I’ve seen luxury hotels with immaculate lobbies, Michelin-starred restaurants, and design features worthy of architectural magazines consistently send out emails that might as well say “We have rooms. Book one.”
The disconnect is jarring.
But even more revealing is what happens behind the scenes when these same properties try to create better email marketing. Their briefs—the foundational documents meant to guide the entire email creation process—focus almost exclusively on brand aesthetics while completely ignoring the psychological triggers that actually drive bookings.
The brief will contain three paragraphs about the property’s “sophisticated yet approachable” brand voice, but not a single word about why a guest would book a spa treatment in the first place.
This isn’t just an operational annoyance. It’s actively sabotaging your conversion rates. When your brief prioritizes the wrong information, you get beautiful emails that say nothing compelling to the people receiving them. Your welcome sequence might perfectly capture your brand essence while completely missing the specific concerns that prevent booking completion.
Let’s fix this problem at the source. The issue isn’t your copywriter’s talent or your brand guidelines—it’s the information hierarchy in your briefs.
The Backwards Approach Most Hotels Take (And Why It Fails)
Last month, a five-star property in Santorini sent me a brief for their pre-arrival email sequence. The document began with four paragraphs about the hotel’s architectural inspiration, followed by detailed brand guidelines covering everything from comma usage to the emotional associations of their color palette.
On page three—after I’d learned that their particular shade of blue represented “the timeless tranquility of the Aegean”—I finally discovered what the emails needed to actually accomplish: driving ancillary bookings for their new chef’s table experience, which represented a significant revenue opportunity with 70% margins.
This crucial business objective was buried as an afterthought, while aesthetic considerations took center stage.
This backwards prioritization creates emails that sound nice but fail to perform. The brief trained me to think about the brand’s voice before considering what would actually convince someone to book a €250 chef’s table experience.
I see this pattern repeatedly. Hotels instinctively begin with brand considerations because they’re comfortable territory. Brand guidelines feel concrete and established. They’ve been approved by leadership and provide clear parameters. Discussing psychological triggers and customer objections feels messier, more subjective, and sometimes uncomfortable.
The result? Most hotel email briefs follow this inverted hierarchy:
First, they extensively cover brand background—mission statements, positioning, competitive landscape, and property history. This creates an immediate focus problem: the copywriter starts drowning in brand theory before understanding what actions guests need to take.
Next comes aesthetic direction—font preferences, image guidelines, tone considerations, and word choice restrictions. Again, these matter for execution but shouldn’t drive the core message strategy.
Only after this extensive preamble do most briefs finally mention the actual purpose of the email. By this point, it’s framed almost as an afterthought to the brand exposition.
Meanwhile, the elements that actually determine email success—detailed guest segments, concrete conversion goals, competitive alternatives, and common objections—are either completely missing or given minimal attention.
This inverted hierarchy explains why so many hotel emails underperform despite sounding “on brand.” The priorities are simply backwards.
Information Hierarchy: What Actually Matters (In Order)
The solution isn’t adding more information to your briefs—it’s restructuring them to prioritize what actually drives results. Here’s the performance-based hierarchy that actually works, from most to least important:
1. Specific Conversion Objective: The Foundation Everything Else Builds Upon
Every effective email begins with absolute clarity about what specific action you need guests to take. Not a vague aspiration like “build brand awareness” or “inform guests about our offerings,” but a concrete, measurable action.
When I pushed that Santorini hotel to clarify their true objective, what emerged was far more specific than “promote our chef’s table.” What they actually needed was: “Drive 10 chef’s table bookings for weekday slots over the next three weeks, specifically targeting couples without children who’ve already booked premium suite categories.”
This precision immediately changed my approach. I now understood not just what we were promoting, but exactly who needed to take what action within what timeframe. The emails would need to specifically address why a weekday chef’s table experience would enhance a couple’s romantic stay, with particular emphasis on the exclusive nature of the experience that aligned with their suite choice.
Without this foundation, I might have created content emphasizing family memories or the chef’s culinary background—elements that wouldn’t address the actual business need for weekday bookings from a specific guest type.
When defining your conversion objective, get ruthlessly specific about:
The exact action guests should take (book a specific experience, add a specific enhancement, extend their stay by X nights)
The precise booking path they should follow (with the specific URL or booking method)
The timeframe in which the action should occur (immediate, within 48 hours, before a specific date)
How success will be measured (booking rate, revenue per email, total conversion value)
This level of specificity immediately orients your email toward actual business outcomes rather than vague communication goals. It creates the foundation everything else builds upon.
2. Guest Segment and Psychological State: Understanding Who’s Reading and Why They Care
Once your objective is clear, the next most critical element is understanding exactly who will receive the email and their current psychological state.
Generic segments like “past guests” or “newsletter subscribers” aren’t nearly specific enough. Effective emails require understanding precisely where recipients are in their journey with your property and what’s motivating their potential actions.
For a recent spa promotion at an Alpine resort, the brief initially described the audience as “guests with upcoming reservations.” When I pushed for more specificity, we uncovered that we were actually targeting: “First-time guests with reservations 10-20 days away who booked deluxe rooms or higher categories directly through our website, have demonstrated interest in wellness content through previous email engagement, but haven’t yet booked spa services.”
This detailed segmentation completely transformed the approach. Now I understood these were premium guests already committed to a high-end experience but who hadn’t yet extended that premium mindset to their spa choices. They weren’t budget-conscious (given their room category) but might need specific justification for adding a significant spa expense to an already premium booking.
The email needed to bridge their existing commitment to luxury accommodation with the natural extension of that mindset to wellness experiences. It needed to address not general spa benefits, but the specific concerns of first-time guests who might be uncertain about the quality or value of the specific spa offerings.
