By Michelle Chaplow

Why do historic hotels need new photos? We share our top ten reasons.

As a hotel photographer, I have travelled on assignments all around the globe with my crew to photograph some of the world’s most beautiful hotels.
I have been fortunate enough to photograph all kinds of hotel properties, from brand new multi-million-dollar projects to heritage hotels, full of character, founded in a bygone age and yet still highly valued in today’s world. I have a very special place in my heart for historic hotels. History is created with the passage of time, it´s intangible, unlike luxury, it is something that money can´t buy.

The Alvear Palace

You can almost savour the history in the air of a historic hotel

When you walk into one of these venerable establishments, it feels different, intriguing, a world apart; you can almost savour the history in the air. You know that fascinating, world-changing events have taken place in this very space, famous people have stayed here, and it always feels like an occasion; in short, you’re hooked on historic hotels and can never have enough of them.

So, why do historic hotels need new photos, why do historic hotels need to constantly document their hotel?

Here are 10 good reasons:

1. If you’ve got it, flaunt it

Capture the historical Essence. Chandelier cleaning at the Imperial Vienna, Red seals and roses at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Bangkok.

Capture the historical Essence. Chandelier cleaning at the Imperial Vienna, Red seals and roses at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Bangkok.

History is the ace card for luxury hotels, and as well as archive black and white prints showing the establishment’s early days and how it has changed over the years, modern day photographs are also required. Images shot today, that capture the essence of the property, will be a superb platform to promote a historic hotel right now in today’s online reservation, social media-dominated world.
Photography is the key to illustrating that a historic hotel is unique and will offer an experience like no other.

2 Online travel agent (OTAs)

Nowadays most OTA brand guidelines prohibit the use of photos that are more than three years old

Most OTA brand guidelines prohibit the use of photos that are more than three years old

Most OTA brand guidelines prohibit the use of photos that are more than three years old – this is another very important reason to update your imagery on a regular basis. Today, no one can ignore the revenue steam from the OTAs.

3 Quantity of photos
According to Expedia, just by doubling the number of your hotel’s pictures in OTAs you can boost your booking rate by 4.5%. This will allow you to increase your ADR (Average daily rate).

4. Press coverage

@luxurytravelmom

“I have dropped properties from print coverage because their image libraries were terrible”. @luxurytravelmom

This is just one example, but it highlights the point beautifully. New York-based luxury travel blogger Kim-Marie – known as @LuxuryTravelMom, with an impressive 26,900 followers on Twitter – told me “I have dropped properties from print coverage because their image libraries were terrible”. Kim-Marie is highly influential, a key opinion-maker in the world of deluxe hotels. So by not having good visuals, you are missing out on valuable press coverage. Good imagery will help historic hotels to appear in articles carried by important travel press, with outstanding photos used large across double-page spreads – irresistibly eye-catching for readers: your potential clients.

5. New images will attract fresh interest in a historic hotel

“If I have a good visual, I can sell the story: if there is no photo, it has to be an amazing story to sell it ” Lucinda Lacon

“If I have a good visual, I can sell the story: if there is no photo, it has to be an amazing story to sell it ” Lucinda Lacon

Hotel PRs, magazine editors, lovers of historic hotels, your in-house sales department – they’re all crying out for new hotel imagery. Lucinda Lacon, Head of PR and Communications at Classic Portfolio, representing the
finest hotels and travel lodges in South Africa, says: “If I have a good visual, I can sell the story: if there is no photo, it has to be an amazing story to sell it .” “Good photos make my job a dream.”

6. Obvious as it may sound, quality hotels need quality photos

quality hotels need quality photos

Quality hotels need quality photos

With a good photo, you can tell a good story; with a bad photo, it´s all apologies and excuses. I cannot tell you how many five-star hotel managers have said to me, you must visit us and passed me their card; then they tell me their hotel is much better than it appears in the photos. What a ridiculous situation to be in. A quality historic hotel deserves quality photography.

7. Highlight photos of a property’s history

Kasper the Savoy Cat

Art deco statue of Kasper the Cat at the Savoy in London, used as the 14th guest when there are 13 diners.

Work even harder at highlighting photos of your history, to help sell more room nights. Consumers crave those fascinating anecdotes, such as a photo of the legendary art deco statue of Kasper the Cat at the Savoy in London, used as the 14th guest when there are 13 diners; he features in children’s books by Michael Morpurgo and even has a restaurant at the hotel named after him. The famous Sacher torte at the Hotel Sacher in Vienna; afternoon tea in the Authors’ Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok; the Beverley Hills Hotel in LA, known for its plush bungalows hosting extramarital dalliances of Hollywood superstars, and also itself an iconic film location.

8. Visual storytelling
A picture is worth 1000 words and top quality photography will visually tell your story – everything from the smiles of the doorman to the sunsets.

After the world pandemic Historic Hotels also need to look fresh and clean.

9. Social Media

They added interesting anecdotes about everything from their butler service to their world-renowned brunch.

The Alvear Palace in Buenos Aires adds interesting anecdotes about everything from their butler service to their world-renowned brunch.

Photos in Social Media consistently earn more retweets and likes than plain text. One of the best uses I have seen of imagery on Facebook, for example, is by a Historic Hotels Worldwide member – The Alvear Palace, a landmark luxury hotel in Buenos Aires. This hotel created a buzz around the images I shot for them, some of which received literally hundreds of likes. They added interesting anecdotes about everything from their butler service to their world-renowned brunch.

10. Paying it forward

The Park Hotel Vitznau

The Park Hotel Vitznau, contemporary photography of a 100 year old hotel. Paying it forward for future generations.

New photos of a hotel will themselves become historic documents in years to come, and the future guardian of the specific hotel property will be thrilled to have them. Photography is both a present day and future investment.

We have at least 10 reasons why OLD hotels need NEW Photos

Customers crave visual stories, so they can dream about staying in hotel whose history is part of the experience, a rich heritage offering an individual selling point which should be taken full advantage of when drawing visitors.
So be sure to increase the revenue for your heritage hotel website with strong visuals that are updated frequently, showing off your property in its best possible light and wooing potential guests with those stunning, inspiring images.