Pitching hotels for collaborations can feel intimidating, especially if you’re a small travel creator or pitching for the first time. It can be hard to know what to say, what to offer and what to ask for.
In this guide, we'll walk you through how to pitch hotels as a travel creator, including hotel pitch email templates you can customise and use for your own outreach - whether you’re pitching for gifted stays, paid collaborations or UGC-style hotel partnerships.
What Do Hotels Actually Look For in Collaborations?
When pitching hotels for collaborations, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Different hotels want different things and successful pitches are the ones that align what you can offer with what the hotel actually needs.
Most hotel collaborations fall into one (or more) of these categories:
- Content for their own marketing - photos, videos & UGC for social media, websites or booking platforms.
- Social Media Promotion - Instagram/TikTok posts, stories, YouTube videos, tagging the hotel across platforms.
- Blog Content & SEO Exposure - dedicated hotel review blog posts, inclusion in destination guides.
- A Mix of Everything - content to reuse, social promotion, blog or Youtube content.
Before you pitch, take a few minutes to research the hotel and look for clues about what they might actually need:
- Are they active on social media?
- Do they regularly work with influencers or creators?
- Does their website lack video or up-to-date imagery?
- Are they reposting UGC from past guests?
These details help you tailor your hotel collaboration pitch so it feels relevant to the hotel, rather than generic. When you match your offer to the hotel’s needs, you stop “asking for a free stay” and start positioning yourself as a valuable solution to their marketing problem.
What to Prepare Before Pitching a Hotel
Before you start emailing hotels for collaborations, it’s worth getting a few basics in place.
You don’t need to be “perfect” or have everything figured out - but a little preparation goes a long way in making your pitch feel professional and easy for a hotel to say yes to.
- Have somewhere to showcase your work - a social media page or portfolio where the hotel can see examples of your travel or hotel content.
- A clear offer - what you’re proposing in exchange for the stay
- Basic creator stats (optional) - follower count, average views or engagement & audience location, but not essential for all hotel collaborations.
- Media kit (optional) - a simple one-pager with your bio, content examples and audience details, or links included directly in your email.
How to Structure a Hotel Pitch Email
Hotels receive collaboration requests daily, so standing out requires a personalised approach and a clear, simple offer.
A strong hotel pitch email has three parts: the subject line, the email body and the follow up.
Subject Lines
Before anyone even reads a word of your email, your subject line is already making (or breaking) your first impression. In the busy inbox of a marketing manager or owner, attention spans are short and priorities are high.
Your subject line must balance clarity (what is this about?) with intrigue (why should I open it?). Here's what to include and avoid:
- Keep it short - Aim for 35-50 characters (3-7 words). Anything longer risks being cut off.
- Spark curiosity - Ask a question or hint at a benefit: “A quick idea you’ll love "
- Personalize with the brand or contact name when possible.
- Avoid "salesy" phrasing - Keep it clear, conversational and to the point.
- Avoid spam triggers - Don't use words like “free" or "limited time offer"
Subject line ideas:
- Idea for [Brand Name]
- A quick idea you’ll love
- Collaboration Enquiry
- Feature [Brand Name] to 50K+ engaged travellers
- [Brand Name] x [Your Brand Name] Collaboration
The Email
Hotels skim emails, so your pitch should be short, readable and focused on them, not you. Here's what to include in your email:
A personalised opening - Use a name if possible & optional friendly line like “I hope you’re having a great day”.
A short introduction - One sentence on who you are (no long background or creator journey).
Something you like about the hotel - A feature or value you genuinely like, keep it short but clearly personalised
Why you’re reaching out - be clear, direct and lead with what you can offer the hotel, not what you want.
A simple call to action - Make it easy to respond, ask a simple question about whether they're interested.
Include your links - Attach your website, portfolio or social media (only include what’s relevant).
Email Templates:
Template 1: Photo & Video / UGC Focused
Good afternoon [Name],
My name is [Your Name] and I’m a travel content creator.
I came across [Hotel Name] and loved [something specific about the hotel]
I’m reaching out to explore a collaboration that would provide [Hotel Name] with [photo & video content / UGC] that can be used for your social media, websites and booking platforms.
I’d love to capture [specific areas: rooms, dining, spa, experiences] in a natural format that feels authentic and on-brand.
You can view examples of my work here: [Link]
Would this be something you’d be open to discussing?
Thanks so much,
[Your Name]
Template 2: Social Promotion Focused
Hi [Name],
My name is [Your Name] and I create travel content focused on [destination / travel style].
I’m reaching out to propose a collaboration as I believe my audience would genuinely love [Hotel Name] and the experience you offer.
My audience consists primarily of [who your audience is]. With my pages reaching over [X] monthly users, I’d be able to showcase [Hotel Name] through [posts, stories, reels] to travellers actively looking to plan their next trip.
You can check out examples of my content here: [Links to social media]
Please take a look and let me know if it is something you would be interested in.
Kind regards,
[Your Name]
Template 3: Blog Focused
Hi [Name],
I’m [Your Name], a travel blogger focused on [destination or niche].
