As winter approaches, skiers pack their gear and head to the mountains to ski to their heart’s content. Preliminary data released by the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) reveals that a record-setting 64.7 million skier visits were recorded during the 2022-2023 winter in America. This is a 6.6% increase over last year.
Heavy snowfall, especially in the rocky mountains, and the increasing demand for terra outdoor recreation are luring skiers and snowboarders to the slopes. As the demand for skiing rises, so does the number of ski resorts. NSAA observed an uptick in the number of ski resorts from 473 in 2022 to 481 in 2023.
How do you make your ski hotel stand out and boost its demand this winter? By making some changes in your marketing strategy. In this blog post, we’ll share a few ideas that will help you increase your ski hotel’s occupancy this winter season.
#1 Get Listed on Different Platforms
One of the best ways to boost your ski hotel’s demand is to meet your customers in real time. You could do so by improving your online presence.
In today’s hyper-connected world, it has become more important than ever. Research reveals that around 700 million people are anticipated to book hotel rooms online. You could miss out on a lot of bookings if you don’t boost your ski hotel’s visibility online.
Travelers often search for hotels for their ski trips in multiple ways: through search engines, business listings, distribution channels, and social media. As a hotel owner, you should figure out ways to increase the number of touchpoints with your potential audience.
Spread the word about your ski hotel on all the platforms skiers browse to search for good ski hotels.
Start with listing your ski resort on Google Business Profile. Not only is it free, but Google Business Profile listings also help with local search rankings. Single-purpose channels like Ski Solutions and large distribution channels like Booking.com can also help increase your hotel’s occupancy rates. Therefore, get your ski hotel listed on them.
#2 Don’t Just Sell a Room, Sell an Experience
Marketing rooms is no longer effective in attracting travelers to hotels, and hoteliers know that. Instead, the stay experience is what sets hotels apart from others. Therefore, revamp your marketing strategy a bit and sell an experience rather than focusing on features and amenities.
Outline clearly how your ski hotel’s rooms and their amenities offer a unique experience to travelers.
Almost all ski hotels have boot dryers that let guests dry their ski boots effectively. Granted that your hotel also has a boot dryer system, we advise you to market that. We say so because this feature will make your hotel more attractive than those that don’t offer boot dryers.
Ski boots get wet due to snow as well as sweat, which makes them unsafe for people. Plus, wet boots have an unpleasant smell that will pervade your space if guests wear them daily, which will affect your reputation.
For many skiers, businesses, homeowners, military, government, and professional sports organizations, Alpine’s boot dryers are the go-to pick when it comes to drying systems. It makes sense: it’s a heavy-duty rust-free aluminum system, which means it promises decades of use.
Boot dryers, with the help of dry, warm air, eliminate moisture from the boots without damaging them. Besides boots, dryers can dry a host of items, which include skates, gloves, helmets, waders, and running shoes, notes Alpine Dryers.
Therefore, highlight the features of boot dryers to let your potential guests know what they can expect at your hotel. Enlist everything clearly on your website and third-party platforms. You’ll be surprised at how many people pick your hotel for boot drying systems.
Alternatively, if you offer an après-ski happy hour, a shuttle to the ski hill, and a rooftop hot tub, highlight that. Remember, the more you focus on unique experiences, the higher your chances of attracting customers who will return time and again.
#3 Get Active on Social Media
Did you know that you can use social media to fill vacant rooms in your hotels? We bet you didn’t.
Social media can help you promote your hotel, reach potential audiences, and strengthen relationships with past customers. Therefore, you should make an effort to improve your social media presence.
Figure out which channel is most used by your target audience and then devise a marketing strategy. Upload pictures of your hotel, its rooms, and the amenities you offer, and run social media ads. Make sure the CTAs on your social media profiles or ads drive people to the booking engine.
Also, build “Instagram-worthy” spots in your hotel and create hashtags, as that would encourage your travelers to share content around your property. You can then repost them. This will make your hotel more discoverable on social media platforms.
Ready to Boost Your Ski Hotel’s This Winter?
Adopting marketing strategies that increase sales and profitability of ski hotels has become important in today’s competitive world. Besides the strategies mentioned above, leaning into loyalty programs, offering personalized deals, and incorporating a wide variety of rate plans will help you boost your ski hotel’s demand this winter.
Also, don’t forget to leverage digital marketing campaigns, as that will help you generate quality leads while improving your website’s visibility.
