How hotels can get more from journalist and influencer stays

Start with relevance, not reach alone

Look at the person's current work, publication or platform, subject areas and audience. Consider whether your hotel genuinely fits what they cover and whether their approach fits the guests you want to reach. A smaller but closely aligned specialist outlet may be more useful than a broad audience with little connection to the property.

Ask enough questions to establish the fit without turning the conversation into an interrogation. What are they working on? Why this property or destination? Is the visit for editorial consideration or an agreed creator collaboration? Who is travelling? What dates are possible? A considered request should make these points clear.

Give the stay a genuine reason

A beautiful room is not always a complete editorial reason to visit. Think about what is genuinely timely or distinctive: a thoughtful refurbishment, a new restaurant or chef, a credible sustainability initiative, a specialist wellness programme, an anniversary, a remarkable member of the team, an unusual local experience or a seasonal change with real relevance.

The strongest angle is truthful and specific. Give the visitor useful background and access, but allow them to find their own perspective. Hospitality PR experience helps uncover what may be interesting; it should not turn ordinary facts into inflated claims.

Set the arrangement out clearly

Before confirming, record the dates, number of guests, room category, meals, activities, transport and any exclusions. If a particular interview, treatment, tasting or site visit matters to the proposed work, confirm its availability rather than assuming it can be arranged on arrival.

Keep the two PressStays.com pathways distinct. Editorial Press Stays are for editorial consideration and never guarantee coverage. Hosted Creator Collaborations have agreed content, timing, usage and disclosure expectations. Do not ask an editorial journalist to promise favourable coverage, and do not leave creator deliverables to guesswork.

Prepare the people who will host the visit

• Give reservations and reception the correct name, dates and inclusions.
• Tell relevant department heads why the guest is visiting and what access has been agreed.
• Nominate one contact who can resolve practical questions promptly.
• Check that spokespeople, menus, treatments and experiences are genuinely available.
• Share accurate background information and usable images when requested.

A concise internal brief is often more effective than an elaborate itinerary. Leave enough space for the visitor to experience the hotel naturally, while ensuring that the essential elements behind the visit do not get missed.

Communicate professionally during the stay

Welcome the visitor as an informed professional, not as a conventional leisure guest and not as someone expected to praise everything. Be available, answer questions accurately and handle reasonable changes calmly. Avoid repeatedly checking what they plan to publish.

If the experience cannot match what was confirmed, say so early and offer a practical alternative. Clear communication protects the relationship far better than allowing an avoidable problem to remain unexplained.

Follow up without applying pressure

After departure, send thanks and anything promised during the visit. For editorial work, a polite enquiry about whether further facts or images are needed is appropriate; pressure for coverage or a positive conclusion is not. Publication schedules can change, and editorial decisions remain with the journalist and outlet.

For creator work, refer to the recorded agreement and discuss any change before a deadline passes. Keep a factual record of published coverage or delivered content so the property can understand what resulted over time.

The aim is not to accept every request. It is to build fewer, better-aligned stays and manage each one well. Review the Professional Standards, learn what a Press Stay involves, or see how PressStays.com supports hotels.