Why photos decide
On Booking and on the site a tourist sees ten hotels in five minutes: they click the one with the most convincing photo. On Instagram they stop at the photo that makes them dream. On Google Maps they look at photos before reviews. Good photos allow a higher price; bad photos require discounts. Not a luxury: part of the product.
The shot list
Facade and entrance by day and night. Each room type from two or three angles, bed made, natural light, window open if there is a view. The bathroom. The view from the room and the terrace. Breakfast laid out. The pool early morning. Restaurant and bar. The beach and the path to it. Reception and staff. Details: key, towels, coffee. Surroundings: beach, village, sunset.
Timing and light
Rooms in the morning with side light; pool and facade in the golden hour (early morning or before sunset); breakfast before the room opens; the beach in the morning without people or in the afternoon with life. One full shooting day for a mid-sized hotel, two for a resort. In season, not in January with an empty hotel and grey sky.
Drone
Two or three aerial photos and a 20-second video showing hotel, beach and location are among the most saved and shared content. Flight permits and a licensed operator are needed. They serve the site, Booking and as the opening of every video.
Vertical video for social
10-30 second clips: the door opening onto the view, the walk to the beach, coffee on the terrace, sunset. Shot the same day as the photos, with a good phone or camera, edited for Reels and TikTok with English text. Ten basic clips are enough for a season of posts.
The presentation video
One horizontal minute for the site and YouTube: hotel, rooms, services, area. No voice-over, licensed music, titles in three languages. It helps SEO (time on page) and YouTube ads for planning tourists.
People in the photos
Photos with real people (staff, guests with permission, models) sell more than empty rooms: tourists picture themselves there. Mind the releases: a simple image-rights form. Staff smiling at reception is the first photo a tourist should see.
Rights and files
The contract with the photographer must give you full usage rights on every channel, with no expiry. Ask for high-resolution files and versions prepared for web, Booking, Instagram (vertical) and Google. Keep them organised: after two years you will not remember where they are.
What it costs
A day with a professional photographer, 40-60 edited photos, drone and ten vertical clips costs about a few nights of a good room. Stock photos cost less and sell less: tourists recognise them and lose trust. Refresh every three to four years or after renovations.
How to use them
Site: best photos at the top and on every room page. Booking and Airbnb: all of them, ordered from the most convincing. Google Business: 20-30 photos, refreshed monthly. Instagram: a posting calendar from the archive. Ads: photos with people and views. Emails to past guests: a new photo each season. The same shooting day feeds everything for years.
Preparing the hotel for the shooting day
Rooms tidied as for the most important guest: ironed sheets, arranged pillows, no visible cables, curtains open, clean windows. Breakfast laid out with real food, not empty. The pool cleaned early morning, sunbeds aligned. Staff in uniform or matching clothes. The beach free of litter. A checklist reviewed the day before: half of bad photos come from forgotten details, not from the photographer.
Photos for each channel: formats
Site: horizontal 16:9 for the home, 4:3 for rooms. Booking: horizontal, minimum 2048 pixels wide, no text or logo. Instagram: square 1:1 and vertical 4:5 for posts, 9:16 for stories and Reels. Google Business: horizontal, 1200 pixels minimum. Ads: 1:1 and 9:16. Ask the photographer to deliver them cropped for each format: it saves hours and ensures platforms do not crop them badly.
Video: what not to do
A five-minute video with every corner of the hotel: nobody watches to the end. Unlicensed music: removed by platforms and risking fines. Voice-over in one language only. Small text unreadable on mobile. Footage from an old phone in bad light. Drone without permits over public beaches. A good hotel video is short, vertical, silent with titles, and shows one thing done well.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do it myself with a phone?
For stories yes; for the site and Booking no: light, composition and editing make the difference.
When should I shoot?
In season, May-June or September, with the hotel tidy and good weather.
How many photos do I need?
40-60 edited for a mid-sized hotel, 10-15 per room type.
Is a drone mandatory?
No, but it is the most shared content. With permits and a licensed operator.