Landing a hotel collaboration, every traveller’s dream, right? Here’s how I managed to secure my first collab with only 1,000 followers.
I only sent emails to 8 hotels, received 2 responses that eventually turned into 1 collaboration.
My Instagram does not have any posts regarding hotel stays but this did not hinder me. If this is the case for you, just make sure that you have a variety of posts that are of high quality. This means that you will still be able to showcase your abilities even if you have no specific experience– hotels need to see what you are able to do for them.
I had already booked a trip to Paris for Valentines Day ’24, so I was focusing my effort around finding a hotel for this trip. To find hotels, I used Booking.Com. I was looking at mid-range hotels that had 4-star reviews as I did not want to waste my time applying to more expensive hotels with no experience. However, it was still important to me to choose places that I would stay in regardless of whether or not I collaborated with them. Reading the reviews is really important. Ask yourself these questions when looking at a hotel: Is it safe? What do the reviews say about the customer service? Are there photos missing that you could provide? What can you provide this business? If I liked the look of the hotel, I then decided to look for their social media accounts. I would make a list of the things that stood out to me, the ethos of the company, and things that I thought they would benefit from adding. I then used the social media accounts and hotel websites to find a personal email address for the press/socials department. I would recommend trying your hardest to find this email as it is more likely to reach the person that you need. A generic inbox can be used, but only when a specific one cannot be found.
It was important to me to make sure that I personalised every email that I sent. These people can smell a cookie cutter email miles away, so just put a little bit more effort into it and you will get the results that you want. It must be noted that I had pre-booked a hotel in Paris before I started sending out these emails, which has informed a lot of what I have written for this specific hotel. When sending to other hotels, I removed the bits that were not relevant. Be specific and make sure to highlight the things that you bring to the table. Make it about the hotel and what they are getting from the collaboration.
Here is the exact template that I used:
Dear…,
I hope this email finds you well.
My name is Jess and I run Jesstravelssolo, an Instagram account that centres around female solo travellers. I aim to empower other woman and help them feel confident when travelling by themselves by providing content that depicts the good, the bad, and the downright silly things that happen when solo travelling. I like to offer the best tips and tricks, recommendations, and itineraries for the places that I have visited.
I am planning a trip to Paris from 11/02/24 to 15/02/24 and I’m looking to collaborate with your hotel during my stay. I have booked a private room with you regardless as (insert hotel name) really stood out to me as a great place to stay. I was impressed by the cleanliness of the property, the locality, and the modern interior. Moreover, what I found particularly notable was the many reviews that depicted the hostel as a safe space; this is something that remains important to me and my followers. Hostels and hotels can often be places of vulnerability for female travellers, so it is reassuring to read several testimonials attesting to the safe environment you provide. The focus on communal areas also drew me in, the rooftop bar seems to be the ideal place to spend the night meeting people, sharing stories, and forging new friendships. I can see that there is a focus on sharing and community here that is ideal for the solo traveller. Your property will therefore be a great fit for my audience for the reasons outline above.
The current social media account for (insert hotel name) does a great job of depicting what life is like inside the hostel. However, I do think that there is something missing – shots of the hostel situated in its surroundings. As a solo female traveller, safety is key and being able to see the neighbourhood can often be the defining factor when choosing a place to stay. I personally need to see the complete picture. Do the streets look clean and well lit? Is the place accessible? Therefore, in exchange for a complimentary stay, I can offer UGC that can be displayed on your own Instagram page, as well as my own if you desire, to increase your audience reach and capture a new customer base. I think a focus on situating the hotel in its locality will benefit you greatly by establishing a broader picture of your hostel. I am also able to capture shots of the interior, if so desired, as well as the formulation of reels for your own personal social media accounts. I can do a combination of these to suit your needs.
Please find examples of my work attached.
I hope to speak with you soon to discuss further details.
Kind Regards,
Jess.
I also added a media kit (of sorts), I couldn’t really find too much on this in relation to travellers who create UGC (use generated content). So, I cannot wholly attest to whether this is correct or not. This is definitely something that I would want to improve upon as I grow my Instagram and land more collaborations.
Please find this down below.
Once you have sent the email off, you will need to prepare what packages you want to offer the hotel. The collaboration that I secured meant that I was delivering 10 photos, 1 reel, and 1 story to be posted on the hotel’s social media, and 1 carousel, 1 reel, and 1 story to be posted on my own social media account. It is hard to know what a reasonable amount is, the hotel may have their own thoughts and expectations on what they need so may help you in this regard.
In the name of transparency, the collaboration that I secured is not fully funded, I was given a significantly reduced nightly rate. I am happy with this because a) it is my first collaboration (I don’t have any media that resembles it either) and b) the dates that I chose are very highly sought after (valentines). I understand that some influencers would tell you not to take a collaboration unless it is fully funded. I don’t think this should be the case when you are looking for your first stay. It is important to balance getting experience under your belt with getting a discount/fee that is sufficient to cover the work you are doing. You can then leverage this properly when you are seeking to do your second collaboration. Do what is best for you – make sure you are happy with what is being offered. Do not agree to anything that you feel is exploiting you. Do not feel pressure from other social media influencers because they can often be bending the truth about work behind the scenes.
Negotiating is the next step. The hotel had emailed me back with a reduced rate that they were happy with, however I decided to see if they would go any lower so sent a rebuttal. I was nervous, I was worried that they would think I was asking too much and cut off the collab before it had even been set in stone. They responded saying they could not offer me what I had asked for, but they still reduced their rate from what was originally stated which I saw as a win. My advice is that you have to be confident in what you are asking for and be prepared that you will not always get it. If you don’t ask you don’t get at the end of the day.
Once both parties have decided upon the conditions of the collaboration, you can send over a contract if you so wish. This just legally binds the agreement. You also need to agree on when the deliverables would need to be completed by.
I hope you find this information helpful. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you want more information.
@jesstravelssolo