The Dos and Don’ts of Hotel Videography (From 80+ Hotel Shoots)
Most hotel videos fail for the same simple reason: they show the property, not the guest experience. After filming hotels across Asia, the UK and Europe, we’ve narrowed it down to a few rules that make hotel videos actually usable — on the website, on OTAs, and on social.
Atrium Platinum, Rhodes, Greece, Sergey Shishkin
The dos of hotel videography
1. Do follow the guest journey
Film in this order: arrival → lobby → room → F&B → people/amenities → location → logo. This is how guests experience your hotel, so it’s how they should watch it.
2. Do show people, not just furniture
Hotels sell hospitality. Include staff in action (welcome, service, housekeeping touch), not only empty rooms.
3. Do shoot at your best light
Early morning, golden hour, and evening ambience. Interiors with curtains open. Avoid flat midday when possible.
4. Do film the room as a sequence
Door opens → bag down → curtains open → view → bathroom / amenity. This works even for 3–4★ city hotels.
5. Do capture service moments
Tray service, concierge helping, barista, spa welcome. These are the shots that say “you’ll be looked after here”.
6. Do get location proof
1–2 shots that say “Singapore / London / Phuket” so the video can be used on OTAs and still make sense.
7. Do shoot social versions
For every hero shot, grab a vertical version for Reels/TikTok. Your marketing team will thank you.
8. Do keep it under 60 seconds
Hotels don’t need a 4-minute film for the website. Short, tight and re-usable works better.
Atrium Platinum, Rhodes, Greece, Sergey Shishkin
The don’ts of hotel videography
1. Don’t overdo gimbal and effects
Smooth is good, but constant floating shots look fake — especially for business hotels.
2. Don’t shoot empty F&B only
A buffet with no people looks like a closed restaurant. Add 1–2 guests or staff for scale.
3. Don’t ignore sound
Hotel videos with bad room tone or loud AC sound cheap. Record clean audio or add proper sound design in post.
4. Don’t mix colours and brands
Use the hotel’s real palette, real uniforms and real amenities. Avoid LUTs that make everything orange.
5. Don’t show rooms like real estate
Ultra-wide, empty, no personal touch = real estate video. Hotels need warmth and usage.
6. Don’t forget your audience
Leisure, business, MICE, wellness — film features for the people who actually book you.
7. Don’t publish without a CTA
Always end with logo + URL or “Book direct” screen.
How to use this video
Website hero / gallery
OTA listing (if the platform allows video)
Social media reels and paid ads
Sales / cluster presentations
Work with a specialist
Hotels Filmed is a hotel video production studio. We plan shoots around your occupancy, film staff in action and deliver a full set of assets in 1–2 days.
