The Hotel growth flywheel
A strategy for compounding success in Hospitality
Before joining the hotel tech world, I had the privilege of serving as VP of Marketing at Genially, an interactive content platform that grew from an ambitious startup into a global success story. During my time there, we scaled the platform to over 30 million registered users. No gimmicks. No hacks. Just one powerful concept done right: the flywheel.
The flywheel isn’t a campaign. It’s not a funnel. It’s a system. One that compounds value and creates momentum. Once you identify the right levers and align your efforts, growth becomes exponential. At Genially, we discovered four key levers that powered our marketing flywheel—and the best part? They’re directly applicable to the hotel tech industry too.
1. 🧠 Encourage creation
Our first challenge was getting users to create presentations and interactive content. This wasn’t about “activation” in the traditional sense—it was about enabling creativity fast. We designed onboarding experiences and templates that made first actions intuitive and rewarding. The lesson? Make the user feel successful as quickly as possible.
2. 📢 Encourage publication
Creation alone wasn’t enough. We had to drive publishing behavior—turning private work into public showcases. Why? Because every published Genially was a marketing asset. When a user shared a presentation, it carried our brand with it. We added “share” nudges, export incentives, and even embedded tracking to amplify the effect.
3. 🔎 Make it discoverable
Once content was out in the world, we focused on discovery. We built a public gallery, optimized content for SEO, and curated the best examples for newsletters and social media. In other words, we made sure people could see the magic others were creating.
4. ✨ Drive new signups
Here’s where the flywheel really kicked in. Every piece of content created and shared became a magnet for new users. The product marketed itself. People saw what others had built and wanted in. And because their journey started by seeing real use cases, they arrived highly motivated.
The 4 strategic levers of the Hotel Flywheel
Let’s explore how to build this flywheel from the ground up, using four compounding levers.
1. ✨ Deliver a standout stay (The core product)
The first lever — and non-negotiable foundation — is the guest experience. Without a remarkable service, the flywheel can’t spin.
But “good” isn’t enough anymore. I’d engineer an experience that is:
Emotionally memorable (think surprise upgrades, personal welcome notes).
Operationally seamless (frictionless check-in, intuitive tech).
Socially shareable (spaces and moments designed for Instagram, TikTok, and reviews).
Hospitality isn’t about rooms — it’s about stories. And the better the story you help your guests tell, the more energy you add to the flywheel.
This lever drives:
Repeat visits
High review scores
Guest satisfaction — the fuel for advocacy
2. Turn guests into promoters
A great stay is powerful. A great stay that’s talked about publicly is a growth multiplier.
Post-stay, implement structured systems to:
Request reviews across Google, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and niche sites
Encourage UGC (user-generated content) through contests and branded hashtags
Offer referral incentives (discount codes, gift experiences)
Key tools:
Automated post-stay emails (time the ask right)
QR codes in-room for instant review prompts
On-property social activations (e.g., “Share your view with #MyHotelMoment”)
Every piece of content shared by a guest increases reach and credibility. And in a world where trust in advertising is low, authentic guest voices are king.
3. Drive visibility and discovery (amplification)
Once you’ve generated content and reviews, you don’t sit back. You amplify.
SEO-optimized blog content around high-intent keywords (e.g., “best boutique hotel in Seville”)
A curated Instagram and TikTok presence that reflects real guest experiences
Paid retargeting for users who viewed rooms but didn’t book
Local PR and partnerships with travel influencers and micro-creators
Hospitality is a competitive space — visibility is half the battle. But unlike PPC spend, earned visibility compounds. Reviews, blog posts, social proof: these assets bring guests not just once, but continuously.
4. Maximize retention and referrals (Long-term acquisition)
The final — and perhaps most overlooked — lever is reactivation.
A guest who’s stayed once is far easier (and cheaper) to convert again than acquiring a new one. Yet most hotels lose contact after checkout.
You can fix that with:
A segmented email marketing system (based on behavior, length of stay, seasonality)
Personalized offers and loyalty rewards for returning guests
Smart use of CRM data to identify key reactivation triggers (e.g., 6 months post-visit)
Also:
Encourage guests to refer others (turn social capital into growth capital)
Use lookalike audiences in Google/Facebook Ads based on your best past guests
The goal is clear: turn every booking into two more.
🏨 INTERESTING READS
The art of standing out: Differentiation in the Hotel industry
Special thanks to Pedro Calvo, Marketing Director at Paraty Tech, for contributing to this article. 👏
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