INSPIRATION DOESN'T START WITH A SEARCH ANYMORE. IT STARTS WITH A SCROLL.
The way travellers discover hotels is changing fast. Inspiration no longer starts and ends with a Google search or a travel brochure - increasingly, it starts with a scroll.
TikTok has become an important discovery platform for travel, with users turning to short-form video to find hotels, destinations, restaurants and experiences. From luxury escapes and countryside stays to destination guides and honest recommendations, travellers are using the platform to shape where they go and where they stay.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO YOUR HOTEL?
Because today's guests want to see a destination before they arrive. They want to experience the atmosphere, discover what they can do and imagine themselves there. TikTok gives hotels the opportunity to bring these experiences to life through authentic, personality-led content and reach audiences beyond their existing social following.
AT 80 DAYS, WE SEE TIKTOK AS A DISCOVERY PLATFORM FOR HOTELS, NOT SIMPLY ANOTHER SOCIAL CHANNEL.
Rather than repurposing content created for Instagram, our approach is built around the way people use TikTok: discovering new places, searching for inspiration and engaging with content that feels native to the platform.
With the right strategy, TikTok can help hotels increase visibility, reach new audiences and build consideration long before a guest makes a booking.
So, what does that look like in practice?
OUR TIKTOK APPROACH.
At 80 DAYS, we believe successful hotel TikTok strategies start with authentic storytelling and discoverability.
Instead of relying solely on promotional content, we create videos that entertain, educate and inspire. From behind-the-scenes moments and day-in-the-life content to seasonal experiences, local recommendations and hotel storytelling, we look for the stories that audiences genuinely want to watch.
Understanding how TikTok's recommendation and search systems work is also key. Strong hooks, platform-native editing, relevant keywords, on-screen text, captions and trending formats all play a role in helping content reach the right audience.
THE RESULT? CONTENT THAT FEELS NATIVE TO TIKTOK WHILE REMAINING TRUE TO THE HOTEL BRAND.
Working closely with the SCHLOSS Roxburghe team, we developed a TikTok strategy that balanced aspirational hotel storytelling with engaging, platform-first video content.
We created a mix of trending formats, seasonal content and evergreen storytelling, giving the audience different ways to discover the property and the experiences available to them.
Content was created specifically for TikTok rather than simply repurposed from other social channels. This allowed us to respond to platform trends, experiment with different creative formats and maintain the hotel's premium positioning.
We also focused heavily on discoverability. By incorporating relevant search terms and keywords into captions and on-screen text, content was designed to reach users beyond the initial For You feed and appear when audiences were actively looking for travel inspiration.
Alongside creative production, we continually monitored performance to understand which topics, formats and storytelling approaches resonated most strongly. This allowed the strategy to evolve based on audience behaviour and data, rather than assumptions.
THE FOCUS WAS SIMPLE: CREATE CONTENT PEOPLE WANTED TO WATCH, SHARE AND DISCOVER, NOT SIMPLY ADVERTISEMENTS THEY WANTED TO SKIP.
Working closely with the SCHLOSS Roxburghe team, we developed a content strategy that balanced aspirational storytelling with highly engaging short-form video.
Using a mix of trending formats, seasonal content and evergreen storytelling, we created videos that showcased everything from the championship golf course and spa experiences to countryside walks, dining experiences and behind-the-scenes moments around the estate.
Content was created specifically for TikTok rather than repurposed from other platforms, allowing us to take advantage of platform trends while maintaining the hotel's premium positioning.
We focused on creating content that audiences wanted to watch, not simply advertisements they wanted to skip.
THE RESULTS
The impact was significant.
By creating content specifically for TikTok and taking a discovery-first approach, SCHLOSS Roxburghe was able to reach audiences far beyond its existing follower base.
Between 2025 and 2026, the account generated 817K+ video views and reached 987.1K total viewers. Of these, 360.3K were new viewers, demonstrating the platform's ability to introduce the hotel to audiences who may not have previously encountered the brand.
Engagement was also strong, with the account generating 50K+ engagements, including 37.1K+ likes, 415 comments and 12.6K+ shares.
This is particularly valuable on TikTok, where sharing content can help extend its reach beyond the original audience and introduce a hotel to new potential guests.
The account also gained 3,600 net followers, helping SCHLOSS Roxburghe build a growing community of travel audiences interested in the property, its experiences and the surrounding destination.
Importantly, the results demonstrate the value of TikTok's recommendation-led discovery model. Rather than relying solely on an established follower base, content was able to reach users based on their interests connecting SCHLOSS Roxburghe with audiences interested in luxury travel, Scottish escapes, countryside experiences and hotel stays.
817K+ video views. 987K+ total viewers. 360K+ new viewers. 50K+ engagements.
Together, these results demonstrate how a platform-first TikTok strategy can help a hotel build awareness well beyond its existing social audience.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR HOTELS?
TikTok is no longer simply a platform for entertainment.
It is increasingly becoming part of the way travellers discover destinations, experiences and places to stay. For hotels, this creates an opportunity to reach potential guests at the inspiration and consideration stages of their journey often before they have decided where they want to go.
The hotels that benefit most are not necessarily those producing the most content. They are the ones creating the right content for the platform and the audience.
As social platforms continue to evolve into search and discovery engines, authentic, useful and engaging short-form video will become an increasingly important part of the hospitality marketing mix.
If you’re looking to reach new audiences, build awareness and create short-form content designed for the way travellers discover hotels today, we’d love to help. Get in touch with our team to learn more.