Why this matters:Most guests find hotels online now. Google. OTAs. Your website. If your details are current and booking is easy, more guests finish the reservation.
This guide is a daily checklist for front office, reservations, sales, and marketing.
Step 1: Claim and tidy your Google Business Profile (GBP)
Guests search “hotel near airport/IT park” and pick from the first few. Your Google profile is your first look.
Do this now
- Verify GBP. Make name, address, phone exactly match bills and website.
- Add check-in/out times, parking, breakfast, pet policy, Wi-Fi details.
- Upload clear room photos (include bathrooms). Add a 30–45 sec vertical video tour.
- Post weekly: weekend offer, buffet highlight, event near your hotel.
- Turn on Messages/Chat (if available) to answer quick questions fast.
Small ops tip Keep holiday hours and early check-in rules visible. Fewer calls. Fewer disputes. Refresh 10 photos every quarter—rooms, lobby, breakfast—so guests see today’s property.
Step 2: Build strong OTA pages and connect a Channel Manager
OTAs (Booking.com, Expedia, MakeMyTrip, Agoda, Traveloka) bring you reach you may not get directly. Connect them cleanly using OTA Integrations through your Channel Manager.
Make OTAs easy to understand
- Use clear room names guests can recognize (e.g., “Executive King — City View — Breakfast”).
- Keep rates and policies identical across OTAs.
- Put your top 5 amenities upfront.
- Aim for 20–30 good photos per OTA.
Why a Channel Manager helps
- Syncs inventory, rates, and rules (min-stay, stop-sell) to OTAs + your engine in real time.
- Reduces overbookings and manual fixes.
- Keeps names and mapping clean, so “Executive King — City View” is the same everywhere.
Quick weekly checklist
Step 3: Make the website + booking engine simple and fast
Your website is your 0% commission channel. Keep the booking path short.
Must-haves
- Mobile speed under 3 seconds (compress images, trim heavy code).
- A big “Book Now” button on every page.
- Live rate calendar that shows cheapest dates and packages.
- Promo code box and ready offers (long-stay, weekday, family).
- Multiple payment methods with trusted Payment Gateways (cards, wallets, UPI where relevant).
- WhatsApp/Chat for quick FAQs (early check-in, extra bed, airport pickup).
- Schema + FAQs so search and AI pull the right details.
Small ops tipKeep taxes and fees clear on the booking page. Fewer abandoned carts. Fewer complaint calls.
Step 4: Use professional visuals (photos + short videos)
Guests book what they can see. Good visuals reduce uncertainty.
Shoot list
- Every room type: bed, desk, charging points, wardrobe, bathroom.
- Public spaces: lobby, breakfast, bar, pool/spa, gym, meeting rooms.
- Short vertical videos (30–45 sec): room walk-through, breakfast prep, chef plating, sunset by the pool.
Front desk tipKeep a small UGC card: “Best photo spots: pool deck at 6:30 pm; lobby wall art.” Add your handle and hashtag.
Step 5: Get more reviews and reply within 24 hours
Reviews push you up in Google and on OTAs. They also convert fence-sitters.
Make it automatic
- Send post-checkout WhatsApp/email with direct review links (Google + your main OTA).
- Train staff say at check-out: “If you liked your stay, a quick review helps us a lot.”
- Reply to every review. Thanks for the positives. For issues, say what you fixed.
Small ops tip Track frequent complaints (e.g., late hot water, breakfast queues) and add a simple fix note to staff briefs.
Step 6: Keep social media aligned to your main guest
Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Pick your core guest and show what they care about.
Examples
- Business hotel: near offices, fast breakfast, ironing, late check-out.
- Family resort: kids’ meals, play area, interconnecting rooms, pool games.
- Wedding/MICE: ballrooms, pre-function area, vendor rules, parking.
Simple posting rhythm
- 2–3 Reels/Shorts per week (rooms, breakfast, staff moments).
- Daily Stories for offers, weather, live music, “tonight’s special.”
- 1 creator collab per month that matches your audience.
Measure what mattersClick on your booking engine. Not just likes.
Step 7: Build guest lists and send segmented offers
Past guests are your easiest repeat bookings.
Collect and use data
- Take consented email/phone at check-in.
- Segment by purpose (corporate, family, couples, MICE, long-stay).
- Send targeted offers: mid-week corporate, school-holiday family, festive brunch + stay.
Small ops tipMark anniversaries and birthdays in profiles. A simple note at check-in goes a long way.
Step 8: Use metasearch to win more direct clicks
Metasearch (Google Hotel Ads, Trivago, TripAdvisor) shows your direct price next to OTAs.
How to start
- Connect your booking engine feed.
- Start with small CPC/CPA budgets; watch ROAS weekly.
- Add a direct perk (late check-out, early check-in, kids eat free) to stand out.
Step 9: Keep content fresh with a simple calendar
Stale content drops reach. Tie updates to real changes and seasons.
Quarterly content SOP
Small ops tipBefore long weekends, tighten min-stay and load packages early. Saves last-minute firefighting.
Step 10: Track a few KPIs everyone understands
Make one simple dashboard and review monthly.
Core KPIs
Monthly routinePick 2–3 fixes only (speed up mobile page, refresh 8 photos, adjust packages). Assign owners and deadlines.
AxisRooms Product Focus
- Real-time 2-way updates: Rates, rooms, rules update everywhere at once.
- Parity support: Keep OTA rates/policies clean while giving direct-only perks.
- Smart rules at scale: Push min-stay, CTA/CTD, stop-sell before peak.
- Mapping checks: Alerts if a room/rate vanishes from an OTA.
- Direct growth: Promo codes, add-ons, and Google Free Booking Links in the engine.
Result: Fewer errors. Faster updates. Consistent content. More direct bookings with less manual work.
Channel mix targets (practical, not perfect)
Adjust for resort vs business city, season, and events.
A weekly rhythm that hotels can keep
- Mon: Check weekend pickups, parity, mapping.
- Tue: Post 1 room/food Reel; update one FAQ.
- Wed: Send one segmented offer.
- Thu: Post a Google update (chef’s special/event near hotel).
- Fri: Reply to all reviews; schedule weekend Stories.
- Sat: Shoot next week’s short videos.
- Sun: Review rates and packages for next week.
Common pitfalls (and quick fixes)
- Relying on one OTA → build two strong OTAs + direct.
- Slow mobile pages → compress images; cut heavy scripts.
- No review replies → block 15 minutes daily for responses.
- Same price direct vs OTA with no perk → add a small benefit (late check-out, welcome drink).
- Old photos → calendar reminders each quarter.
Final word
Think of online presence like housekeeping for your channels. Keep info correct. Photos fresh. Rates clean. Replies quickly. Connect PMS + Channel Manager + Booking Engine so your team spends less time fixing issues and more time delighting guests.
Simple CTA: Want fewer OTA problems and more direct bookings without extra work? Move to a cloud PMS with an integrated Channel Manager and Booking Engine so everything stays in sync—automatically.