O
nline hotel and resort advertising has become increasingly nuanced and complex. In 2026, a well-rounded strategy targets potential guests during the various stages of their travel planning, from initial research to the coveted final step: booking. That means hospitality teams need to cover all the bases — from Google Hotel Ads to paid social media campaigns.
Here, we’re taking a look at five of the most effective paid strategies for hotel and resort advertising, and what you need to know to implement them for your hospitality brand.
1. Metasearch Advertising
What It Is
Metasearch ads are a form of paid advertising in which a hotel’s real-time room rates, availability, and direct booking links show up on comparison platforms, such as Google Hotel Ads, TripAdvisor, and Kayak — often alongside listings from online travel agencies (OTAs).
In essence, metasearch aggregates information from multiple sources into a single view and takes potential bookers straight to a hotel or resort’s website. Google Hotel Ads, for example, allow hotels to display their pricing, availability, and reviews within Google’s ecosystem, including Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Travel.
How It Works
The metasearch ads pull live information, such as rates and room availability, from a hotel’s feed. When a traveler clicks an ad, they are sent directly to the property’s website to complete their reservation. For example, if someone searches “luxury hotels in Chicago” on Google, they’ll see a map, hotel prices, listings, and booking options appear as a Google Hotel Ad, complete with live prices and a “Book Now” button.
The cost of Google Hotel Ads, one of the top metasearch options for hotel and resort advertising, depends on the bidding model you choose. With a per-stay commission, hotels only pay when someone completes a stay. Cost-per-click (CPC) means you pay when someone clicks your ad, while percentage-based CPC requires brands to bid a percentage of their room rate for clicks.
The Benefits
- Metasearch ads reach travelers when they’re actively planning a trip and comparing accommodations, which increases the likelihood of conversion.
- Hotels and resorts can reach travelers directly and save on the high commission fees charged by OTAs.
- Smaller, independent hotels can compete for visibility alongside major international chains.
- Hotels and resorts can show up-to-date pricing and availability, ensuring that potential guests have accurate information.
2. Lookalike Audiences
What It Is
You know a lot about your return guests — their interests, traits, behaviors, and especially the fact that they love your property. So clearly, what you need is more people like these VIP frequent bookers. Lookalike targeting increases your customer base by targeting people with similar profiles.
How It Works
You provide a sample of your repeat visitors to ad platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Google, which then use their algorithmic wizardry to identify similar users and serve them your ads. Each platform has different targeting capabilities. For example, on Meta, advertisers can choose a percentage range indicating how closely the new audience should match the original list.
The Benefits
- Lookalike audiences typically have a higher average click-through rate than other audiences, sometimes by 90% or more, according to CustomerLabs.
- You don’t have to work hard to get the data you need to run lookalike campaigns — it’s all right there in your hotel CRM.
- By expanding your reach to a relevant audience, you’re growing brand awareness among people who are likely to love your destination, but might not have otherwise found it.
3. Retargeting Ads
What It Is
Retargeting involves reaching out to audiences who have interacted with your online presence in some way. They might have visited your website or clicked on an ad, but they haven’t progressed far enough down your marketing funnel to give you an email or phone number.
How It Works
To activate retargeting ads for your hotel, you’ll need to add tags to your website that use cookies and pixels to track visitors and their behavior. (You might want to use a third-party service to manage the technical aspects of this process.)
Your retargeting list might consist of anyone who’s visited your website in the last three months, if you want to cast a broader net. Or you can fine-tune it by showing personalized ads to visitors who landed on specific pages of your site, like your special offers page, but didn’t take the final step to book. Once you’ve got your list at the ready, you’re well prepared to run a campaign targeting the audience through display and social media ads.
The Benefits
- Retargeting generally helps users find what they were already looking for — that’s why the average click-through rate for retargeted ads is approximately 10 times higher than for standard display ads.
- Retargeting keeps your property top of mind for your audience, so they won’t forget it when they’re ready to book.
- With retargeting, you can personalize your ads based on visitors’ behavior on your site — for example, serving visitors to your restaurant page an ad featuring images of your best-loved dishes.
4. Paid Search
What It Is
Paid search on platforms like Google and Bing is central to hotel and resort advertising. It helps your property show up for travelers who know what they want and are serious about booking. For hospitality brands, paid search is a huge win because it’s the moment when consumers are closest to conversion.
How It Works
Paid search for hotels is a PPC advertising model in which properties bid on search keywords to appear at the top of search engine results, driving direct bookings instead of relying on OTAs. Properties can bid on long-tail keywords like “boutique wellness hotel in Colorado” or “rustic Adirondack lodge hotel” to reach couples seeking those specific experiences. These intent-driven searches often translate into immediate bookings.
The Benefits
- Paid search has high conversion potential because you’re speaking to motivated users who are poised to take action.
- The ROI for paid search is measurable via bookings, revenue, and cost per acquisition, providing ongoing insight into how to adjust your advertising budget.
- You can scale paid search spend as needed based on seasonality, occupancy, or promotions.
5. Paid Social Ads
What It Is
Paid social ads allow hospitality brands to tell visual, emotional stories that spark desire in daydreaming travelers. Whether it’s a seasonal Facebook ad showcasing nearby snowy slopes or an Instagram story linking to your limited-time flash sale, paid social ads target travelers based on their demographics, interests, and behaviors, guiding them from inspiration to booking.
How It Works
Paid social ads for hotels leverage platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to reach potential bookers. These ads help your hotel or resort make an impression (both metaphorically and in social media-speak!) that can eventually turn into a conversion.
The Benefits
- Paid social captures the essence of your property’s unique brand and the experiences guests will have.
- A strong social media presence builds brand awareness, trust, and long-term recognition.
- Advanced targeting with tools like geofencing and lookalikes helps your property reach new demographics and types of travelers.
Need support crafting an effective advertising strategy for your hotel or resort? Book a consultation with Hawthorn Creative to explore how we can help you craft ads that align with every stage of the guest journey and increase direct bookings. Find out more and schedule a consultation.