"A picture is worth a thousand words". Photos tell a story about your property and can be one of your most powerful tools to attract potential guests. They play a critical role in the decision making process of travelers looking for a place to stay. Spending time to take high-quality photos of your property will go a long way.

According to a research done by Expedia,

"Hotel listings with high-quality photos have a 63% higher click-through rate than those without. And having just one photo, as opposed to none, increases the chances of booking by 225%"

High-quality photos help your property to stand out among the crowd on online travel agencies (OTAs). In fact, having the required number of high-quality photos on OTAs can help to improve your content score. OTA content score is a key factor in ranking properties based on the quality and completeness of content. A higher content score will increase your property's visibility on OTAs thereby increasing exposure and online bookings.

Here's a list of dos and don'ts of hotel photography to help you get started

DOs

  • Take photos in landscape orientation

  • Take a minimum of 4 photos of each room type including

    1. Photo of the bed

    2. Entire room

    3. View from room

    4. Bathroom

  • Take photos of the hotel exterior

  • Take photos of the reception/lobby area

  • Take photos of the facilities - eg. restaurant, gym, spa, breakfast, swimming pool, lift

  • Take photos of front desk staff smiling

  • Include photos of nearby attractions

DON'TS

  • Avoid photos with bad lighting

  • Avoid zooming in excessively

  • Avoid bathroom photos with toilet seat cover up

  • Avoid pictures with low definition/pixelation

Cameras on phones have become increasingly sophisticated. If you have no access to professional equipment, you can still take good pictures using a camera on your phone. Here are some tips on how to do so.

With these tips and tricks on hand, it's time to start snapping away!

To upload room photos to HMS for the Booking Engine, read this article.



Can't find your answer? Contact the ZUZU Helpline


Tags: Hotel photos, hotel photography tips, property photos, online bookings, OTA content score, hotel room images