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Facebook and Instagram advertising for hotels to boost your bookings

Facebook and Instagram advertising for hotels: increase your bookings

Why invest in Facebook and Instagram advertising?

It's become a reflex: before booking, most travellers open their social networks. There they find photos of friends on holiday, stories from influencers, and above all targeted ads that inspire them to click. For a hotel, being present at this key moment means turning a simple scroll into a firm booking. Yet many establishments still only use Google Ads or OTAs and leave Meta (Facebook + Instagram) to one side. As a result, they are missing out on an audience of over three billion users and the opportunity to talk directly to future customers, commission-free.

The good news is that launching a Facebook and Instagram Ad is neither expensive nor complex when you follow a step-by-step method. This guide explains :

  • why these platforms work so well for the hotel industry;

  • best practices for making the most of current formats ;

  • common mistakes to avoid ;

  • a concrete plan for getting started tomorrow, even without a dedicated marketing department.

And because success also depends on experts, we'll show you how to Hotel Web Design speeds up your campaigns with a complete digital offering (https://hotel-webdesign.com/referencement-google-ads-hotel-restaurant).


Plan a call for your project
social networks

Understanding the practical potential of social networking for hotels

Figures that count

  • 58 % of European travellers say that "images seen on social networks directly influence the choice of their next holiday". thinkwithgoogle.com.

  • In a study of three European hotels, 80 % have seen a significant increase in sales after launching Meta Ads campaigns regiotels.com.

Three unique strengths of Meta Ads

  • Hyper-precise targeting The target is "25-45 year olds living in Paris, who like to get away from it all and have travelled at least once in the last year".
  • Immersive formats carousel, vertical video, collection - perfect for showing off a room, spa or breakfast buffet.
  • Direct tunnel : the ad directs you to your booking engine, without any detours via an OTA or commission charges.

  • Post-stay sequence Thank you + request for advice + offer to return.

Hotel Web Design is the web agency 100% dedicated to the hotel industryWe can help you with all aspects of digital communication for your accommodation: booking websites, natural referencing specialising in the hotel industry, Google Ads referencing and Google Hotel Ads, social networking campaigns, graphic charters and logos for hotels.
Make an appointment today for free advice on how to optimise the digital management of your accommodation. 

Good practice for successful Facebook and Instagram advertising

Taking care of your image before talking about your budget

  • Professional photos and bright: an unmade bed or an empty swimming pool is a real turn-off.

  • Short video (< 15 s) in portrait mode: ideal for Reels or Stories.

  • Subtitles : 85 % of videos are viewed without sound.

Telling a story rather than selling a prize

Instead of writing "Room at €120 per night", try :

"Wake up to the mountains, breakfast included.

We're selling an emotion, not just a price.

Using the Meta pixel (easy!)

The pixel is a little piece of code that follows visitors to your site and then shows them the right ad. You don't need to be a developer : Hotel Web Design install it in just a few clicks during the creation or redesign of your site.

Segment your audiences

Audience Key message Recommended format
Cold prospects (new) Discover the hotel Vertical video 15 s
Lukewarm prospects (have visited the site) Offer "-10 % if booked direct". Carousel of rooms
Past customers Extended stay or spa Story with promo code

Testing, again and again

The algorithm is changing, and so are your ads. Change:

  • the hook ;

  • the main photo ;

  • geographic reach.

After seven days, keep the creative that achieves the best return on investment (ROAS).

A young woman working remotely on her laptop by a calm waterfront.
emailing

Essential features to know

Meta function Why it's useful Practical hotel application
Lookalike Audience Find profiles similar to your customers Target travellers who look like your best guests
Dynamic retargeting Show room seen but not booked Encourage hesitancy with a visual reminder
Lead Ads Collect e-mail without leaving Facebook Build a newsletter base for your low-season offers
API conversions Tracks bookings even without cookies Accurately measure the cost per booking

Step-by-step plan for launching your first campaign

Step 1: Define your objective

  • Fill in the gaps in the schedule during the week?

  • Promoting a new spa?

  • Attracting locals for brunch?

A precise objective guides everything: targeting, budget, creation.

Step 2: prepare your visuals

  • 3 HD photos of signature rooms.

  • 1 portrait video filmed with a smartphone but well framed.

