Give each venue its own identity
Many luxury hotels run several food and drink venues under one roof. There may be a signature restaurant, an all-day dining room, a bar, afternoon tea and in-room dining. Each serves a different guest at a different moment, and each needs a clear identity of its own.
Names, logos and menus matter here too. If a venue's identity is unclear on the menu or the website, content alone will struggle to fix it. Getting the basics right first makes every later film and photograph more effective.
Start by defining who each venue is for and what makes it worth a visit. A chef-led restaurant might centre on the chef and the menu. A bar might focus on the drinks and the atmosphere. Once that is agreed, the creative direction for films, photography and social content has a firm base.
Write this down in a short document for each venue. It should cover the audience, the story, the tone of voice and the visual style. Share it with everyone who creates content, from the in-house team to outside agencies, so every piece points in the same direction.
Reach local diners as well as guests
Hotel guests will often find the restaurant through the hotel itself. Local diners need their own reason to walk in. Marketing that speaks only to staying guests can leave a restaurant quiet on nights when occupancy is low.
Content aimed at locals should feel like it comes from a standalone restaurant. Show the chef, the menu and the room. Where it makes sense, give the venue its own social media account with its own voice. We have worked with The Pem, Sally Abé's restaurant at Conrad London St James, since its opening.
Think about what draws a local diner back. A changing menu, a strong bar programme, a set lunch or a series of guest chef dinners can all give people a reason to return. Content that shows these clearly gives locals something to act on, and gives the restaurant a reputation that does not depend on the hotel's occupancy.
Stay aligned with the hotel brand
Each venue also sits within a wider hotel brand with its own standards. The content should feel at home on the hotel's channels and on the restaurant's own. Agree the visual style, the tone and the approval process early, with both the hotel marketing team and the food and beverage team.
Clear creative direction makes this easier. A shared brief, a defined look for photography and a content calendar that both teams can see all help to avoid delays and mixed messages.
Approvals can slow hotel content down more than any other stage. Several people may need to sign off a single post or film. Agreeing in advance who approves what, and how quickly, keeps content timely, which matters most for seasonal menus and events.
Plan content that works across channels
A single well-planned shoot can supply content for the hotel website, booking platforms, press, social media and in-room materials. Plan the shot list with every use in mind. Capture the dishes, the drinks, the people and the spaces, in both landscape and vertical formats.
Brand films give a venue depth and are useful for launches, partnerships and press. Short reels keep social channels active. Photography supports everything else.
Think about the guest journey too. Images and films can appear in pre-arrival emails, on screens in the lobby and in rooms, and in the materials a sales team sends to event planners. Each of these is a chance to introduce the restaurants and bars before a guest has even arrived.
Our clients include Mandarin Oriental and Alain Ducasse, and our crews in London and New York are used to working in hotels around guests and service.
Keep social media running week to week
Social media for a hotel restaurant or bar needs a steady rhythm. Seasonal menus, events, chef collaborations and new cocktails all give reasons to post. Plan them in a calendar, reply to comments and messages, and review the results each month.
Many hotel teams are stretched across several venues. A dedicated partner can manage the calendar, the community and the monthly reporting, which leaves the in-house team free to focus on the guest experience.
Monthly reporting should show what each venue's content achieved and what will change next month. Over time this builds a clear picture of what works for each audience and helps the hotel decide where to put its effort.
If that would help your hotel, book a 15-minute call with us.