We’ve all seen hotel and resort videos like this: they start with sweeping drone footage of the property and then move into some empty rooms and interiors. They might include shots of property features like the pool or spa. If you’re lucky, you might see a few people at the bar or eating dinner, but the primary focus isn’t on the guest experience, it’s on the amenities. No matter how expensive the shoot, no matter how beautiful the scenery, these videos all have one thing in common – they don’t inspire action. If your destination marketing video isn’t telling a story and sharing the experience of staying at your property, then it was a waste of money. Because, when it comes down to it, travelers aren’t buying a stay at your hotel – they’re buying an experience in your destination. Your video content needs to sell that experience.
Here are a few examples that set the bar, including one we created for Wentworth by the Sea.
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When we set out to create a video for the stunning Wentworth by the Sea, an Opal Collection property in New Castle, New Hampshire, we knew we wanted to break the mold. We were determined to challenge the status quo and create a resort marketing video that not only highlighted this elegant New England resort and spa, but also showcased the experience guests could expect from their stay. Most marketing videos in the hospitality industry focus on what they want travelers to see or know about their property. Instead, we always ask ourselves and our clients: What do we want our prospective guests to feel? From there, we can tell the kind of story that will evoke those emotions and resonate deeply with our client’s target audience.
Buaha, a Banyan Tree Escape
Bali, Indonesia
Apart from a few glimpses of the property, this stunning video from Banyan Tree Group is all about the serenity you’ll experience here, from a yoga hammock on an open-air patio to a pool with a view that will take your breath away. Yes, there are images of this spectacular resort and some of its amenities throughout the video, but they’re integrated with images of the local culture, including landscapes, people, and opportunities. The resort-focused scenes are also presented against a backdrop of spa-inspired music and slow camera movements that bring you into the moment and answer not just the what but the why.
The Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
This tantalizing marketing video from The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas never shows the resort, or one room, or one amenity. But it leaves no doubt about what it’s like to stay there. Aptly titled “Behind Closed Doors,” the scenes are alluring, a little bit naughty, and perfectly aligned with the resort’s brand, voice, and tone. We love this video because of its expert use of music, effects, editing, and imagery to convey emotion and experience, without ever speaking a word. (If you’d like to see a straightforward property video, they make plenty of those too. But this is the one that screams “Come out to Vegas, and let’s play!”).
Four Seasons Resorts
Worldwide
This video, which promotes the Four Seasons brand across all its properties, uses voiceover to create a rich experience that invites viewers to slow down and enjoy some time away from the rat race. It begins with images that speak to being busy and inundated with communication, then switches to iconic images like horses galloping through a field and kids on a beach to tell the story of disconnecting, along with phrases like “We are for people who crave more,” “We believe in enriching human stories,” and “We believe that the best journeys are not planned, but discovered.” The types of imagery shown – mostly luxury adventures, including an African safari – speak directly to the Four Seasons’s target audience as well.
Timberline Lodge
Mount Hood, Oregon
We do a lot of work with ski resorts, and one thing that’s always important to us is to capture the guest experience not just during ski season, but during the summer months too. This video, produced by Timberline Lodge (you may recognize it as the exterior of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining), does a brilliant job capturing life at the resort not only mountainside, but poolside as well. There’s an extra layer of nostalgia in this video – as one of the nation’s oldest resorts and a National Historic Landmark, the Timberline offers guests a chance to travel back in time and become part of history. Their philosophy, “a firm respect for its tradition yet a forward-leaning sense of innovation,” is perfectly conveyed through vintage photographs and videos combined with modern-day imagery and amenities.