Hotel Influencer Marketing: How hotels collaborate with creators
Three answers before the invitation
A creator collaboration for a hotel works best when three things are clear before the invitation is sent: which guests the target audience is, which unique feature of the hotel will drive the story, and where the footage will be used later. Everything else, from the choice of format to usage rights, follows from these three answers.
This guide outlines the process of collaborating with Max Haase, the bookable formats, and a briefing checklist for the initial inquiry.
Paid cooperation or free stay?
A stay on location enables production, but does not cover concept development, travel planning, filming, editing, or publication. Therefore, anyone needing specific formats, deadlines, approvals, and usage rights should book a defined commission.
Barter collaborations are generally not part of Max Haase's offer. Rates on request. Travel costs are not included and are usually covered by the client. The page Influencer collaboration for hotels describes the process in detail.
Which formats are suitable for the hotel?
- Reel: It connects arrival, room, restaurant and surroundings into a short story. Most effective when there is a single, recognizable theme.
- Feed post or carousel: It gives more space to individual details, rooms, or dishes than a reel.
- Story set: with Max, up to three individual stories per set, with a link. It explains moments and adds information, but is no substitute for a full tour of the property.
- Aerial photographs and image packages: show the location and surroundings and provide material for the hotel's own channels. Whether aerial footage is possible is clarified in advance for the specific location.
- Image film and blog post: are separate services. The blog post (3,000+ words on max-haase.com) is included in the Premium package and can otherwise be booked as an add-on.
Choose the right creator
Whether a creator appeals to a hotel's guests depends not on follower counts but on topics, visual style and tone: a beach hotel needs different images than a city hotel. Past hotel collaborations matter too. Max Haase has worked as a travel creator since 2013; his partners include Hilton Hotels, Meliá Hotels and Rixos Hotels. For the details of his luxury positioning, see Book Luxury Travel Influencer .
Briefing checklist for the request
- Goal: What message should stick after watching?
- Target audience: Which travel interests, languages, and target markets are relevant?
- Offer: Which rooms, facilities and experiences are actually available during the specified period?
- Must-have shots: What has to appear, and what must not?
- Formats and files: What will be published, what will be delivered?
- Organization: Who provides access, information, and contact persons?
- Usage: On which channels and for how long will the material be used?
- Evaluation: Which data are relevant to the goal?
An example: if reception, marketing and food and beverage each ask for three more shots separately, one reel with a story set quickly turns into a triple assignment without any extra shooting time. One person at the hotel should therefore collect the requests.
Clarify usage rights from the outset
Whether a Reel runs organically on the hotel's channels or becomes part of a paid campaign determines the scope and price of the offer. With Max, organic usage rights are included depending on the package: 30 days in the Standard package (extensions available), 90 days in the Professional package, and six months in the Premium package. Extended rights for paid, print, and out-of-home advertising are available upon request. A published Reel does not automatically grant the hotel the right to use it in any subsequent advertising.
Process from inquiry to go-live
- Inquiry: via the collaboration page, with hotel, goal, period, formats and planned use. Management replies within 48 hours.
- Alignment: Services, travel arrangements, rights and deadlines.
- Production: where applicable on location; the time frame depends on format and scope. On location it is usually five to ten days.
- Post-processing: approximately two weeks, followed by release and publication.
From confirmation to go-live it is three to six weeks in total. Consolidated feedback from the hotel keeps the schedule on track.
Whether the request goes directly to the creator or through an agency is compared in this guide: Agency or direct booking with the creator.
Measuring success without false promises
Depending on the goal, reach and views, saved and shared posts, or clicks on an agreed link matter. Direct bookings can only be attributed to a single post with reliable tracking; a high view count alone is not business success. Data sources and the observation period should therefore be agreed in advance.
Four common mistakes
- Selecting solely based on reach and overlooking thematic fit.
- Equating a stay with a paid production contract.
- Collecting too many must-have shots, so that the story gets lost.
- Discussing usage rights only after handover.
For tourism boards there is the matching counterpart, the Creator briefing for tourism boards. If you would rather first get oriented on terms and collaboration models, read the Guide: Book travel influencers. To enquire, the hotel, the story you have in mind, a time window and the formats are enough: Request a collaboration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do hotels collaborate with influencers?
The hotel and creator agree on the goal, stay, formats, publication, and usage rights. The hotel facilitates the production and provides information; the creator produces the agreed-upon content.
Is a free stay sufficient?
No, a stay alone does not define the scope of services. A production and publication agreement is required for that.
What kind of content does a travel creator produce for hotels?
Reels, posts or carousels, stories, aerial shots and image packages, optional image film and bookable blog post.
Is a hotel allowed to use the images for advertising?
That depends on the agreed-upon rights. Therefore, the planned deployment should already be included in the request.
How long does a collaboration take from the initial agreement to the go-live?
Three to six weeks in total, depending on format and scope.
How much does an influencer collaboration cost for hotels?
This depends on the format, scope, and usage rights. Terms and conditions are available upon request; travel expenses are not included.
German
English