We all know that budgeting season can be stressful, especially if you work with global hotel brands – like me – where the process can take months. But creating a solid marketing budget doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Think of it as your hotel’s roadmap to growth and success.

Here are three essential tips I wish I’d known when I created my first hotel marketing budget:

1. Focus on ROI-Driven Channels

Not all marketing channels are created equal. Review your past performance data and increase spending on channels that consistently deliver strong returns. For hotels, this often includes paid search, retargeting campaigns, or Google Hotel Ads that drive direct bookings.

2. Align with Hotel Commercial Goals

Your marketing budget should reflect the broader commercial goals of your hotel. Are you looking to increase direct bookings, improve brand visibility, or promote a new experience? Work closely with your revenue and operations teams to ensure your marketing investments support these objectives and are aligned with the same goals.

Trust me, you don’t want to be in a situation where you have to launch a new experience or run a photoshoot that wasn’t budgeted at all!

Here’s a quick tutorial that will help you go through some thought-provoking questions to help you not only plan your budget, but also will be the foundation of your marketing plan for next year.

3. Content is Still the King – and will continue to be!

Content is your hotel’s digital asset. Set aside a dedicated budget for creating high-quality, evergreen content that boosts brand awareness and keeps your hotel top of mind. This includes video marketing, social media storytelling, and partnerships with content creators. Consider having separate budgets for content production and media buying.

Bonus tip!

Don’t forget to set aside some budget for tools, resources & subscriptions – mainly AI tools, Project Management tools to help your team become more productive, or subscriptions like Canva or ManyChats.

By following these tips, you can build a marketing budget that supports your hotel’s growth while making the process more manageable. And if you’re ready to take action here are some useful resources that will help you save endless time doing the guess work!

Got questions or additional tips?

Let’s keep the conversation going down in the comments