Hiring a Hotel Branding Agency – 6 Reasons to Do So

Whether brand new to the hotel business, or a seasoned vet, hiring a hotel branding agency is a surefire way to boost business. Indeed, doing so should stand at the top of your priority list.

Hiring a hotel branding agency is an absolute necessity for any hotel company seeking success. Without a doubt, establishing a recognizable brand remains as important as ever. Skilled hotel branding agencies can formulate and implement an effective branding strategy in order to place your hotel above the competition and increase conversions. 

Hotels are everywhere – they can be found in nearly every town, county, and city in the United States. In fact, as of 2019, there were over 52,000 hotels in the United States. With such a high volume of hotels around the country, it is absolutely imperative that you employ a hotel branding agency to help stand apart and above the competitors. 

In what follows, we’ll take a look at hotel branding as a concept, why it’s an imperative in your process, and why you need to hire a hotel branding agency. 

What is hospitality branding? 

The need for a brand – an intangible yet recognizable marketing concept that aids in identifying a specific company – remains omnipresent amongst companies, no matter the sector. 

In the world of hospitality, a brand needs to be at the forefront of a company’s process. By definition, the hospitality industry feeds, entertains, houses and transports individuals. 

Some of the world’s most recognizable hospitality companies include global chain restaurants (McDonald’s, Subway, Wendy’s), major transportation companies (American Airways, Delta), entertainment centers (Las Vegas casinos, Disney World, Legoland) and, most pertinently, world-famous hotels (Four Seasons, Marriott, Hilton).  

In all of the above examples, each company possesses a readily identifiable brand. Furthermore, the brand goes beyond just a logo – it incorporates numerous components that collectively contribute to creating a complete picture of the company itself that is recognizable amongst the public. 

The hospitality sector is highly competitive. Investing in a hotel branding agency is of the utmost importance should you desire to distinguish yourself. 

What is Brand Identity in the World of Hotels? 

In the context of hotels, a brand should reflect the values and experience that your clients expect. In other words, your brand should be seen, felt and experienced in every aspect of your hotel. The design language, furniture, room layout, feel of the linens…all of these are contributing factors in the construction of your brand. 

Consider the Four Seasons hotel chain as an example. Everything about the Four Seasons emphasizes luxury. The exotic locations, sumptuous designs, quality materials and beautiful rooms all reinforce the notion of opulence. From top to bottom, the Four Seasons experience has been meticulously crafted to achieve a certain association. Consequently, as a hotel experience, the Four Seasons is synonymous with luxury. Indeed, the hotel’s self-prescribed tagline is “A Global Luxury Brand”. 

Although the Four Seasons occupies a particular niche within the market – that of luxury hotels – the point remains the same. As a company, they have established a clear sense of branding and have done well to relay that branding to the public.

Why is Hotel Branding Important? 

As a critical component of the hospitality business, hotels serve a variety of purposes. They offer lodging, of course, but they also provide meeting spaces and can host a variety of forms of entertainment. As such, the hotel business in the United States is both competitive and quite lucrative. In fact, in 2018, United States hotels generated $218 billion in revenue (this number understandably dipped during the COVID pandemic, but is now back on track to hit pre-pandemic levels).   

It is, therefore, undeniably important for a hotel to infuse a distinctive brand into its operations.   

Take this hypothetical situation as a test: remove the name and any indicating marks from all aspects of your hotel. It now stands stark, void of any revelatory indicators. Bring a customer to the hotel and walk them around. Show them a room, allow them to spend time in the space and interact with the materials. Will they be able to tell which hotel it is? 

Answering ‘yes’ to the above is what you and your brand should aspire to. It is fundamentally critical that your hotel establish a brand that is unique, distinct and resonates with the broader public. 

What is a Hotel Branding Agency? 

In general terms, the purpose of a branding agency is to deliver a company’s distinct characteristics to the public in a manner which is appealing and readily identifiable. This concept holds true in the realm of hotel branding. It is the responsibility of the hotel branding agency to portray your presence in the marketplace so as to distinguish yourself from your competitors. 

This process incorporates more than simply creating a flashy logo; it needs to be carefully planned and executed in order to be successful. As such, it is highly recommended you hire a professional hotel branding agency to assist you. 

Benefits of Hiring a Hotel Branding Agency

You may have a clear sense of what you believe your brand is. But how do you effectively communicate and deliver that effectively to the general public? This is where an experienced hotel branding agency comes in. They will approach and thoughtfully consider your brand from a variety of angles, ensuring a holistic approach. Below are examples of the benefits of hiring a hotel branding agency. 

They Possess the Knowledge and Expertise to Optimize Success

Creating, implementing and executing a brand is the sole purpose at the heart of a hotel branding agency. To that end, their focus is singular. Furthermore, they have years worth of experience to draw from and are capable of cherry-picking the very best strategies. 

The importance of establishing a meaningful hotel brand cannot be understated. As such, it is best to allow those explicitly trained in that purpose to do what they do best. 

Additional benefits of hiring experts can be found in this helpful guide! 

A Hotel Branding Agency will Undertake Critical Market Research 

As mentioned prior, the hotel business is undeniably competitive. Knowing this, a hotel branding agency will perform extensive and thorough market research. They will methodically study and analyze their findings, seeking the best possible way to position your hotel within the market. 

In addition, their market research will illuminate any potential changes, challenges and developments within the hotel industry. This will allow them – and you – to plan accordingly. 

In a similar vein, do yourself a favor and take a look at how effective marketing can keep your hotel bookings booming!

Brand Development 

Markets, businesses and companies all evolve over time. Hotels are no exception – indeed, a modern-day hotel looks, operates and functions wildly different than one from the 1940s. 

A hotel branding agency will assist you in making sure your brand appropriately develops over time. They will consider important factors such as changing demographics and industry progressions to ensure your brand stays well situated within the market. 

They will Provide a Stellar Website with Exemplary Graphic Design 

In the United States, nearly a third of all hotel bookings are made online. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that your hotel offers potential visitors an enticing and easy-to-use website – whether it be on a desktop or on mobile. 

A hotel branding agency will create a visually appealing website that offers a glimpse into what a visitor’s experience will entail while reinforcing the core components of your brand. In addition, the agency will aid in the creation of an effective component of your webpage that allows for bookings. 

For inspiration, browse this piece on incredible luxury hotel website designs and be sure to explore the importance of optimizing your website for mobile users.  

Utilizing the Power of Brand Storytelling 

There is no question that storytelling plays an important role in the success of a hotel. It is imperative to tell your story in a way that resonates with potential customers. Your story needs to be relatable and possess the ability to entice those looking for a particular experience. A hotel branding agency will assist in crafting your brand story in a manner that achieves those goals.

Dive a little deeper and take a more detailed look at the importance of storytelling. 

The Creation of a Thoughtful Brand Strategy 

The goal of a hotel branding strategy is twofold. One, to create success in the here and now; and two, to maintain that success into the future. 

A hotel branding campaign is only as effective as the strategy upon which it is based. A hotel branding strategy needs to be thorough, inclusive and detail-oriented. A number of components need to be considered – including all of the aforementioned items – and the hotel branding agency will engage this process in an evaluative and analytical method. 

Want to Work with a Hotel Branding Agency? 

The benefits of hiring a hotel branding agency are clear. To succeed in the hotel business, it is absolutely imperative to employ the services of a branding agency that can help you attain that goal. With that in mind, contact us today – it would be a privilege to help you institute an exemplary hotel brand.