A management guide from BHRI on commercial outcomes

The Benefits and Risks of Social Media for Hotel Businesses

Today’s popular social media platforms can help a hotel business gain visibility, ensure its services are understood, and communicate with guests. For a hotel to benefit from this, it must deliver on the promises made in its posts, respond to enquiries, and monitor the results.

Let’s take a simple example. A guest sees a short video of your hotel on social media, looks at the rooms and enquires about the price. Whether this interest leads to a booking depends on what happens after the video. Do they receive a timely reply to their message? Can they understand which category the room shown belongs to? Are the price and terms on the booking page clear enough?

In Deloitte’s 2026 travel sector outlook, it is reported that more than half of respondents from Generations Y and Z in the US use social media platforms when planning their travels. Based on research from 2025, this finding highlights the importance of social media in that market. It does not indicate that the same proportion applies in Turkey, nor does it suggest that every hotel using social media will generate higher sales.[1]

At Baghirov Hospitality Research and Insights, we recommend managing your social media activities in collaboration with your marketing, reservations, operations, human resources and finance teams. In this article, we examine social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook. We also draw on research from review platforms to understand the hotel’s online brand reputation. We bear in mind that these findings do not directly measure the impact of social media advertising on sales.

It is important to make it easier for guests to truly understand the hotel

A study conducted in Egypt involving 315 local visitors found positive correlations between commercial interactions carried out via social media platforms and the hotel’s brand perception, guest engagement and booking intent. Surveys collected between January and April 2024 suggest that social media may influence hotel choice. However, what was measured was not actual bookings, but the intention to book. Furthermore, the participants were not selected at random to be representative of the country.[2]

The key takeaway for hotel management is to tailor content to guests’ queries. In a family-friendly establishment, details such as the layout of connecting rooms and the age limit for the kids’ club could be highlighted. In a city hotel, information on transport links, workspaces and breakfast times may be more useful. Our aim is to help guests visualise the service they are about to book.

It is also essential to consider the follow-up to the content. Anyone watching the video of the room should be able to access the relevant room page and easily view the dates, prices and package terms. If they wish to request information via a message, it should be clear which team will handle their enquiry. Furthermore, whilst setting up this system, we recommend tracking the enquiries generated by the posts and how these enquiries are resolved.

It is essential to use the feedback to improve your current service

Guest reviews provide an insight into how a hotel addresses issues. A study by Proserpio and Zervas, published in 2017, analysed data from hotels in Texas on TripAdvisor and Expedia. The researchers estimated that hotels which began responding to reviews saw an average increase of 0.12 stars in their rating and an increase of approximately 12 per cent in the number of reviews. This 12 per cent figure relates to the number of reviews; it does not indicate an increase in revenue. Nor can it be said that this result will be replicated in every hotel.[3]

Our recommendation is to ensure that any response you provide to a review addresses the resolution of the issue in question. For example, when responding to a guest who has complained about room cleanliness, the housekeeping team should also be made aware of the situation. A check should be carried out, the necessary corrective action recorded, and the commitment made to the guest followed up on. It is just as important to measure whether the issue has been resolved as it is to measure how quickly the response was written.

Reviews can also be used to identify recurring issues. A 2023 study analysing 16,000 hotel reviews from China evaluated artificial intelligence models that classified reviews as positive or negative. The study’s dataset contained an equal number of each type of review. Therefore, it cannot be concluded from the results that half of the actual guests were dissatisfied. Nor can it be assumed that the models would demonstrate the same level of success with reviews in Turkish.[4]

Complex software isn’t necessary to get started. Reviews can be categorised under headings such as cleaning, food, waiting times, room comfort and staff behaviour. If there are frequent mentions of queues at breakfast, you can investigate on which days and at what times these peaks occur. Duplicate mentions of the same incident across different platforms should be filtered out. Reviews should be compared with guest relations records and the hotel’s own metrics.

