Branding: why it matters

If you want your guests to remember you long after they leave, branding matters. By putting your hotel's name in all sorts of places, discreetly, you stay in people's minds. But why does it work?

Where should you put your name?

There are plenty of ways to put your branding in place! Nothing should be left to chance.

Let's start with stationery. You can offer your guests:

• Branded envelopes and cards
• Headed paper
• A pen

Next, you can personalise items in the bathroom:

• Bathrobe and towels
• Soaps and shampoos
• Slippers

And finally, any useful object in the room:

• Coasters, mugs and so on
• A clock

Your guests will then have items bearing your name that they take with them everywhere. And to go one step further, you could even open a shop and sell some of these products!

Why does branding work?

First of all, just because guests have stayed with you doesn't mean they will remember the name of your property a few months later. So, to fix your name in their memory, you need to show it to them regularly. The more they see it, the more likely they are to remember it.

Then there is the fact that guests can take some of these products home with them: headed paper, envelopes, pens, shampoos and more. That way, you increase the chances of other people seeing your name and becoming guests themselves.

You have everything to gain from making your brand visible, so go for it! There you have it: you now know all about branding and you can start putting it in place. And why not set up a few partnerships next?

Three categories of branded items cover the essentials of hotel branding. Here's where to place them and what they deliver.

Product category	Examples	Primary benefit
Office supplies	Envelopes, cards, letterhead, pen	Stays with the guest after departure, visible to others
Bathroom items	Robe, towels, soaps, shampoos, slippers	Used daily, reinforces brand recall during the stay
Room objects	Coasters, mug, clock	Present daily, name repetition without being intrusive

Frequently asked questions

What items should carry my property’s name? Three families already cover most of it: desk items (envelopes, cards, headed paper, a pen), bathroom items (bathrobe and towels, soaps and shampoos, slippers) and the useful objects in the room (coaster, mug, clock). Start with what guests handle every day and leave nothing to chance.

Why does branding work? For two reasons. Repetition first: the more often a guest sees your name during the stay, the more likely they are to remember it months later. Circulation next: the pen, the envelope or the small shampoo bottle leave with them, and other people see your name in their home.

Won’t guests remember my name anyway after staying with me? No. A stay is no guarantee that anyone recalls the name of the property a few months on. That is exactly why it has to appear regularly during the stay, on things the guest has right in front of them.

Should the logo be visible everywhere? A little everywhere, yes, but discreetly. Guests should come across the name often without feeling they are standing in a showroom. Someone who notices the branding on every single move ends up reading it as advertising rather than as care.

Can I sell these products instead of giving them away? Yes, and it is the logical next step: a shop lets you sell some of the products guests like to take home. Keep the best travellers free of charge though, the pen and the small bottle: those are the ones working for you once the guest is back home.