Expanding your hotel brand: A guide to consistent growth
- Arnold
- May 26
- 8 min read
The hospitality industry is a dynamic and ever-evolving sector. It’s about so much more than finding a place to sleep. Today’s guests want immersive experiences and authentic connections. And they want to share all their adventures on social media.
The latest Mckinsey report on the industry included a host of experiential elements that travellers list as important, from the range of local activities to dining experiences, authenticity and the novelty of a place.
And with the worldwide hotel and resort market sector reaching a value of $1.8 trillion this year, Instagrammable interiors and clever content marketing tricks aren’t just stylistic choices, they also represent big business.
For brands with a hotel expansion strategy, maintaining a unified and compelling identity across every new property is not just a best practice; it's a non-negotiable for sustainable growth and long-term success.
As your hotel brand embarks on its journey of expansion, the imperative to uphold your core identity intensifies. You need to set hotel brand standards that ensure a seamless and unified experience across all properties, safeguarding your reputation and fostering unwavering guest loyalty.
Hotel branding and why it is important for expansion
Your brand is more than just your logo. It encompasses the entirety of your guests' journey, from the first touchpoint with your digital presence to the subtle nuances of your staff's uniforms and the consistent ambiance of your lobbies. You want your guests to feel the values of your brand in every interaction, no matter which location they choose.
Consistency is the bedrock of a successful brand expansion and it’s vital to have a strong hotel brand identity in place to keep that consistency in place during the expansion of your hotel brand.
This identity should articulate shared characteristics, values and experiences that you promise to deliver. You need to tell your hotel’s brand story in a compelling way and embody these elements to solidify your reputation and build brand loyalty.
For expanding brands, a strong, consistent identity translates directly into:
Reduced marketing costs: A unified brand means central marketing efforts resonate across all properties.
Enhanced guest trust and loyalty: Guests know what to expect and trust the experience, leading to higher retention rates.
Operational efficiency: Clear brand standards streamline training and operations across diverse teams and locations.
Increased asset value: A cohesive brand portfolio can command higher valuations and attract more favorable investment opportunities.
Competitive differentiation: A strong brand stands out in crowded markets, making new property launches more impactful.
Crafting a cohesive hotel branding strategy
In today’s competitive landscapes, you want to leverage a range of tools and techniques to help you create and maintain a cohesive brand experience. Make sure your hotel brand is up-to-the-mark, by considering the following points.
Leverage data for strategic expansion
You have a whole world of information at your fingertips if you know how to use it. Think demographic data, psychographics, travel patterns, and competitive landscapes to identify optimal locations for new properties. Analyse guest profiles and preferences across your portfolio to ensure new properties will appeal to them. And guest satisfaction surveys help you see where improvements can be made and help you ensure consistency.
Develop comprehensive guidelines
A brand book is your sacred text as an expanding brand. It makes sure every team member, partner, and new property understands and implements your brand's identity flawlessly. When it comes to communication in the hotel industry, consistency is key.
Visual identity: Define logo usage, colour palettes (with exact HEX/RGB codes), typography, photography style, and iconography. Include examples of both correct and incorrect application.
Verbal identity and tone of voice: Outline the brand's personality, approved language, messaging frameworks, and specific vocabulary to use (and avoid) in all communications – from website copy to guest service scripts.
Service standards and protocols: Detail the expected guest experience, staff interaction guidelines, uniform standards, and operational procedures that reflect your brand's values.
Architectural and interior design principles: Provide guidelines for the physical manifestation of your brand, ensuring new properties resonate with the established aesthetic while allowing for local adaptation.
Digital presence guidelines: Stipulate rules for social media engagement, website content, email marketing, and online review responses.
Supplier and partner integration: Define how third-party vendors and partners should align with your brand's standards.
Dazzle with consistent visuals
From the moment a guest finds your hotel online through to the experience they enjoy at the property, you need to be presenting visual consistency for a joined-up brand experience. Simple things like digital asset management ensures all teams have access to approved high-quality imagery as needed. While each property can have unique elements, you need to keep the core design principles the same to ensure an overall aesthetic. And when it comes to signage and wayfinding, merchandise and collateral, every item should reinforce your brand.
Set a benchmark service standard
Your staff are your brand ambassadors and as you expand, you want to ensure you maintain that same dedication to service that you built your business on. Standardised training programmes help instill brand values, service protocols, and guest engagement techniques. At each property, empower those key staff members who can act as internal brand ambassadors, ensuring standards are met. By establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) for elements such as guest satisfaction, you can monitor brand delivery. And regular audits and mystery shopper programmes help give you insights into how service is being implemented at property level.
How to craft a tone of voice for your brand
Imagine your hotel brand is a person. How would they speak? Would they be chatty, casual and easy-going? Serious, wise, and well-informed? Do they have immaculate grammar, or do they throw in a few slang words?
Developing a distinct tone of voice helps you connect with your audience on an emotional level and build a memorable ı. Here’s how to define and implement a tone of voice that truly represents your brand and makes that all-important connection.
Be human
Assign human attributes to your brand to get a clearer picture of its personality, for example is it friendly or sophisticated? Maybe it's adventurous or cosy. This provides a clear framework for creating messaging that resonates with guests on a relatable, human level.
Know your target audience
Who are you trying to attract and what appeals to them? Research your ideal guest to get an idea of what they’re looking for from their preferred hotel brands. Research their communication styles, pain points, and aspirations to tailor your tone of voice effectively.
