Beautiful photography that grabs the attention of potential guests—and that showcases all the features your property has to offer—is one of the most effective ways to secure online bookings. In fact, our research shows that 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%!
In our global marketplace, we know first-hand how images have real power in hotel booking conversion. But capturing great photos doesn’t have to be complicated—or break your budget. Get started with a few key hotel photography tips:
1. Set the right expectations
Before you or a photographer start shooting, it can be useful to brainstorm about what you’re offering. That’s because the images you choose can do more than showcase the quality of your property. They can also reflect the kind of experience your guests will have when they stay with you. Develop a shot list with images that:
- Tell a story
What experiences do your guests want to have and what can your hotel offer them? When a potential guest looks at pictures, they may imagine themselves having a family-friendly relaxing day, a romantic getaway or even a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Whatever it is that differentiates your property - the colors, the lighting, choice of amenities or local attractions - can help tell a specific story. Soft lighting, muted color tones, clean lines, candles, flowers, and simplicity can tell one story, for instance, while a brilliant array of city lights and wine splashing into a glass can tell another. This is your chance to tell the best story for your property, so you attract the right guests.
- Are genuine
You want to inspire your guests; they should be able to envision themselves staying at your property. And that inspiration must be built on trust. Our research shows that exaggerated images and skewed perspectives, such as photos taken with fisheye or telephoto lenses, can arouse suspicion or be distracting. Photos should look natural and reflect reality. This approach will help you set the right expectations, which will better assure that your guests will have the experience they expect when they book.
2. Prioritize key photos
You’ll want to aim for approximately 20 property photos for a small hotel, or up to 100 for large hotels. This may seem like a lot, but our research shows that having this full set of pictures, from each kind of room, to each amenity, is key to getting travelers to see themselves staying there. At a minimum, to convince someone to book, you’ll want to curate the following:
- Four images per room type: Properties that have unique photos for each room type have 11% higher conversion rates, on average. These four images should include at least one shot of the view from the room, one of the kitchen (if applicable) and one of the bathroom. Don’t leave this out! 60% of travelers rate being able to see a bathroom beforehand as very important.
- Show the exterior: Make sure that there’s at least one photo of the property from the outside, to give travelers a sense of setting and environment.
- Local attractions: Also recommended, especially for urban properties, is a photo of the surrounding location or local attractions. Travelers rank location very highly.
- Amenities: You’ll want a high-quality image of each amenity, such as a pool, dining area, or fitness area. If there’s a restaurant at the property you’d like to showcase, be sure to add an image or two of its signature dishes.
- Be welcoming: Don’t forget a photo of the entrance or lobby, to ensure travelers can envision showing up and feeling welcomed.
- Choose the best primary image: This is the photo that appears first in your listing and first in searches. It should, therefore, highlight what’s most unique and tell the most accurate story about your listing, whether it’s a beachfront cottage or a styled suite. Primary images shouldn’t be peripheral areas such as dining areas, bathrooms, or fitness centers, and should, of course, be enticing.
- High resolution: Each image should be high-resolution, or at least a recommended 2,880 pixels on the photo’s longest side. This makes a huge difference. One case study of a property in Florida found a 136 percent sales increase after the owners simply uploaded new photos at a higher resolution. In this day and age, you likely won’t need a DSLR to capture a high-resolution image—most mobile phones have you covered. We’ll talk more about mobile photography later.
3. Room-by-room photo tips
According to our research and marketplace insights, here are the details that matter most to travelers for each type of room:
Guest room photos
- Use natural light: Artificial light is harsh and often doesn’t illuminate a room in the gentle, flattering way natural light can. Open those curtains!
- Show the view: Our research suggests that travelers appreciate views of stunning vistas just as much as property details. A room with a view can inspire a booking.
- Avoid clutter: Among the biggest turn-offs, besides out-of-focus, low-resolution, or distorted images, is an image that’s too busy. Tidying up the room first, down to every last wrinkle in the bedspread, helps keep images clean, smooth and appealing. Leave out any material that has text or brand names on it, and, if possible, leave out TV remotes, vents, and trash cans.
- New angles: Take shots from different corners of the room. Try some shots with diagonal lines to give a sense of space; try others straight on, taking care to align the camera with one of the walls (in other words, as vertically as possible). Opt for an equal amount of floor and ceiling to give a sense of balance.
- Reduce glare: Consider reflections and glare, especially when photographing a bathroom. You don’t want the image of a photographer in the mirror or a white glint that takes over the whole image.
