Unlocking your hotel brand’s unique story and using it to connect with your guests

There’s a Scottish proverb that says the act of telling a story is to talk to someone “eye to eye, mind to mind, heart to heart.”

There’s no better way to describe the emotional connection you make in storytelling. That’s as true for brands as it is for a child’s bedtime story.

Your hotel brand story n is far more than a marketing slogan, it’s the should of your business. It needs to highlight what it is that makes your brand special. As your business expands into new properties, it’s all-important to refine your story to reflect that growth. You want to bring existing customers with you and also connect with an expanded audience.

Here’s how to uncover the elements of hotel storytelling that will bring your brand to life and create that all-important emotional resonance: the heart to heart that leads your audience to click “book now”.

What is hotel storytelling and why does it matter for growth?

Hotel brand storytelling encompasses the series of events and choices – and perhaps even coincidences – that culminated in your company's inception. It's the narrative that underpins why your hotel brand exists, what problems you aim to solve, and the values that drive your mission.

But it's more than just a historical account; it's an ongoing narrative that shapes your hotel brand identity and influences its future. Your brand story isn't static; it evolves as your company grows and adapts to new challenges. As you grow your brand to include new hotel styles or fresh locations, you’ll need to continually shape and refine your narrative. In this way, you can ensure that your brand remains relevant, engaging, and inspiring to your audience.

A well-crafted brand story does more than simply inform; it forges a powerful emotional connection with your audience. It makes them remember your brand, not just for its amenities or price, but for what you stand for. When done well, hotel storytelling will inspire your guests to empathise with your struggles, celebrate your triumphs, and ultimately, to invest in the narrative and care about your brand's journey.

This emotional resonance is your brand’s ultimate differentiator in a crowded marketplace. It's what transforms customers into loyal advocates who share your story with others. It's what builds a community around your hotel brand, a community that shares your values and believes in your mission.

Crafting your origin story

Tell the story of how your hotel brand began. What sparked the initial idea, and why? You need to be clear about the brand experience for your guests – it’s an origin story with a twist. You’re not just explaining how you started and what you stand for, you’re telling a story about why that matters to them.

Clever hotel storytelling makes the guest the hero of the story, with a need or a problem to overcome. In the story, your hotel brand steps in to provide the solution and resolution with its unique offering. Your brand story is about your guest.

Uncover your ‘why’

Delve into the core reason behind your company's inception. What sparked that initial idea? What specific problem were you uniquely positioned to solve, or what significant gap did you identify in the market?

The guest as hero: Position your guest as the hero of the story, facing a need or a problem (e.g., a desire for authentic cultural immersion, a quest for unparalleled luxury, a search for sustainable travel options).

Your brand as the guide: Your hotel brand then steps in as the insightful guide, offering the unique solution and resolution through its distinct offerings. This narrative twist transforms your brand's beginning into a story about your guest's journey and fulfillment.

Paint a vivid picture: Describe your company's initial aspirations, the "aha!" moment, and how your unique approach (e.g., being the first luxury hotel of its kind in the region, offering a deeply immersive local experience, creating a contemporary oasis in a traditional setting) directly addresses the guest's needs.

Keep it authentic

Beyond solving a problem, what truly sets you apart? What was the spark that ignited your distinct identity?

Founders' passion: Was it a family legacy, a personal passion for travel, or a revolutionary idea? Humanize your origins by sharing the passion and vision of the founders.

Unique approach: Explain what you set out to do differently and why. Was it a commitment to sustainable practices from day one, an innovative design philosophy, or a dedication to hyper-personalized service? This "difference" is a key part of your story.

Evolve as you grow

As your brand grows, you’ll need to adapt yourorigin story without losing your core authenticity.

Consistent Core, Flexible Details: Identify the immutable elements of your origin story that remain consistent across all properties (e.g., the founding vision for hospitality, the core values).

