In the constant pursuit of optimisation and attribution, hotels risk losing sight of what truly drives long-term success: a brand that stands out, true strategic direction, and that meaningful guest connection. When everything’s reduced to a metric, the brand starts to lose its edge.
Attribution is Flawed
For years, digital marketing gave hotels a sense of control. We could track almost every click, every conversion, and every euro spent. Google Analytics showed a seemingly direct line between every action and the revenue it brought in. But those days are fading - fast.
Today, zero-click searches dominate. Google, social and AI platforms are increasingly fighting to keep users within their ecosystems. At the same time, privacy regulations have made it harder than ever to track users across channels and sessions. That’s why attribution is no longer as reliable as it once seemed. Conversions are undercounted. And even though solutions like Server-Side Tagging can improve measurement and attribution, they don’t fully solve it.
In reality, the hotel booking journey is (and always was) multi-layered and fragmented. A guest might be inspired by a magazine, a friend’s story, a TikTok reel, or a glimpse of your hotel in a movie, none of which are directly measurable.
Attribution to upper-funnel activities is fundamentally flawed, and obsessing over a single touchpoint that resulted in a conversion can lead brands down the wrong path.
The Danger of Short-Term Thinking
If everything must prove its worth in immediate ROI, then branding, storytelling, and strategic choices begin to take a back seat. Instead of building distinctive, memorable stories and messaging, hotels begin chasing the same “performance” tactics as everyone else.
This is how commoditisation creeps in, and brands lose what makes them special. Everything begins to look and feel the same.
And when you commoditise, especially in the luxury segment, you lose pricing power, loyalty, and brand equity. Luxury is not a tick list of features. It’s a feeling, meticulously crafted over time and across dozens of touch points, most of which can’t be measured.
Brand is the Thread that Runs Through Every Touchpoint
A brand doesn’t live in a static document, a logo, or a colour palette. It lives in the memories your audience carries with them, built through small, consistent moments and interactions that leave an impression. These include your digital presence, your guest service, your email tone, your social content, your PR placements, and yes, your paid media too.
Every part of the journey contributes. The problem is that when we only prioritise what we can measure, we stop investing in the very moments that build this lasting perception.
So, what should hotels do instead?
1. Accept Imperfect Measurement
You can't measure the ROI of being featured in Condé Nast Traveller, but if your target guest sees it, you know it matters. The same goes for awareness campaigns, strong social visibility, and presence in AI search models. Think in terms of bigger-picture signals, not just attributable revenue:
Are you seeing growth in branded search volume or direct bookings?
Are more guests returning, or booking without relying on OTAs?
Are campaigns leading to increased interest or enquiries?
These metrics reflect the strength and visibility of your brand, even if they can’t be tied to a single campaign or touchpoint.
2. Use your own Data to Connect the Dots
Your own systems (PMS, CRM, Channel Manager) hold the real answers. They can help identify which efforts align with booking trends, repeat stays and ancillary spend. Don’t rely solely on third-party platforms that are increasingly limited by privacy regulations.
3. Let AI Assist, Not Define
AI is a powerful enabler. It can automate tasks, suggest optimisations, and save time. But AI lacks judgement, taste, and vision. It outputs what’s statistically likely, leading to a sea of sameness across messaging, visuals, and campaign strategy. When it’s used without strategic oversight, it becomes an amplifier of the obvious.
Use AI to brainstorm, troubleshoot, and accelerate your workflows. But let humans lead brand storytelling and guest engagement, because that’s where the magic lives.
4. Focus on Brand and Business Impact, Not Just Channel Metrics
A campaign with a lower CTR might still drive high-quality bookings. A social video might not convert today, but could plant the seed for a future stay. Evaluate your marketing through a bigger-picture brand and business lens, not just individual campaign metrics.
The Strategic Shift Hotels Need Now
We are entering a new era where precision in digital marketing measurement will continue to decline. But that’s not a loss. It invites hotels to rediscover what truly builds their brand and drives long-term value.
Measurement will remain essential, but it needs to evolve. Success must be tracked on multiple levels, using different data points: signals, business outcomes, and brand health indicators, not just last-click conversions.
AI will inevitably become a crucial part of how we operate. But neither AI nor attribution tools should define the brand strategy. They should support it.
So what are the real drivers of successful brands?
A meaningful, differentiated brand
A clear, consistent story
A guest journey that feels intentional, thoughtful, and unmistakably yours
If you're building a hotel brand that lasts, let that be your north star.
