When I first started landing complimentary hotel stays, it drastically cut down my travel costs and opened up unique experiences I could share with my audience. Staying in luxurious 5-star hotels not only elevated the quality of my travel content but now resonates even more with my engaged audience of 174K followers on Instagram. These brand collaborations were a good match for me as a travel influencer because I could showcase the beauty of each destination and share it with my engaged followers through my travel blog and social media.

For content creators, these partnerships offer an excellent way to build your reputation while exploring new locations. If you’re looking to work with hotel marketers and hotel influencers, this kind of collaboration is your best chance at gaining credibility in the travel industry. The good news is that once you’ve built up enough previous work, you’ll have the opportunity to negotiate paid collaborations in the future. Overall, these collaborations are a fantastic way to create new content while expanding your reach and audience.

Crafting the Perfect Pitch

The most important thing you need to focus on is your pitch. When I pitched for my first hotel stay collaboration three years ago, I realized how essential it was to tailor each one to the hotel’s brand. Research the hotel—look at the hotel’s Instagram account, blog, and website to understand the kind of aspirational content they favor. In your pitch, showcase great examples of your writing, including travel blog posts, social media posts, and any case studies or personal experiences from press trips or other collaborations you’ve been part of.

Don’t forget to attach your media kit. This gives the hotel marketer a quick snapshot of your social media presence, follower count, and engagement rates. It’s also a good idea to highlight your personal preference for photography style and how you’ve worked with other brands. Including commission-based affiliate links and discussing brand collaborations in your pitch can also help demonstrate your value.. This personalized approach ensures the right contact sees a clear idea of how you’re a good fit for their upcoming campaigns, even for last-minute opportunities.

In my pitch, I emphasize a customized content strategy, uniquely tailored to each hotel’s brand goals. This bespoke approach goes beyond standard influencer offerings, positioning me as a full-service digital partner capable of boosting engagement and visibility.

Finding the Right Contacts

Securing a complimentary stay is about reaching the right person. I start by checking for PR or marketing contacts on the hotel’s website. For a more direct approach, I contact the PR or marketing manager, especially for boutique hotels, which often respond well to personalized pitches.

Platforms like Stayamo, Curacity, Jerne, and SocialStar can simplify the process if you meet their requirements. These platforms match creators with hotels, and while follower count matters, some platforms like Stayamo focus on creators with strong engagement or photography skills. In my early days of hotel collaborations, I frequently found opportunities through these platforms. Jerne also allows you to earn commissions via affiliate links, giving you an additional income stream beyond just collaborations.

Once accepted, your success depends on how well your content aligns with the hotel’s needs. Consistency and quality are key, as you’ll be competing with other influencers. Some hotels may prefer influencers for last-minute opportunities or specific aesthetics. Media rates are also an option, especially during high season, and can help build trust for future full collaborations.

As a solo female traveler and travel blogger, I’ve encountered a range of different types of hotel collaborations, each offering unique benefits. Here’s a breakdown of the most common types:

Complimentary Stay

The most straightforward form of partnership is where the hotel offers you a free stay in exchange for content creation, such as social media posts, reviews, or a feature in your travel blog. This type of collaboration is common for those just starting out, as it helps you build your portfolio and relationship with hotels.

Free Products or Services

Some hotels provide free products like spa treatments, dining experiences, or a free breakfast during your stay, in exchange for promoting these services on your social media. These partnerships can be ideal for creating niche content and showcasing the hotel’s amenities. When working with hotels, it’s always smart to ask for daily meals so you can showcase the restaurants and spa facilities—because let’s face it, we all need to eat! This gives you more opportunities to create content and helps the hotel showcase everything they have to offer.

Media Rate

In some cases, hotels may not offer a completely free stay but will provide a discounted rate, often referred to as a media rate. This can be a great way to still partner with a hotel, especially during busy or last-minute bookings when fully comped stays might not be available. It’s also an effective way to establish a relationship for future collaborations. To avoid paying out of pocket, I always stay flexible with my time of visit by offering alternative dates. This flexibility increases the chances of securing a fully sponsored stay rather than having to pay the media rate.