Go local with narrative threads: Allow new properties to link back to your origins. If your first hotel had a focus on art, keep that narrative thread by connecting with a local movement or famed local artist.

Remain relevant: Ensure that the original "problem solved" or "gap filled" remains relevant to the audiences of your new locations.

The guest experience

Your brand story isn't just told in words; it's lived through every aspect of the guest experience. As your brand expands, you’ll need to make sure that this lived story remains consistent throughout all your properties.

The signature story

You need to define which guest experiences will always be the same, no matter which property people visit. Perhaps your hotel brand is focused on hyper-personalisation with a choice of options for every tiny preference? This needs to be executed flawlessly across all locations.

Or perhaps you have a heritage brand, with deep-rooted family history then showcase the values on which the brand was built across the portfolio.

Make your storytelling sensory. How does your brand sound, smell and feel? Ambient music, signature scents and carefully chosen textiles, such as luxurious linens, all help replicate the brand experience in different places.

Of course, there will also be ways in which the messaging differs from location to location, according to local challenges or unique cultural highlights. The key here is to make sure that your core brand story is consistent while allowing it to adapt in certain ways.

When developing your brand for hotel expansion, think of your core story as a branch and the individual properties as leaves on the branch. Everything from the in-room elements to the front desk service to the restaurant should reflect the story you want to tell and the lifestyle you want to deliver.

Highlight how each property provides authentic, culturally immersive experiences tied to its specific location. This could be through showcasing regional artists, featuring local ingredients on menus or offering curated activities and excursions.

Social impact and sustainability

Beyond light-hearted and humorous anecdotes, there are also more pressing issues to make a part of your hotel storytelling. Sustainable travel and social impact are two such issues that are increasingly important to travellers. A 2021 survey found that 69 per cent is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of their trip and 83 per cent say that they want to reduce energy consumption when travelling.

As you grow your hotel brand, you’ve very likely already given a lot of thought to these issues and are taking responsible steps to make each location more sustainable and supportive of its local community. But are you communicating these initiatives to your guests? Make sure your hotel shares its stories of how you’re working to make a positive difference.

Ensure transparency and specificity. Move beyond vague statements. Share stories of how you're working to make a positive difference at each property.

Whether it’s replacing chemical cleaners with eco-friendly products, installing energy-efficient heating and cooling devices, or partnering with local farms to receive fresh ingredients with low food miles, explain these decisions to customers in an engaging and friendly way. 

You can use your own blog, sustainable travel magazines, or your social media content to get an authentic message of sustainability across.

Brand vision

As well as your history and origin, it’s also important to share your vision for the future. Where is your hotel brand going and what does it want to achieve? Why should your guests want to come along for the ride?

Encapsulated in mission and vision statements, a brand vision starts with a company’s brand identity, and maps its future trajectory, influenced by its brand values. A brand vision should ideally establish a sense of purpose for your hotel brand and its target audience.

A mission statement can help inform what actions you take in the present to get to your future goals, clarify your vision for hotel expansion or development of new services, and develop a customer-centric company approach. It provides the framework for your future, serving as a compass, pointing towards a brand's desired future.By providing clarity on the problem the business seeks to solve and defining the actions that will lead to the solution, you are reiterating to your customers exactly why your hotel brand should matter to them, building brand loyalty and increasing buy-in.

Unlock a unique narrative for your hotel storytelling with Peregryn

By crafting your origin story and vision for the future and tying those details into the customer experience, you can unlock a way to tell your story with emotional resonance. As your hotel brand grows, a solid storytelling strategy will cement your hotel’s brand identity into the hearts and minds of your target audience.

At Peregryn, we are experienced storytellers specializing in the hospitality sector. We don't just write narratives; we help hotel brands uncover their authentic voice and transform it into compelling, engaging stories that resonate. Our expertise ensures your brand's narrative engages, compels, and builds the emotional connections that drive lasting loyalty and growth.

Peregryn agency can help transform your hotel brand identity. Get in touch to find out more.

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