Valentine's Day might just be one day on the calendar, but it's a lucrative holiday.
Without a doubt, this is a prime period for booking and an ideal time for your property to show off its amenities, creativity, and hospitality.
Consumers hit by Cupid's arrow spent $25.8 billion USD on this day in 2024, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), marking the third-highest expenditure in the holiday's history.
Recent surveys also show that over 25% of Valentine’s celebrants plan overnight getaways, making this a golden opportunity for hotels worldwide.
For this reason, here are 14 Valentine’s Day hotel ideas—plus a few bonus tips—to increase occupancy with minimal lead time, ensuring your guests fall truly, madly, deeply in love with you.
While it may seem counterintuitive to offer a reduced rate during a holiday, offer promotional rates for higher category rooms to entice travellers to pick a higher category room because they perceive it's a great value. This tactic may also boost average daily rates because travellers are booking higher category rooms and taking advantage of holiday add-ons and upselling.
Consider offering exclusive packages for early bookings, such as discounted suites combined with complimentary perks. Highlight these offers prominently on your website and across social media channels.
Offer incentives and promotions for multi-day stays. Rather than offering a one-night deal, consider offering three, four, or five-night deals that combine the midweek Valentine's Day holiday with a weekend getaway. Offer your most loyal guests an added discount this Valentine's Day to boost bookings.
You could extend Valentine’s hotel packages because many people like to avoid the crowds, while others may not be able to take off on the actual day and would rather celebrate the weekend before or after. Promote flexibility in your packages to appeal to these guests.
We have U.S. television series Parks and Recreation to thank for an extra day to celebrate love. Observed on 13 February, Galentine's Day is a day devoted to celebrating the women in your life. What started as a fictional holiday has become an additional revenue opportunity.
Create Galentine girlfriend getaway packages to encourage friends to celebrate together and extend their stays to observe V-Day with their significant others. From decorating your dining venues to offering a pink-hued afternoon tea to seasonal spa and salon specials to get glam, create Instagram-worthy memories for every Galentine.
Not everyone is a couple or in love on Valentine's Day, but that doesn't mean they don't want to celebrate the occasion. Recognise that romance comes in all forms by creating inclusive experiences for a diverse range of travellers:
Promote these tailored experiences with messaging that resonates with your audience, showcasing the versatility of your property.
What makes your property unique? Is it the location or nearby points of interest? Is it the building itself? How about the amenities? Play to your strengths and what differentiates you in the marketplace. Then, educate would-be guests with enticing and entertaining social media and advertising campaigns that convey your USPs. Get plenty of ideas for social media marketing for hoteliers with this free guide!
Include testimonials or case studies from past Valentine’s guests to illustrate the memorable experiences your property has provided.
Holidays are a timely motivation to look beyond your property and partner with local restaurants, bars, and shops doing innovative things.
Perhaps it's candle making or pottery making with local artists, or unique fitness classes like stand-up paddleboard yoga or bungee fitness that you can bring on property for your guests to enjoy. Visitors and residents alike love enjoying unique and exclusive experiences and then sharing them on social media.
Spoil your most loyal guests with complimentary perks like extra loyalty points, early or late checkout, or complimentary refreshments like champagne or chocolate-covered strawberries. These low-cost gestures that delight and surprise can translate into more on-property spend, continued loyalty, and word-of-mouth referrals.
Set the mood and offer a variety of themed options. These can include classics like strawberries and champagne, interactive services like butler drawn baths and in-room massages, and unique and only-at-your-property activities. Here are some examples:
Stand out from the competition by providing amenities that are customisable, personalised, and add value.
When consumers can clearly see the value add or the exclusive offerings and savings that come from a Valentine's Day hotel package deal, they will be more likely to book a stay at your property.
Package bookings tend to be longer stays than standalone bookings. Studies show travellers who buy a package are less likely to cancel, particularly if flights are included.
Package ideas may include bundling breakfast or dinner, spa treatments and/or room decor with the room rate. Additionally, offer limited-edition packages like "Proposal Perfection" for couples planning to get engaged during their stay.
Whether your guests choose to celebrate on Valentine's Day or in the days surrounding it, make the experience one-of-a-kind.
Offer intimate alternatives to on-property dining like cooking classes, picnic baskets, and private dining. Focus on small details and gestures like providing guests with heart-shaped candy along with their welcome drink or a Valentine's Day card during turndown service.
Show, don't tell, your loyal guests, potential customers, and the world why your hotel is the best on Valentine's Day and any day. Create specific seasonal campaigns for each segment of your potential client base, including previous, most loyal, and potential guests.
Once you know your target audiences, create customised and personalised campaigns that include:
• Branded online content
• Digital and print advertising
• Emails
• Local outreach and partnerships (e.g. airlines, travel agencies, tourism bureaus, etc.)
• Media coverage
• Newsletters
• Online content, including blogs, media mentions, and influencer partnerships
• Social media, including organic and paid content
• Your website
Create engaging content like offering limited-time promo codes found exclusively on social media, Valentine-decorated room or restaurant tour videos, and contests or giveaways. Log into Hotelbeds Partner Extranet to increase your exposure and maximise your revenue.
No matter which promotions you offer, customise offers based on your target travellers, which include:
Not everyone will be able to take off mid-week to celebrate Valentine's Day, so promote hotel gift cards or vouchers as the Valentine's Day present to increase occupancy post-Valentine's Day. Adding a promotional price or free offering like complimentary breakfast or a resort credit can help sweeten the deal.
Sometimes, it's the smallest gestures or meaningful moments that can have the most impact. Find ways to personalise each guest's stay. Here are some examples:
Hotelbeds can help you gain exposure to travel distributors this Valentine's Day and beyond. Register your property by simply filling out this form. This way, you'll benefit from:
If you have already joined Hotelbeds, don't forget to access our Partner Portal to conveniently manage inventory, upload new photos, add or remove room types, adjust rates, and manage availability calendar. Happy Valentine!
Download now our guide for free and get a closer look at the wide variety of products and services to make your property stand out from the crowd and boost your bookings!