More experiences, fewer ‘things’

While amenities are crucial to the guest experience, they’re no longer enough to differentiate one property from another. Not on their own. Today’s premium traveller craves something more meaningful: soul, personality, vibe.

They want to feel like what they’re buying – hotel room, dinner reservation, or another experience – is different and special. They’re want that Rolls-Royce feeling.

We know that almost 4 out of 5 travellers prioritise a hotel’s ‘vibe’ when making booking decisions. We know that spending on experiences is up 65%, compared to 12% for ‘things’, since 2019.

There is an unignorable industry shift towards delivering experiences, particularly for premium and luxury brands. The question is, what’s the most effective way to sell experiences in your marketing?

One powerful answer, you guessed it, is storytelling.

Every touchpoint should feel like ‘being there’

Your biggest differentiator as a luxury brand isn’t what you have – it’s how you make people feel. Storytelling can turn an abstract promise (like a uniquely relaxing and comfortable stay) into something readers believe with utter conviction.

A great example is our recent work with Hotel Excelsior in Venice. It’s a five-star hotel and beach resort just a few minutes from the bustling, historic centre of Venice. It would be easy to vapidly describe the benefits. To say, “we’re an extraordinary oasis of calm”.

But to immerse the reader in the experience, to let them feel what it’s like to be here, we needed copy that was more active, sensory, and specific; copy that could only be Hotel Excelsior.

Four quick ways to tell better stories

There’s no sixty-second hack for weaving storytelling and experiential copy into your marketing. There are, however, some simple techniques that can move your copy in the right direction. Here are a few potent, actionable steps you could implement today.

1. Maintain your tone of voice

Your unique tone of voice should be applied at all times, in all places. If you swapped the room descriptions for The Savoy and Virgin Hotels, any reader would instantly know the difference.

Never underestimate the power of consistently owning your brand’s personality.

Using active, second-person language involves the reader in the conversation. When writing about your hotel’s atmospheric lounge, compare these two phrases:

‘There are plush leather armchairs and a cozy wood-burning fire’

‘Sink into a plush leather armchair and warm yourself by the wood-burning fire’

It’s the exact same information, but only one creates a stirring image in the reader’s mind. If your tone of voice is quirky and irreverent, you might write this sentence as:

‘Ridiculously comfy chair by the fire? Don’t mind if I do!’

This is also active and direct, but evokes a totally different experience. Whatever your brand’s personality, try to bring it to life, authentically, everywhere you write.

3. Highlight special details

When we read copy, it creates images in our minds. Look for the special details, moments and subtleties that make you, you – and shine a light on them!

Are your leather armchairs hand-stitched? In your countryside escape, what wildlife can you hear in the mornings? What’s the name of the gardener who manages your seasonal produce?

In a hyper-competitive landscape, the littlest details can make the biggest impact.

4. Frame the experience deliberately

Travellers often seek hotels that reflect their values and lifestyle. If it makes sense, try positioning your copy in a way that resonates with your ideal prospect.

For eco-conscious travellers, you might draw extra attention to local kitchen produce or the use of recycled products in your rooms. For corporate guests, you might emphasise conveniences like connectivity or central location. But crucially, you can’t just describe these things – you need to tell their story.

Don’t just say, ‘We use fresh, in-season ingredients from our garden in every cocktail.’ Instead, explain why that’s important. For example: ‘We use fresh, in-season ingredients from our garden in every cocktail, so you’ll experience a new, beautiful flavour every time you visit.’

Storytelling is here to stay 

With more travellers prioritising ‘vibe’ and spending more money on experiences, the value in well-executed storytelling – that is, bringing the experience of your property into your writing – is intuitive:

If you visit a luxury hotel website and you immediately ‘get’ it – if you can imagine yourself lounging in those rooms, interacting with the staff, eating in that restaurant – then psychologically, emotionally, that hotel now has the advantage over its comp set.

Of course, not every asset should have a storytelling focus. This is one tool among many in your marketing toolbox. It’s also not a new idea – powerful narratives have been, and will always be, a crucial part of human connection.

What’s new is that luxury travellers now actively expect – demand – this kind of experience online.

And there’s no time like the present to start standing out.