Measure the benefits social media brings to your hotel

A study published in 2025 on five-star hotels in Turkey drew on responses from managers at 112 hotels in 2021. The study identified correlations between monitoring social media data and performance assessments in terms of guest satisfaction, finance and the market. However, the data is based on managers’ statements. The findings should not be interpreted as an increase in profitability verified by accounting records.[5]

At BHRI, we recommend tracking the interest generated on social media right through to the actual stay. To do this, tracking tags that indicate the source can be used in campaign links. Enquiries received by telephone or text message can also be linked to the same campaign record wherever possible. Care must be taken to ensure that the same booking is not counted twice across different platforms; cancellations and refunds must be deducted from the account.

The indicators that management can monitor are listed below. These constitute the measurement framework we recommend. They are not specific success targets for each hotel.

The difference between sales recorded under the campaign and additional sales

Not every booking that appears in a campaign report may be a new booking generated by the campaign. The guest may have already chosen the hotel and simply clicked on the advert at the final stage. Management should therefore assess the sales attributed to the campaign separately from the sales that the campaign actually generated.

Let’s look at a purely hypothetical example. Let’s say a campaign is linked to 30 completed stays. Per stay, after variable service and channel costs have been deducted, the remaining amount is 4,000 TL; let’s say the total cost of the campaign is 80,000 TL. The calculation shows 30 × 4,000 − 80,000 = 40,000 TL. However, if the campaign generated only 10 additional stays, the net contribution would be 10 × 4,000 − 80,000 = −40,000 TL.

These figures do not represent the results of an actual hotel. The example does not calculate net profit after fixed costs or potential commission savings; it explains the difference between the two metrics. To understand additional demand, similar markets, appropriate comparison groups or comparable periods may be used. Differences such as price, season and the number of available rooms must be taken into account.

It is essential to manage risks as part of day-to-day operations

Advertising creating false expectations

A video showing only the quietest moments at a family hotel may give a guest expecting constant silence the wrong impression. The content must clearly state room categories, paid services, opening hours and seasonal closures. We recommend that the marketing team checks with the relevant department manager before sharing the content to ensure the service can actually be provided. When promoting a restaurant or spa, capacity must also be planned to meet future demand.

The constant workload placed on staff by messages

Research conducted by Karin Högberg in 14 hotels across eight European countries revealed experiences of stress linked to social media use, the blurring of boundaries between work and private life, and changing algorithms. This qualitative study, covering the period 2013–2020, helps to shed light on the employee experience. It does not provide a standardised stress rate applicable to all hotels.[6]

The duty and shift rota must specify who is to respond to messages, at what times, and with what level of authorisation. Front-office staff should not be expected to constantly monitor all social media accounts whilst attending to guests in the lobby. An automated welcome message does not imply that the enquiry has been resolved. Pending tasks, actual resolution times and work extending beyond normal working hours must be monitored collectively.

Sharing of guest information

An example from Turkey is Decision No. 2023/1327 of the Personal Data Protection Board, dated 3 August 2023. The case concerns a document prepared by a hotel containing a guest’s details, which was accessed by a third party and shared via social media. The Board imposed a fine of 500,000 TL on the data controller on the grounds that the necessary data security obligations had not been met. This is the historical amount relating to that specific incident; it is not a fine applicable to all current infringements.[7]

During filming, screens, room lists and documents should be checked just as carefully as any guests appearing in the frame. Before using images of individuals, the appropriate legal basis and necessary authorisation processes must be assessed. When responding to complaints in a public forum, room numbers, dates of stay or details of special requests must not be disclosed. The information required to resolve the issue must be obtained via a secure channel.

Transparency in partnerships and artificial intelligence content

According to an announcement by the Ministry of Trade dated 1 July 2026, regulations coming into force on 1 August 2026 require that social media posts made in return for payment be clearly identified as advertisements. The announcement also covers the disclosure of artificial intelligence characters in adverts that are indistinguishable from humans; and the prohibition of adverts that give the impression that a digital replica of a real person is experiencing or recommending a service.[8]

For this reason, the agreement between the hotel and the content creator must also cover advertising disclosures, rights to use images and the verification of claims relating to the service. Any benefits provided, such as payment, free accommodation or discounts, must be clearly set out in the agreement. It must be determined in advance who is responsible for correcting any errors in the content.

