Top 9 strategies on how to use TikTok for hotels

Key takeaways

• TikTok's algorithm connects your property with travelers actively searching for inspiration, making it an essential discovery channel for modern hotels.
• Authentic, low-budget content like staff moments and room tours consistently outperforms polished advertising on the platform.
• Branded hashtags and guest-generated content expand your reach organically, turning real guests into free promoters.
• Track bio link clicks and booking correlations – not just views – to measure TikTok's real impact on revenue.

TikTok is no longer just an app for trending choreography. It has evolved into a high-velocity discovery engine where travelers go to find their next destination, outperforming traditional platforms in engagement and reach. For hoteliers, this represents a massive opportunity to showcase personality and build trust with a new generation of guests before they even reach your website.

In this article, we explore how to integrate TikTok into your hotel marketing strategy and leverage short-form video to drive real business impact.

What is TikTok and why should you use it in hospitality?

TikTok is a short-form video platform where users scroll through a personalized feed of bite-sized clips, typically ranging from 15 seconds to three minutes. Its algorithm is uniquely powerful: rather than showing you content only from accounts you follow, it learns your interests and surfaces relevant content from anyone – making it possible for a hotel with zero followers to reach millions of potential guests overnight.

Since launching in 2016, TikTok has grown into one of the most influential platforms in the world. While its audience skews younger, its strategic value for hoteliers is universal.

What sets TikTok apart from other platforms is how travelers actually use it. Many now use TikTok as a search engine to find visual reviews and destination inspiration. This means a presence on TikTok is no longer a nice-to-have – it's a baseline requirement for modern visibility.

The platform is also uniquely suited to hospitality. Its short-form format is built for "online traveling," letting you showcase rooms, amenities, atmosphere and local experiences without the high production costs of traditional advertising. You can give potential guests a genuine feel for what a stay looks like before they ever visit your website.

And perhaps most importantly: it's free.

Who uses TikTok for travel inspiration?

TikTok's travel community spans all age groups searching for authentic experiences. Younger travelers dominate the platform, but Millennials and Gen X users increasingly turn to TikTok for destination research.

• As of 2025, 24% of TikTok’s global audience is aged 35 and above. This segment increasingly seeks "value-based and informational" content over viral trends.
• Users are watching hotel TikTok content to preview rooms, amenities and local attractions.
• Many Gen Z now bypass traditional search and maps in favor of TikTok and Instagram for discovery.
• TikTok reports that 66% of its users say it's the most helpful platform for travel inspiration, outpacing traditional social media and search engines.

This is why your property must appear in their feeds when they search for travel content related to your destination.

Benefits of using TikTok in your hotel

Integrating TikTok into your marketing mix is about more than just following a trend. For hoteliers, the platform offers a set of advantages that traditional channels simply can't match:

Unmatched organic reach

Unlike platforms that limit your visibility to existing followers, TikTok's algorithm surfaces your content to travelers based on their interests and behaviors. This means a hotel with zero followers can reach millions of potential guests without spending a cent on advertising.

A direct line to travelers at the moment of inspiration

TikTok has become a primary travel discovery tool. When a traveler is actively searching for their next destination, your property can appear directly in their feed at exactly the right moment in their decision-making journey.

A free marketing channel with a low barrier to entry

Producing effective TikTok content requires creativity, not capital. There are no print costs, no media buys and no production crews required. A smartphone and a genuine brand voice are often more effective than polished advertising.

Authentic connection that builds trust before booking

Today's guests look for a connection with a brand before they click the book button. TikTok's short-form format lets you build that emotional connection at scale, giving potential guests a genuine feel for your property long before they visit your website.

Visibility among a growing and diverse travel audience

TikTok's reach spans generations. While younger travelers dominate the platform, many TikTok users say it's the most helpful platform for travel inspiration, outpacing traditional social media and search engines.

How to get started with TikTok for hotels

Starting your hotel’s TikTok presence requires more creativity than capital. Because the platform rewards authenticity and regular activity over polished production, you don't need a professional film crew to see results; a smartphone and a clear brand voice are often more effective.

