ways to create attractive offers and special holiday experience packages.
4. Establish Partnerships
Building strong relationships with other businesses in your area is another opportunity to create seasonal hotel promotions. Consider your location and target partnerships to co-create packages that will lead to new upselling sources.
Look to travel and tourism agencies, area attractions, and shops that ultimately add value for your guests. Include additional items or services that would enhance your guests’ experience with your seasonal package deal.
5. Upsell to your Guests
If your hotel has a bar, restaurant, spa, or other ancillary revenue opportunities, use these to upsell to your guests. If not, seek out partnerships to be able to upgrade your guests’ experience, which also increases revenue. The holidays and winter season are ideal for upselling as guests usually are more relaxed and ready to spend and enjoy. Perhaps you can upsell through a food and wine-tasting menu. Offer spa services as an upgrade opportunity. Or, try to upsell by stay-extension campaigns.
6. Boost your Private Dining and Events
Depending on your hotel property, you may be able to attract small and large groups for either private dining or events. The holiday season is a large opportunity for all types of holiday parties for either corporate or social groups. In the weeks leading up to the holidays, your chef can prepare a special holiday menu served at your restaurant. Your promotional efforts for holiday gatherings will be sure to increase your F&B sales.
With the holiday period being as important as it is, you need to execute your private dining and events efficiently. That’s easier if you have an event management platform that enables you to set different kinds of lead forms, automated responses, and a customer portal. If you aren’t yet using Tripleseat, make sure you learn more about how our platform makes events easy and boosts business.
7. Set Future Booking Promotions
The holiday and winter seasons are a wonderful time to consider the year ahead. Run a promotional sale during the holidays when people are in the giving spirit for future bookings. Add creativity to your promotional holiday packages such as a “spirit of giving” package. These offers can be promoted as holiday gifts that can be redeemed anytime during the year. You may want to target your more loyal guests for this promotion.
8. Give Out Some Presents
Create special complimentary gift bundles to give to your guests to enjoy or for them to give to others. This is especially great for group bookings. You can drop off room packages of products from your hotel or locally sourced gifts. Make sure that your holiday presents have some branding and perhaps a redeemable coupon or discount. Be creative and have fun, and your guests will remember your thoughtfulness.
Make the Most of Your Seasonal Group Sales
We hope you can use one or more of our seasonal hotel promotion ideas for a prosperous season. Increase and manage your hotel’s group sales from hotel room blocks, to booking event function spaces, and growing banquet revenues, in one tool with Tripleseat Hotels. Schedule a demo to learn more.