Maintaining account access and continuity of communication

The UK National Cyber Security Centre recommends using two-factor authentication on corporate social media accounts, restricting access to authorised personnel, revoking access for former employees, and drawing up an account recovery plan.[9]

The hotel’s account ownership and recovery details must be kept under corporate control. Access rights must be reviewed whenever there is a change of agency or an employee leaves. Furthermore, the hotel’s current website, staff booking channel and guest communications based on the necessary permissions must be safeguarded. This ensures that alternative communication channels are available should access issues arise on a single platform.

A 90-day action plan for general managers & executives

In the first 30 days, gain a clear picture of your current situation. The marketing, reservations, operations, guest relations, human resources, IT and finance teams should jointly review the accounts in use, access rights, costs and unresolved requests. The general manager should select a single objective for a small-scale trial. For example, generating demand for family rooms on specific dates.

Launch the trial on days 31–60 on a limited budget. The marketing department should track the source of demand, the bookings team the outcome, and the finance department the costs and contribution. The operations team should verify that the new service can be delivered. Human resources should monitor the time allocated by staff. The criteria for determining success should be established before the trial begins.

Review the results collectively on days 61–90. Examine completed stays, additional revenue, guest issues and staff workload. Keep stays that have not yet taken place separate. Then decide whether to increase the budget, change the content or suspend the scheme. The rationale for a budget increase should be based on the demand the hotel can meet and the benefits it can measure.

Research approach and limitations

This article is a research review based on nine selected open-source documents examined on 22 September 2026. It is not a systematic review or a field study conducted by the BHRI.

It is not assumed that findings from different countries and periods will yield the same result in every hotel. The hotel examples, measurement recommendations and the 90-day plan are the result of BHRI’s editorial assessments. The financial calculation is hypothetical.

Endnotes

[1] Kate Ferrara, Eileen Crowley, Matt Josephson, Matt Soderberg, Stephen Rogers, and Maggie Rauch, “2026 Travel Industry Outlook,” Deloitte Insights, February 5, 2026.

[2] Abuelkassem A. A. Mohammad, Ibrahim A. Elshaer, Alaa M. S. Azazz, Chokri Kooli, Mohamed Algezawy, and Sameh Fayyad, “The Influence of Social Commerce Dynamics on Sustainable Hotel Brand Image, Customer Engagement, and Booking Intentions,” Sustainability 16, no. 14 (2024): 6050. doi:10.3390/su16146050.

[3] Davide Proserpio and Georgios Zervas, “Online Reputation Management: Estimating the Impact of Management Responses on Consumer Reviews,” Marketing Science 36, no. 5 (2017): 645–665. doi:10.1287/mksc.2017.1043. Open author manuscript dated November 7, 2016.

[4] Yu Wen, Yezhang Liang, and Xinhua Zhu, “Sentiment Analysis of Hotel Online Reviews Using the BERT Model and ERNIE Model—Data from China,” PLOS ONE 18, no. 3 (2023): e0275382. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0275382.

[5] Esen Gürbüz and Gizem Aslıhan Ormankıran, “Evaluating Social Media Marketing Performance in Five-Star Hotels: A Managerial Perspective from Turkey,” International Journal of Contemporary Economics and Administrative Sciences 15, no. 2 (2025): 595–619. doi:10.5281/zenodo.18142121.

[6] Karin Högberg, “Technostress Among Hotel Employees – a Longitudinal Study of Social Media as Digital Service Encounters,” In Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2021, edited by Wolfgang Wörndl, Chulmo Koo, and Jason L. Stienmetz (Cham: Springer, 2021), 70–82. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-65785-7_6.

[7] Turkish Personal Data Protection Authority, “Summary of Decision No. 2023/1327 on the Sharing of a Hotel Guest’s Personal Data with Third Parties by a Hotel Employee,” August 3, 2023. English translation of the Turkish title; original source in Turkish.

[8] Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade, “Consumer Protection against Misleading Advertising and Commercial Practices Is Strengthened through Amendments to the Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices,” July 1, 2026. English translation of the Turkish title; official announcement in Turkish.

[9] National Cyber Security Centre, “Social Media: Protecting What You Publish,” June 30, 2020.

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