Common area photo tips
- New and noteworthy: Showcase what’s unique on your property. Is there a striking statue in the foyer or a piano in the lobby? Is the artwork bright and colorful? Flatter the entrance to the building and the common areas with warm, well-lit photographs that feel generous and welcoming.
- Dining: If there’s a restaurant in the building, photograph it empty. A good rule of thumb is to leave people and pets out of your images, including in a restaurant. It’s less distracting and helps guests imagine themselves there.
- Styling: Try for a photo of the common area that has flair or drama. Perhaps a shot of a staircase or an indoor water feature from above, for example.
Location photo tips
- Showing off the community, neighborhood, or landscape surrounding your property can be one of its primary selling points. But if you’re choosing to highlight a local landmark, make sure to choose one that’s visible and accessible from the hotel. Overpromising about the proximity of a local attraction can lead to disappointment.
- Use the golden hour. Outdoor photography in particular shines during the soft, glowing light just after sunrise or just before sunset. Shooting at these times can bring out the shapes, colors, and full, three-dimensional appeal of a place.
- Don’t forget to photograph your outside amenities, such as the bicycles you rent or a garden or walking trail nearby.
4. DIY smartphone photography
Thanks to the evolution of smartphones, chances are you have an excellent HD camera in your pocket. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of it. That being said, most of the following recommendations can apply to other kinds of cameras, too.
Lighting
- Again, use natural light as much as possible. Try the golden hour if you’ve got big windows or are shooting outside. When the light is very bright outside, it can create too sharp of a contrast with a dark room.
- Use your body to help get the right light balance. When a light source is at your back or at one side or the other, it can nicely illuminate what’s in the photo. If you’re facing the light source, it can create dark silhouettes.
- Avoid the flash. Illuminate dark rooms with a gentle lamp or two. If your images are still a little dark, try adjusting the exposure, brightness, shadows and highlights while post-editing on your mobile phone or in a free app.
- Adjust exposure. Setting the right exposure can get you the image you need without having to use a flash. Allowing more light into the lens in dim environments, or restricting that light in bright environments, results in a richer, more balanced photo.
Composition
- Use the rule of thirds. A famous concept in photography, the “rule of thirds” refers to the process of mentally slicing up your image by two horizontal lines and two vertical lines so that you end up with nine equal squares. Studies show that the four focal points in the center of this grid are where the human eye usually falls. Aligning the important parts of your photo with these focal points and gridlines creates a balanced and pleasing image. For example, the line of a horizon at sunset, or the line of the guest room bed, will likely look best lined up with the bottom third of this grid, not straight through the middle of the frame.
- Use gridlines. To help you with the rule of thirds—and with keeping your verticals as straight as possible—turn on the gridlines feature on your camera or in your smartphone’s settings. This helps create a strong composition and prevent things from getting tilted or skewed. The gridlines don’t show up in your image; they just help you compose it.
- Get low. Sometimes surprisingly effective images happen when you squat down and try getting a different view. A plush bed can look even more plush if photographed from below shoulder height.
- Get back. Some small spaces can feel larger if you’re up on a chair in the corner, shooting from above. But to avoid distortion, try backing up into the corner as much as possible, and let your own body’s position show the space at its widest.
Smartphone-specific hotel photo tips
- Try to use HD (High Definition) or HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode. This can be adjusted in settings. This mode grabs more detail from very bright and very dark parts of your photos, resulting in higher quality images with more depth and fuller color.
- Don’t zoom. Smartphones don’t have the kinds of lenses that regular cameras do; the built-in digital zoom ends up creating fuzzy, pixelated images.
- Avoid built-in filters. While it can seem fun to try a smartphone filter or effect, these techniques often end up being distracting. Try using natural light, adjusting exposure, and bumping up the contrast just a bit instead.
- Try lots of shots. Even if you’re taking large photos, most phones have plenty of storage these days. Try different angles, positions, and exposures to make sure you capture the best image possible.
- Check your work. Make sure to review your final smart-phone photos on both a desktop computer screen as well as a mobile phone to make sure no details are cropped out or lost in pixelation.
Your property has so much to offer. You just want to make sure your online listing shows that off. Whether you hire a photographer or snap the photos yourself, all you need are a couple dozen strong images that tell a story, and you’re already way ahead.
With Expedia Group’s Partner Central, you can move even faster by uploading your hotel photos right to your listing—directly from your smartphone with our mobile app.