AFFILIATE Partnerships

In affiliate partnerships, the hotel provides you with a unique link or code that your followers can use to book their stay. You earn a commission based on any bookings made through your link. This type of partnership can be especially beneficial for long-term income, as your content continues to generate revenue as long as followers use your affiliate link.

Press Trips or Group Influencer Trips

Occasionally, hotels or tourism boards organize press trips or group influencer stays, inviting multiple creators at once to experience their property. These trips often include special experiences, and the hotel may provide a more structured itinerary in exchange for content creation from all participants. It’s a great way to connect with other influencers while creating content for the hotel.

Paid Partnerships

As your platform grows, hotels may start compensating you for your time and content creation. These paid collaborations can range from flat fees for a stay to ongoing partnerships that include multiple forms of content, like a full blog post, social media campaigns, or even video production. In addition to payment, some hotels may offer added perks such as extended stays, room upgrades, or exclusive experiences. Being clear in your pitch about whether you’re looking for a complimentary stay, paid partnership, or a combination of both is essential to ensure both parties are aligned from the start.

Long-Term Collaborations

Some hotels may seek longer-term partnerships where you act as an ambassador for their brand, regularly creating travel content or featuring them in your travel blog. This type of collaboration can include multiple stays or visits over a period of time, offering long-term value for both parties. As an ambassador, you’ll have the opportunity to showcase different aspects of the property across seasons or events, building a stronger relationship with the hotel and creating more varied content for your audience. These partnerships often provide exclusive access to amenities, early invites to special events, and a deeper connection that allows you to craft more authentic and engaging stories. The hotel benefits from ongoing exposure to your followers, which helps reinforce their brand and create sustained interest over time.

Each type of partnership offers different levels of exposure and value for both you and the hotel. Whether it’s a brand collaboration or a complimentary stay, the key is understanding what works best for your brand and being clear about the expectations upfront.

The most important thing you need to focus on is your pitch. When I pitched for my first hotel stay collaboration three years ago, I realized how essential it was to tailor each one to the hotel’s brand. Research the hotel—look at their Instagram account, blog, and website to understand the kind of aspirational content they favor. In your pitch, showcase great examples of your writing, including travel blog posts, social media posts, and any case studies or personal experiences from press trips or other collaborations you’ve been part of.

Don’t forget to attach your media kit. This gives the hotel marketer a quick snapshot of your social media presence, follower count, and engagement rates. It’s also a good idea to highlight your personal photography style and how you’ve collaborated with other brands. Including commission-based affiliate links and discussing brand collaborations can further demonstrate your value. This personalized approach ensures that the right contact clearly sees how you’re a strong fit for their upcoming campaigns, even for last-minute opportunities.

In my pitch, I emphasize a customized content strategy uniquely tailored to each hotel’s brand goals. This bespoke approach goes beyond standard influencer offerings, positioning me as a full-service digital partner capable of boosting both engagement and visibility.

As a Google Verified internet personality, I knew my photography, social media presence, and blog reached a broad audience, which made my work incredibly valuable to hotel brands. Hotels want to collaborate with influencers because we bring the combined skills of a digital marketing specialist, a photographer, a videographer, a model, and a storyteller. The value you provide comes from your ability to create high-quality, engaging content that highlights the hotel’s unique features and experience—not just focusing on selfies or showcasing yourself. Hotels appreciate influencers who can strike the right balance between featuring the property and telling a compelling story, ensuring that the hotel remains the star of the content. By crafting the right hotel pitch, I demonstrated how my content could increase the hotel’s visibility and drive bookings. Using case studies from previous collaborations, I provided proof of my success in engaging potential guests.

When working with hotels, it’s crucial to show that your content enhances their brand. Whether through captivating visuals of the hotel room, showcasing the property’s distinct design, or featuring local attractions, your content should reflect the unique qualities of each hotel. Hotels often see a significant return on investment through increased exposure to a broad and engaged audience. Writing thoughtful captions or voiceovers for each video or photo carousel post adds immense value by encouraging visits to the hotel’s page or affiliate link. Equally important is using SEO keywords in a clear, well-crafted caption that feels organic and strikes the right balance between storytelling and promotion. While some influencers rely on vague phrases like “this hotel was such a vibe,” hotels prefer more descriptive, engaging narratives that highlight what makes their property special. The goal is to showcase the hotel in a way that feels authentic, engaging, and invites genuine interest, rather than coming across as a hard sell.