  • 1 lifestyle photo (happy customer).

Step 3: Install the pixel or conversions API

If your site is already running with Hotel Web DesignIf not, copy and paste the code via Google Tag Manager or ask for help.

Step 4: Create two initial audiences

  1. Travellers from France and neighbouring countries, with an interest in travel and well-being.

  2. Retargeting: site visitors over the last 30 days.

Step 5: Write two simple taglines

  • "Looking for a seaside getaway? Book online and save 10 %".

  • "Last suites available this weekend: free spa. Book now!"

Step 6: launch with a small test budget

10 per audience for seven days is enough to identify trends.

Step 7: Analyse and optimise

  • Cost per booking too high? Refine your targeting.

  • Lots of clicks but few sales? Check the landing page. Tip: the Hotel Web Design booking engine converts more thanks to its mobile-first design.

woman using MacBook Pro
social networks

Case in point: three mini-scenarios inspired by the field

The romantic room in low season

Targeted audience Couples aged 30-45, living less than three hours away.
Advertisement photo of a candlelit dinner + text "Escape the city for a weekend".
Results 37 bookings in a fortnight, ROAS: 620 %.

The newly renovated spa

Audience Women aged 25-55, "well-being" interests, local residents.
Advertisement Reel 10s showing a massage, subtitled "Relaxing day at the Spa at €89".
Results 120 gift vouchers sold in one month, filling empty slots.

The mid-week corporate event

Audience HR managers, managers, local B2B targeting.
Advertisement carousel seminar room + cocktail terrace.
Results Four confirmed seminars, worth €15,000.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Launch a single "boosted" advert It's better to have a real set of campaigns than an isolated boost.
  • Forgetting the pixel The cost per booking is no longer measurable.
  • Using long sentences On mobile, only the first two words count.
  • Show bland photos The competition scrolls in two seconds.
  • Send to home page To the page confirming the promise.

Hotel Web Design is a Google partner with the Google Hotelsincluding our customers enjoy every day: information about your accommodation, availability and prices is sent continuously to the search engine, which displays booking links free from Google search, directly to your booking page. These free links represent around 15% of additional commission-free bookings for our customers in 2022! Read our article on free booking links from Google

How Hotel Web Design simplifies your campaigns

7.1 Comprehensive support

  • Pixel settings + API conversions.

  • Design of visuals adapted to your colours.

  • Set up lookalike audiences based on your best customers.

  • Simplified reporting in a Google Data Studio table.

Find out more here: https://hotel-webdesign.com/referencement-google-ads-hotel-restaurant

7.2 Synergy with other services

This means that your Meta ads don't work alone; they are part of an ecosystem that covers search, social networks and final conversion.

Backlinks

Two external resources for further information

  1. Think with Google - Travel trends 2024 Figures on the online behaviour of European travellers thinkwithgoogle.com.

  2. Regiotels - Meta Ads for hotels Case study showing ROAS in excess of 10 in three markets regiotels.com.

These readings confirm the effectiveness of Facebook and Instagram advertising for our sector.

Conclusion: why take action now?

Facebook and Instagram advertising puts your hotel at the heart of travellers' daily conversations, long before they type anything into Google. By applying the best practices outlined here, you :

  • attract customers at a lower cost;

  • reduce your dependence on OTAs ;

  • fill in your planning gaps ;

  • reinforce your brand with powerful images.

And with the support ofHotel Web DesignFrom technical set-up to ongoing optimisation, the team turns your clicks into keys delivered to reception. Don't wait any longer: social networks never sleep, and neither will your future bookings.

Booking / reservation website

–
Direct booking for your accommodation

  • Bespoke booking/conversion site delivered turnkey, with training on the administration interface on delivery
  • Adapted logo and graphic charter. Possibility of using your existing elements
  • Specific referencing for holiday lets
  • Integration of reservations module internal
  • or integration of an external booking engine (Reservit, D-EDGE, MisterbookingRoomcloud, etc)
  • Integration of specific HTML elements (review portals, customer reviews, weather, press, pop-ups, direct chat, etc.)
  • Secure SSL / HTTPS
  • Multilingual website & booking engine
  • Simple, intuitive user interface
  • High-availability hosting and domain name
  • Delivery usually within 30 days
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