Follow these steps to build a high-performing profile from the ground up:

• Switch to a business account: Set up your profile using your property name and select a business account to access professional analytics and link-in-bio features.
• Review successful hospitality creators: Watch how industry leaders and boutique properties showcase their spaces, tell stories and interact with their community.
• Prioritize consistency over perfection: Post regularly to stay favored by the algorithm and use the comments section to build real-time relationships with your audience.
• Focus on vertical storytelling: Ensure all content is filmed vertically and uses trending audio or voiceovers to maximize discoverability.

What content performs best for hotels on TikTok?

Stunning room tours with a view are a reliable way to drive engagement, but TikTok users also crave a look behind the curtain. Behind-the-scenes footage, like a bartender crafting a signature cocktail or a housekeeping team's satisfying room prep, performs exceptionally well because it feels human and authentic.

To help you get started, here are some proven content ideas to bring your property to life:

• The unfiltered guest experience: Create immersive room tours or "day in the life" snippets that show exactly what a stay feels like
• Behind-the-scenes storytelling: Introduce your team or showcase the preparation of a signature dish to humanize your brand
• Transformation videos: Add before-and-after footage of recent renovations or room styling that captivates and surprises
• Local area guides: Position your property as a destination expert by sharing neighborhood recommendations and hidden gems
• Local community integration: Feature the neighborhood artisans or local products that define your guest experience
• Guest reaction videos: Capture genuine surprise at your amenities to create a strong emotional connection
• Event highlights: Share clips from lobby activations or community events to show the energy and atmosphere of your space
• Food and beverage content: Prepare unique breakfast presentations and vibrant food content consistently generate the strongest viewer responses

9 proven TikTok strategies every hotel can apply

So now you know why you should start using TikTok in your hotel. It's time for the "how." Below are nine proven strategies to help you create content like a real influencer:

1. Create short and eye-catching videos

Within a few seconds, show that room with a breathtaking view that leaves your guests speechless. Draw attention with any detail that sparks curiosity and lets the viewer imagine their experience in your hotel.

2. Create consistent content

Regardless of how much behind-the-scenes content you create, there should be consistency between what you show on and off stage. If your rooms are fresh, bright and pristine, the backstage should also be (or appear to be) fresh, bright and pristine.

3. Be creative with authentic stories

Social media users dislike scripted, boring content. Creativity is highly valued on TikTok.

• Share genuine moments that reveal your property's personality.
• Film spontaneous interactions between staff and guests.
• Show unexpected details that make your location special.

Authentic storytelling connects with viewers more powerfully than rehearsed presentations.

4. Build partnerships with local stores and brands

This is a really powerful strategy. If your hotel doesn't offer breakfast, create content showing the coffee shop that serves the best coffee in town. This may also encourage the coffee shop to feature your hotel in its own content. Partner with local businesses to strengthen your local SEO for hotels presence while building community connections.

5. Collaborate with influencers or micro influencers

Influencers are TikTok users with millions of followers who get inspired by the content they share and often follow their recommendations. Micro influencers have fewer followers, but target a more specific niche. Both can help you reach a wider audience.

If an influencer posts a video enjoying a cocktail at your pool, chances are that many of their followers will start following your account. Many of them could end up becoming customers in the future.

6. Be loyal to your audience

If there's one piece of critical advice that should never be ignored, it's this:

Never leave a comment unanswered.

Interact with your followers, answer their queries and ask questions. If you can, engage in their posts too. This not only helps visibility on the platform, but also creates a genuine connection with your audience.

7. Involve your staff

Many of your employees likely enjoy appearing on camera, creating videos or showing their work. Take advantage of this by inviting them to showcase their workplace, their daily life at the hotel or how they spend their breaks. Audiences value seeing employees who are happy and engaged in their work.

8. Create your own branded hashtag

Create your own hashtag (e.g. #lifeatmews) using your hotel's name and add it to every post you publish on TikTok.