It’s important to know that having a large following alone is not enough to justify asking for payment. You need to take photos like a professional photographer and shoot videos like a professional videographer. Shaky camera work, poorly framed shots, or low-quality content won’t meet the standards hotels expect when they’re paying for your services. Hotels are looking for polished, high-quality visuals that showcase their property—not just a bunch of selfies or your latest modeling poses. While it’s tempting to strike a pose, remember: the hotel should be the star of the show! Your content needs to reflect that level of professionalism and highlight the unique features of the hotel in the best light.

When to Ask for Payment

Once I had several successful complimentary stays under my belt, along with a robust portfolio featuring over 20 examples from top 5-diamond luxury hotels around the world, I knew it was time to start asking for payment. After consistently delivering high-quality content, I realized my work brought significant value to the hotels I partnered with. The best time to approach this transition is in a follow-up email after an initial hosted stay or when pitching hotels with which you’ve already built strong relationships.

Complimentary stays are a great starting point, but once you’ve proven your value through solid engagement metrics and high-quality content, moving to paid collaborations is the next step. Hotels, particularly boutique and luxury ones, often allocate influencer marketing budgets, especially during peak seasons. With a well-crafted pitch that includes key metrics—such as follower count, engagement rates, audience reach, impressions, audience country demographics, conversion rates, and examples of past work—you can successfully ask for compensation.

Pitching for Payment

When I transitioned to paid partnerships, I tailored each pitch to emphasize the value I brought to the hotel. It’s essential to show that your content not only reaches a wide audience but also translates into bookings and visibility. Offering a variety of deliverables, from Instagram stories to full blog posts and video features, helped hotels understand the full scope of my work and how it aligned with their marketing goals.

In some cases, I also offer to serve as a lifestyle model for the hotel, allowing them to highlight their property with a personal touch. For these collaborations, hotels often schedule hair and makeup artists, as well as several professional photographers and photoshoot staff, which elevates the overall quality of the shoot. Having a modeling portfolio available also helps the hotel create vision boards in advance, giving them a clear idea of how the final product will look. This added service allows hotels to create high-end marketing materials that go beyond standard content creation.

For example, luxury hotels may want to highlight their room design or exclusive amenities, while boutique hotels might prefer to focus on local attractions or unique features. In my pitch, I offered multiple ways my content would engage their audience across various platforms, ensuring that my work would meet their specific needs. By showcasing examples of writing and content from past collaborations, I strengthened my case for compensation.

Q: How long does it take to land a hotel collaboration outside of influencer platforms?
A: Landing a hotel collaboration off platforms can be a lengthy process. Typically, it involves about three months of back-and-forth negotiations. Patience is key, as it takes time to finalize the details and make sure both parties are on the same page. It’s also important to read contracts carefully and don’t hesitate to redline items you feel need adjustment. Negotiating the right terms ensures that your partnership aligns with your goals.

Q: Am I responsible for taxes on complimentary stays or paid collaborations?
A: Yes, influencers are responsible for the taxes on any income earned from paid collaborations and the value of complimentary stays. It’s important to track this information and consult with a financial advisor or tax professional to make sure you’re handling your financial obligations properly. Don’t forget, it’s not just about creating great content—you also need to manage the financial aspects of being an influencer.

Q: What if I don’t hear back from a hotel or get rejected?
A: It’s common to not hear back or to be rejected, especially when you’re first starting out. Don’t take it personally. Rejection is part of the process, and it’s important to stay persistent. If you don’t hear back, give it some time and then send a polite follow-up. Keep refining your pitch, expanding your portfolio, and reaching out to new hotels. Every ‘no’ gets you closer to a ‘yes,’ and sometimes it’s just a matter of timing and consistency.