The way travelers choose where to stay is changing—and the way hospitality brands show up online has to evolve with it. This benchmark study breaks down exactly what’s working on social media for the hotel and hospitality space right now. Based on 12 months of platform data, it reveals the real engagement metrics, content formats, and platform-specific tactics that deliver results.

Executive Summary

• Highest-performing platforms for hotel engagement—and how to use each one more effectively
• Side-by-side comparison of content types across Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok
• Formats commonly used by hotels—and which ones actually drive engagement
• Deep dive into content pillars that consistently outperform across each platform
• Data-driven insights to optimize your content and boost reach in the hospitality space

Averages Across All Platforms

Looking across platforms, the performance gap is wide, and strategic decisions should reflect that.

TikTok leads in engagement by a massive margin. Smaller hotel profiles are seeing rates above 100%, with video views averaging 89K per post. It’s the best-performing platform for short-form content and visibility, even for accounts under 5K followers.

Instagram holds its ground with strong visual engagement. Mid-sized accounts pull in the best results, with carousel posts slightly outperforming Reels in interaction. It’s the platform where visual storytelling meets hotel branding.

Facebook remains a steady player, but video is essential. Small pages outperform larger ones when they lean into raw, story-driven clips rather than albums or links.

LinkedIn surprises with consistency. Engagement by reach holds steady at 2.5% across all page sizes, making it ideal for professional storytelling, impact reports, and brand trust-building.

X (formerly Twitter) underdelivers across most metrics. No platform-wide reach engagement was recorded, and video struggles. But animated GIFs, status posts, and real-time storytelling still have niche value.

Engagement Rates by Content Type (Per Platform)

Facebook

Video posts top the charts here, with the highest engagement by both reach and impressions, especially for smaller pages. Meanwhile, photo posts, links, and albums underperform, yet still dominate the feed. To stay competitive, brands need to cut static formats by half and reallocate resources to hotel video marketing benchmarks.

Instagram

Carousels drive the strongest engagement, followed by image posts and then Reels. Despite Reels making up a third of content, carousels edge them out on engagement rates, especially for mid-sized hotel accounts. Structure matters, and story-driven content wins.

X (formerly Twitter)

Across the board, engagement is low, but GIFs and photo posts deliver relatively better results. Video and links drag down overall metrics. Brands posting long captions, quotes, or live updates saw more consistent traction.

LinkedIn

Documents and articles lead in engagement, with image and video content lagging behind. Thoughtful, long-form posts around hotel impact, team culture, or hospitality partnerships drive the most value on this platform.

TikTok

No surprise—video dominates engagement. Carousels are barely used but show similar performance potential. The real edge comes from raw, emotionally charged content—perfect for showcasing real guest experiences or behind-the-scenes moments.

Post Formats by Volume (Per Platform)

There’s often a mismatch between what hotels post and what actually performs.

Facebook

Photo posts (51%) and albums (23%) are still the go-to, despite low engagement. Video posts make up just 13% but deliver much stronger results. Shift your ratio toward richer formats to stay competitive.

Instagram

Reels lead in volume (33%), followed by images (40%) and carousels (27%). Yet carousels outperform Reels in engagement. Posting frequency for hotels on Instagram should lean into format diversity.

X (formerly Twitter)

Photos make up 34% of content, with links close behind. But again, video is underused and underwhelming. Animated GIFs, despite being just 0.2% of content, yield some of the platform’s highest engagement.

LinkedIn

Images dominate at 54%, while videos, documents, and articles make up the rest. Yet documents and articles deliver far more value. Rebalancing format strategy here is key to improving LinkedIn metrics for hotel industry brands.

TikTok

Unsurprisingly, 99.9% of content is video—and it works. Carousels show promise but are rarely used. If you’re not posting short-form video daily, you’re missing TikTok’s core strength.

This is where brands can realign posting habits with performance, avoiding the trap of high-volume, low-engagement formats.

Top Content Pillars (Per Platform)

These insights show which content pillars are most effective for hotel engagement across all platforms.

Facebook

Posts about Local Attractions, Guest Experiences, and Seasonal Content drive the strongest engagement. These emotional, relatable narratives consistently outperform promotional posts or static room showcases.

Instagram

Travel Tips, Guest Stories, and Local Highlights rank highest. Visual content that blends helpful info with human-centered storytelling connects best.

X (formerly Twitter)

Themes like Unique Experiences, Seasonal Moments, and Wellness/Relaxation drive the most interaction. While the platform’s engagement is modest, these niches still provide valuable reach opportunities.

LinkedIn

Dining Experiences, Attractions, and Wellness Content are the top performers. Posts that showcase professional culture, innovation, or hospitality partnerships through documents and long-form content stand out here.

TikTok

Dining, Guest Stories, and Event Highlights dominate. The platform rewards emotion, humor, and authenticity, making it ideal for storytelling over sales.

Ready to download the full report?

The full PDF includes visual benchmarks, platform-specific insights, and data-backed content strategies—built to help hospitality marketers elevate performance.

Whether you’re managing a luxury hotel, growing a boutique resort brand, or leading digital for a major hospitality chain, this is the resource to help you make smarter social decisions in 2024.

Download the full PDF now and see how your hotel’s social media performance stacks up.