No, Hiring Influencers Won’t Get Your Hotel More Bookings

Acting power couple Paula Lobo Antunes and Jorge Corrula at the Vila Galé Collection Palácio dos Arcos in Lisbon, Portugal.

So, You hired an influencer to promote your hotel. The logic is simple: more followers, more views, more bookings.

Thousands and thousands of followers. Legions of fans who idolize everything their favorite influencer does.

The deal is done. A fee and/or a free stay in exchange for a couple of posts and a handful of Instagram or TikTok stories.

The content starts coming out. If the influencer is good, it looks great. You’re thrilled; a flood of bookings is definitely on the way.

Likes and comments surge in. Excited fans, smiling emojis, hearts, stars, and who knows what else.

But bookings? Almost none. Or at least, far fewer than you expected. The stories have vanished, and the posts are losing the algorithm's favor.

And you’re still waiting for a real impact.

Then it hits you: the content was about the influencer. It was never about your hotel.

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I’ve been photographing hotels for years. I’ve built a strong network of hotel managers and marketing directors. And believe me, I’ve seen this happen over and over again.

In this article, I’ll show you the specific reasons why this strategy fails without exception. And I’ll also show you what actually works if you want to use influencers to generate sales and bookings.

5 Reasons Why Influencers Fail to Deliver

1. Views and Likes Don’t Pay the Bills

At least, not for you. Only for the influencer.

Yes, if they have a large following, you’ll get a lot of exposure. But that does not guarantee actual bookings. And there’s no way to predict or control that outcome.

Why? Because followers are not guests. Most influencers have a global audience, often scattered across different countries and continents. Only a tiny fraction of their followers will have any real interest in booking your hotel.

An American influencer usually won’t bring many bookings for a boutique hotel in Lisbon.

The only way this strategy could work is if the influencer’s audience is already based near your hotel. And even then, it’s still a shot in the dark.

2. Short span and Out of Focus

Stories disappear in 24 hours. Posts fade into the algorithm within days. Without constant promotion, the impact is short-lived.

And it gets worse than that.

As we have already established, the focus is on the influencer. Not the hotel.

Their audience admires them—their lifestyle, their outfits, their travels. The hotel is another prop in their fantasy world.

Which means the audience remembers them. Not the hotel.

3. You Have No Control Over Your Brand’s Image

The influencer's creations are beyond your control.

You don’t control how they present themselves—or how they present your hotel. Their content follows their own aesthetic and personal brand. And that does not align with your hotel’s identity.

Think about it:

You’ve spent years shaping your brand, refining your message, and keeping a polished image. An influencer steps in and does things their way. Their main focus is on building their own brand.

The only reason this isn't a total disaster is that, as I said, the content disappears in an instant.

Influencers work for their image. Your image is secondary to them.

4. Hype Doesn’t Pay the Bills Either

Influencers thrive on hype.

What’s trending today might be irrelevant tomorrow. Do you want to tie your hotel’s marketing to that for real?

Hotels need consistent, predictable bookings. Not a temporary buzz.

5. Perceived Value Matters

Here’s the biggest problem: influencers don’t build perceived value. In fact, most of them don’t even understand what it is.

Seeing a hotel in a post or a story isn’t enough to convince someone to book a stay. What actually drives bookings is the perception of value.

And what builds that perception? Strong branding. High-quality images. A consistent visual identity.

You and a trusted partner, such as a professional photographer, should handle your hotel’s visuals.

Successful hotels build their authority by using strong branding and quality images. They don’t rely on quick influencer partnerships.

So What to Do? Change Your Strategy

If you want real results and consistency, invest in professional photography.

A pro hotel photographer will work with you to build a strong, high-quality visual portfolio. You can use these images on many platforms: websites, booking sites, social media, print materials, PR campaigns, and marketing ads. You name it.

You’re no longer relying on a single, fleeting post. You’re controlling your image and maximizing your impact.

Studies show that hotels with high-quality photography convert up to 40% more. No influencer can offer you that level of reliability.

Focus on bookings, not views. Your goal should be to attract real guests. Not random followers who have no intention of staying at your hotel.

Your hotel should always be the star of your marketing.

The Hybrid Strategy: How to Make Influencers Actually Work for You

If you want temporary exposure with little results, influencers can help.

If you want a steady stream of bookings, invest in professional photography.

This doesn’t mean you should never work with influencers or celebrities. But you shouldn’t depend on them.

The smartest approach? A hybrid strategy.

Hire a Professional Photographer to Shoot an Influencer in Your Hotel

A great example of this is the Vila Galé Hotels and their Ambassador Program.

These ambassadors are often celebrities or popular influencers. They represent a specific experience at a hotel.

They depend on their image for a living. They enjoy having a professional photographer take high-quality lifestyle photos at the hotel.

Which creates a win-win situation:

• The influencer gets stunning, professional content for their audience.

• The hotel gets consistent, high-quality images to use across many campaigns.

In the end, you get the best of both worlds. Social media exposure plus a valuable long-term asset for your brand.

In a Nutshell

Remember: influencers can help. They should support your strategy, not drive it.

If you are going to use them, do it in a deliberate manner. Know what results you will get in return.

Professional photography should be the cornerstone of your hotel’s visual communication. Your images shape the perception that potential guests have of your brand.

Good images don’t expire. Social media posts disappear in days. Even viral content has a short lifespan.

But a professional hotel photo? It can drive bookings for years.

Top hotels get this. Your visual identity is much more valuable than a sponsored post.

Use this approach, and you’ll see a skilled photographer is more valuable than a thousand influencer stories.