STOP THE SAMENESS
A DACH Hotel Branding Playbook for Direct Bookings
If you look like everyone else online, price becomes your only story.
Across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, many hotels still present a copy-paste identity, same fonts, same captions, same room shots. Guests don’t buy rooms; they buy resonance. This short playbook shows how to align brand, website, and social so you win more direct bookings (and rely less on OTAs).
5 hard truths (and how to fix them)
1) Brand ≠ logo.
Brand is the feeling that survives checkout.
Fix: Define 3 brand codes (tone of voice, visual rhythm, signature experience) and use them everywhere, website, IG, OTA, emails.
2) Your website is a sales tool, not a brochure.
Pretty without performance = lost revenue.
Fix: Mobile-first UX, fast load, clear pricing, persistent CTA, and direct-booking perks that are impossible to miss.
3) Social is proof, not filler.
Travelers want to feel your experience before they book.
Fix: Lead with editorial-grade visuals and micro-stories; ban generic stock. Show people, rituals, textures, and place.
4) OTA copy erases your personality.
If your listing sounds like everyone else, you compete on price.
Fix: Re-write titles, first lines, and photo order to reflect your brand codes and mirror offers with a better-value direct package.
5) Trends age fast; brand codes compound.
Chasing aesthetics = constant resets.
Fix: Build a consistent visual + verbal system and evolve it quarterly. Don’t reinvent; refine.
The Maison Voyage playbooks (steal these)
1) Digital Identity Alignment (2-week sprint)
Audit website, IG, and one OTA listing. Map inconsistencies. Unify tone, visuals, and messaging so every touchpoint tells the same story.
Outcome: higher trust → more direct clicks.
2) Narrative Room Pages
Replace “amenities lists” with experience-led copy, editorial images, and 10–15s vertical clips per room type.
Outcome: longer dwell time → higher conversion.
3) Mobile-First Booking Fixes
Speed <2s, thumb-friendly date picker, price clarity, persistent CTA, one-page checkout.
Outcome: fewer drop-offs → more paid checkouts.
4) Founder/GM Micro-Stories
Monthly 30–60s reels on origin, design choices, local rituals. Honest, minimal edits, strong subtitles.
Outcome: brand trust → saves paid media.
5) OTA Takeover
Re-write listing copy and reorder images to match your story; pair with a direct-only value stack (late checkout, welcome ritual, upgrade priority).
Outcome: OTA reach → direct loyalty.
Quick diagnostic (fix these this month)
Do room pages sell a feeling or list features? Add story + editorial imagery.
Is your mobile booking journey 3–4 steps max? Remove fields; add direct perks.
Do IG Highlights show proof (rooms, rituals, people, location) in under 60 seconds?
Does your OTA listing read on-brand and benefit-led with the right photo order?
Why Maison Voyage
Tailored, senior attention, no hand-offs, boutique scale, fast sprints.
Sophisticated, editorial aesthetic, hospitality-first, not “template creative.”
Future-aware systems, brand, content, and conversion designed to scale together.
Ready for an honest, fast assessment?
Book a free 20-minute Brand Audit. We’ll review your website, Instagram, and one OTA listing, then send a 1-page action plan.