I’m reaching out to explore a collaboration that would feature [Hotel Name] in a dedicated blog post and/or destination guide, providing long-term SEO visibility and referral traffic.
My blog attracts readers planning trips to [destination] and I’d love to highlight [Hotel Name] as a recommended place to stay.
You can view my blog and previous hotel features here: [Link]
Let me know if this could be a good fit.
Best wishes,
[Your Name]
The Follow Up
If you don’t hear back after pitching a hotel, it doesn’t mean they’re not interested. Hotels receive a high volume of emails and collaboration requests often get missed or saved for later - a polite follow-up can significantly increase your chances of getting a response.
You can usually follow up 3-5 times before leaving it there, but make sure your final message is open-ended, for example: “No worries at all if now isn’t the right time, happy to reconnect in the future.”
- When to Follow Up - wait 5-7 days after your initial email
- How to Follow Up - Keep it short and friendly, reference your original email and make it easy for them to reply
Avoid sounding pushy or impatient, a follow-up should feel helpful, not demanding.
Follow-Up Email Templates
Follow up 1:
Hi [Name],
I hope you are having a great week!
I just wanted to check in and see if you had the opportunity to review my last email about a collaboration. If I can send any further details, please let me know.
Thanks so much, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Best wishes,
[Your Name]
Follow up 2:
Hi [Name],
I just wanted to quickly follow up on my previous email in case it got lost in your inbox.
I’d still love to explore a collaboration that would provide [Hotel Name] with [short reminder of what you’re offering].
No problem at all if now isn’t the right time, I just wanted to check back in.
Best wishes,
[Your Name]
What to Do If They Don’t Respond
Pitching hotels for collaborations is a numbers game and consistency matters more than any single response. Don't take it personally, just move on and keep pitching to other hotels that are a great fit for you.
Exchange examples
If you’re unsure what deliverables to offer in exchange for a stay, it usually depends on your content quality, audience size and experience level.
As a general guide:
- Beginner creators may offer 5-10 edited photos, 1-3 short-form videos & a couple of Instagram posts & stories in exchange for a 1-2 night stay.
- Established creators / larger audiences may offer 1 main social post, supporting stories and optional usage rights for hotel marketing in exchange for a 2-3+ night stay.
There’s no one-size-fits-all, the key is aligning your offer with the value you bring and the hotel’s content needs.
What Happens After a Hotel Says Yes
Once a hotel agrees to collaborate, the next steps are usually straightforward. Clear communication at this stage helps set expectations and leads to smoother, more professional collaborations.
First, confirm the stay details in writing:
- Dates of the stay
- Number of nights
- Room type
- Any inclusions (breakfast, spa access, experiences)
Next, confirm the deliverables:
- X amount of photos and/or videos
- X amount of social media posts, stories or reels
- X amount of blog or YouTube content
If the hotel plans to reuse your content, clarify usage rights early on:
- Where the content can be used (social media, website, booking platforms, ads)
- Whether usage is organic only or includes paid ads
- Any time limits on usage
Some hotels may send a contract or collaboration agreement. If they don’t, a clear confirmation email outlining the stay details, deliverables and usage rights is usually enough for smaller collaborations.
After your stay, deliver the agreed content within the agreed timeframe, share links once content is live and follow up with a short thank-you. A professional wrap-up makes it much easier to turn one hotel collaboration into repeat work or future referrals.
Should You Pitch Hotels If You’re a Small Creator?
Yes - many hotels actively work with small creators, especially when they’re looking for high-quality content rather than large-scale reach. If your content matches the hotel’s brand and you can clearly explain what you’re offering, being a small creator isn’t a disadvantage.
How Many Followers Do You Need to Pitch Hotels?
There’s no minimum follower count required to pitch hotels for collaborations. Some hotels prioritise reach, while others care far more about content they can reuse across their marketing channels.
Even creators with small or niche audiences can land hotel collaborations if their audience aligns with the hotel’s target guest and their pitch is clear and personalised.
How Do You Find Hotels Open to Collaborations?
You can find hotels open to collaborations by looking at their social media to see if they repost or collaborate with creators, or by looking at their websites for influencer collaboration pages.
At TravelCollabs, we share hotels that are open to working with creators in our collabs library, updated weekly - so you can focus on pitching brands that are already open to partnerships.
How Many Hotels Should You Pitch?
Pitching hotels is a numbers game, but you should only pitch to hotels you align with and can offer value to. Focus on sending well-researched, personalised pitches rather than mass emails.
For an upcoming trip, pitching 5-10 aligned hotels is a strong starting point, with the option to expand your outreach if needed.
Final Tips for Landing More Hotel Collaborations
Landing hotel collaborations isn’t about luck, it’s about consistency, clarity and positioning yourself well.
A few things to keep in mind as you start pitching:
- Pitching hotels is a numbers game. Not every hotel will reply and that’s normal.
- Focus on sending well-researched, personalised pitches rather than mass emails.
- Track who you’ve contacted, when you followed up and what type of pitches get replies.
- Don’t get discouraged by silence, one yes can easily outweigh multiple no responses.
- The more you pitch, the better your emails, confidence and results will become.