Then, share this hashtag in all your communications to encourage your guests create content and use it themselves. This allows users to click on the hashtag and view content shared by both your hotel and your guests.

This makes your branded hashtag a searchable collection of guest experiences. You can then track its usage through hotel performance reporting tools to measure engagement and adjust as needed.

9. Ask guests to share TikTok content

Many of your guests are frequent social media users. Ask them to include your hotel's hashtag every time they share content on their profiles. This can help your hotel reach a much larger audience interested in similar content. Guest-generated content is free and is often more valuable than paid promotion because it acts as authentical social proof that can influence booking decisions.

To make sure you leverage this, display your hashtag visibly throughout the property. Include it on room cards, menus and welcome materials. This way, it's convenient for a guest to include it in their videos and share content that promotes your hotel.

What content performs best for hotels on TikTok?

Stunning room tours with a view are a reliable way to drive engagement, but TikTok users also crave a look behind the curtain.

Behind-the-scenes footage, like a bartender crafting a signature cocktail or a housekeeping team’s satisfying room prep, performs exceptionally well because it feels human and authentic.

For example:

• Captivate your audience with transformation videos that show off recent renovations or "before and after" styling.
• Position your property as a destination expert by sharing local area guides.
• Don't forget the power of "the first look"; guest reaction videos capturing genuine surprise at your amenities create a strong emotional connection.
• Finally, lean into your F&B: unique breakfast presentations and vibrant food content consistently generate the strongest viewer responses.

How to measure TikTok success for hotels

Engagement metrics like follower growth and video views provide a baseline, but the real value for hoteliers lies in the quality of the connection.

High view counts are a vanity metric if they don't translate into guest intent or brand affinity.

To move beyond the surface, focus on these performance indicators:

• Feelings and community health: Monitor comment volume and response rates to gauge how well your storytelling resonates with your target audience.
• Conversion intent: Track profile visits and link clicks in your bio, as these are the primary drivers of traffic to your booking engine.
• Direct booking correlation: Analyze spikes in hotel real-time data and reservation data alongside TikTok activity to identify which content pillars are actually filling rooms.
• Shareability: High share counts indicate that your content is being used as a reference point for trip planning, extending your reach far beyond your current followers.

Measuring the commercial impact of social media doesn't have to be guesswork. By connecting your TikTok activity to your reservation and revenue data, you can identify exactly which content is driving bookings and which is simply generating noise. The goal is to move from vanity metrics to a clear, evidence-based picture of how TikTok is contributing to your bottom line.

Turn TikTok engagement into direct hotel bookings with Mews

The shift toward short-form video represents a fundamental change in how travelers find and choose where to stay. Success on the platform doesn't require a viral moment or a big production budget but authentic storytelling, consistent posting and a willingness to show the human side of your brand. Hotels that embrace this now will be best positioned to capture the next generation of guests.

To turn that engagement into revenue, you need the right infrastructure behind it. Mews is a hospitality operating system built to help hotels do exactly that, connecting your marketing efforts directly to bookings and guest experience.

With Mews, you can:

• Turn discovery into direct revenue: Link your TikTok bio to a high-converting booking engine, creating a frictionless path from video to reservation. A conversion-focused engine makes it faster and easier for potential guests to book, turning TikTok-inspired curiosity into confirmed stays.
• See how social drives stays: Combine your website analytics with real-time revenue and occupancy data in Mews to understand how social traffic converts, which offers resonate and where to focus spend.
• Keep guests engaged beyond check-in: Use Mews Guest Experience – from digital check-in to the virtual concierge – to continue the conversation after booking, surface upsells and deliver the seamless, mobile-first experience TikTok users expect.

As travelers continue to prioritize visual proof and community-driven recommendations, the hotels that win won't just be the ones creating the best content – they'll be the ones with the right systems in place to convert that attention into bookings.

Ready to connect your TikTok presence to real business results? Book a demo with Mews today.