Define your hotel brand's values
What are the core beliefs and principles that make your brand unique? Ensure these values shine through in every piece of communication, reinforcing your brand promise.
Create a buyer persona
It can be very helpful to build a character as a persona of your ideal customer. This helps you understand how your brand would "speak" to them to make a genuine connection, fostering a sense of familiarity and trust.
Know your competition
Make sure you’re familiar with what your rivals are doing and how they communicate. You can get inspiration, but also make sure you’re distinguishing yourself sufficiently with an original voice.
Support your teams
Include specific examples of your brand's TOV in your brand book. Conduct workshops for marketing, sales, and guest service teams across all properties to ensure consistent application.
How to deliver a consistent guest experience
Guests want to know what to expect from your brand. If you’re looking to improve guest experience, start with a strong hotel brand strategy that ensures consistency across all touchpoints.
Personalise your service
It may seem counterintuitive, but in hospitality, discernment is a part of consistency. By leveraging centralised guest profiles and CRM data, staff at any property can access previous stay preferences, allowing for tailored services that create a consistently positive, personalised experience.
Invest in staff training
Empower your staff by training and incentivising them to be brand champions who embody your brand values. Great staff morale makes for better and more consistent engagement with guests. Develop e-learning modules, regular refreshers, and cross-property exchange programs to ensure all employees understand and embody your brand values.
Create feedback loops
Make sure you have an ongoing way to collect, analyse, and act on feedback from guests. It’s a cost-effective method to maintain a high standard of service and understand where and how you can innovate. Include online review management (Google, Tripadvisor, OTAs), direct guest surveys (post-stay emails), and internal staff feedback channels
Maintain the boutique element
This is a key part of your hotel expansion strategy. While core brand elements must be consistent, you also want to incorporate local preferences and characteristics where appropriate. For example, local art installations, regionally inspired F&B options, or culturally sensitive service nuances can make individual locations feel unique and authentic within your brand.
Growing your brand through communication
Hotel expansion brings new challenges and opportunities. Make sure you keep your team aligned and your guests informed with clear messaging. Effective communication in the hotel industry needs to leverage both internal and external messages to navigate the complexities of developing your brand while expanding.
Here are some key elements to ensure effective messaging across all touchpoints.
Create a brand book
As mentioned before, a brand book is a cornerstone of maintaining consistency as you expand. It provides clear, actionable guidance to all staff members across every property. And that becomes even more critical with new property acquisitions or openings, acting as a rapid onboarding tool for new teams
Select strategic communication channels
Social media is a great tool, but you need to choose your platforms wisely and know how to tweak your messages to make them appropriate for each one. Look at creating localised digital campaigns, targeting specific markets. Distribute press releases online to boost backlinks to your website, speak to industry publications and consider partnerships with relevant influencers. When it comes to email marketing, begin with segmentation to deliver targeted news and offers, and make sure your website is always up-to-date with information about new properties, bookings and useful content.
Embrace authenticity
In an era of hyper-connectivity, customers can quickly discern inauthenticity. Transparent, clear communication that genuinely represents your brand cultivates deep loyalty and encourages repeat bookings. Avoid “greenwashing” or making claims you can't back up; let your actions speak volumes.
Inspire your audience
Take a storytelling approach to connect with your audience on an emotional level. Create a blog or dedicated content hub on your website that inspires would-be travellers with destination guides, local experiences, and narratives. And use high-quality photography and videography that consistently captures the essence of your brand and the unique character of each property.
Telling your story during expansion
What makes your brand special? What experiences do you want your guests to have? Create a blog or dedicated content hub on your website that inspires would-be travellers with destination guides, local experiences, and narratives. And use high-quality photography and videography that consistently captures the essence of your brand and the unique character of each property.
Here's how to uncover the elements of great hotel storytelling to bring your brand to life.
Brand origins
Everyone loves an origin story. Tell the story of how your hotel brand began, its purpose, goals and values. Humanise the story and build an emotional connection with your audience to engage them. Explain why you exist and what problem you set out to solve for travellers.
Brand journey
It’s okay to show vulnerability. Talk about the challenges you've faced along the way and how you overcame them. Importantly, highlight how your expanding hotel brand has adapted, innovated, and grown to meet evolving guest needs and market demands.
Guest experience
Explain how your brand journey directly aligns with that of the customer. By showcasing how you adapted to new requirements and expectations, you’re demonstrating profound understanding and making a powerful connection. Start by sharing testimonials and success stories from guests across your portfolio.
Social impact and sustainability
Today’s guests demand more than greenwashing. Clearly explain your brand initiatives to incorporate changes in the face of environmental challenges to become more sustainable. Give concrete examples of actions whether it's reducing plastic waste, supporting local communities near your new properties, or investing in renewable energy.
Brand vision
Engaged and loyal customers will follow you on your journey. Where do you see your brand going in the future? What new experiences are you planning? Entice guests to want to join you on this exciting mission, showcasing how their continued loyalty contributes to your brand's positive impact and growth.
Expanding your brand alongside your hotel expansion strategy
Successful hotel brand expansion requires a carefully orchestrated strategy that prioritises consistency at every touchpoint. With the guidance of an experienced hotel branding agency, you can craft a cohesive strategy that seamlessly integrates with your overall business expansion plans.
At Peregryn Agency, we specialise in empowering hospitality brands, from hotel brand strategy and identity through to content marketing. Our team of SEO experts, skilled copywriters, and brand development professionals will help you craft your story for maximum impact and consistent growth across your portfolio.