When defining your guest segment, drill down into:
Their specific relationship with your property (prospect, first-time booker, repeat guest, lapsed customer)
Behavioral signals that placed them in this segment (website visits, past stay patterns, specific page views)
Their awareness level about the specific offering being promoted
Their likely hesitations about taking the desired action
Competitive alternatives they’re likely considering
This detailed understanding creates the psychological foundation for effective messaging that addresses specific motivations rather than relying on generic benefits.
3. Value Proposition and Offer Details: What Makes This Compelling
With objective and audience clearly established, you need to articulate exactly what you’re offering and why it matters to this specific segment.
This goes beyond simply describing the room, amenity, or service. It requires articulating the concrete value guests will receive and why it should matter to them specifically.
For a boutique hotel in Paris, their brief initially described their new “Parisian Local” package as “an authentic local experience featuring insider access to hidden gems.” This vague description gave me almost nothing to work with.
When we dug deeper, I discovered the package actually included: “Private after-hours access to Musée Rodin gardens with champagne service, a behind-the-scenes culinary tour through a century-old food market with the hotel’s Michelin-starred chef, and a custom fragrance creation session with a perfumer whose family has created scents for French aristocracy since 1809.”
Now I had something concrete to work with—specific experiences with clear exclusivity and emotional appeal that justified the premium pricing. The email could focus on the irreplaceable memories and status these experiences would create, directly addressing the target segment’s desire for authentic connections with Parisian culture beyond typical tourist experiences.
When articulating your value proposition, include:
Complete details of the specific offer, package, or service (not just the name, but what it actually includes)
The distinct elements that differentiate this offering from alternatives
Both functional benefits (what it does) and emotional benefits (how it makes guests feel)
Specific elements that address known motivations for this segment
Any exclusivity, scarcity, or time-limitation factors
Pricing structure and value positioning
This detailed value proposition provides the raw material to create compelling offers that connect directly to guest motivations.
4. Contextual Journey Position: Where This Fits in the Larger Sequence
No email exists in isolation. Each message is part of a larger guest journey, influenced by previous interactions and setting expectations for future communications.
Understanding precisely where an email fits within your broader marketing sequences dramatically impacts its effectiveness. An email arriving immediately after booking needs different context than one arriving three months after a stay.
For a Caribbean resort’s post-stay sequence, the brief initially failed to mention that this was the third email guests would receive after departure. When I learned this context, it completely changed my approach. The previous emails had focused on feedback collection and stay memories, meaning this third email needed to bridge from past reflection to future booking consideration without an abrupt shift in tone or message.
The email now needed to acknowledge the relationship already established through previous communications while gently transitioning to future-focused messaging. Without this context, I might have created content that felt disconnected from the guest’s experience of the communication sequence.
When establishing journey context, clarify:
Where this email appears in the larger sequence or guest journey
What communications preceded this email and what key points were covered
What communications will follow and how they build on this message
Time relationship to key events (days before arrival, weeks after departure)
Other channels where the guest may have encountered related messaging
This journey context helps create continuity and appropriate messaging intensity, preventing emails that feel disconnected from the broader guest experience.
5. Practical Constraints and Technical Requirements: The Execution Framework
Only after establishing the strategic foundation should you address practical execution elements. These constraints matter—they determine how the message can be delivered—but they shouldn’t drive fundamental strategy.
For a luxury tented camp in Africa, I created what I thought was a compelling pre-arrival sequence, only to discover later that their email platform could only handle single-column layouts with severely limited image capabilities. The design-heavy approach I’d taken simply wouldn’t work within their technical constraints.
Had I known these limitations upfront, I would have developed a text-focused approach that worked within their technical ecosystem rather than requiring significant revisions after the fact.
When outlining practical constraints, include:
Email platform limitations and template constraints
Character limits for subject lines and preview text
Image specifications and limitations
Mobile rendering requirements
Link parameters and tracking needs
Legal or regulatory notices that must be included
These requirements ensure your email can be properly implemented while complying with technical necessities.
6. Brand Context and Background: The Supporting Framework
Notice that brand information appears sixth in our hierarchy, not first. This doesn’t mean brand context is unimportant—it’s essential for consistency and differentiation. However, it should inform how you communicate your message, not determine the fundamental strategy of what needs to be communicated.
For a historic hotel in London, their brief opened with three pages on their heritage and brand voice. When I finally extracted the actual objective (driving afternoon tea bookings during specific low-occupancy periods), it became clear that only certain elements of their brand story were actually relevant to this specific goal.
The brief needed to highlight the afternoon tea tradition’s connection to the hotel’s history and the specific aspects of their brand identity that would resonate with the target segment’s interest in authentic British experiences. The comprehensive brand history was less important than these specific elements that supported the conversion objective.
When providing brand context, focus on:
Brand elements specifically relevant to this email’s objective
Voice and tone parameters with examples relevant to this specific message
Key differentiators that matter to this particular segment
Storytelling elements that reinforce the specific value proposition
This focused guidance helps maintain consistent positioning while keeping the primary focus on driving the specific conversion objective.
Flow-Specific Considerations That Make All the Difference
While the hierarchy above applies to all hotel email briefs, certain flows have unique information requirements that dramatically impact their effectiveness.
Welcome Sequence Essentials: First Impressions That Actually Convert
Welcome sequences mark your critical first impression while beginning the conversion journey. Yet many hotels provide virtually no specifics about how these sequences should actually drive bookings.
A Caribbean resort once gave me a brief that simply stated they needed “a warm, engaging welcome sequence reflecting our brand voice.” When I asked about conversion goals, they hadn’t even considered them—the sequence was viewed purely as a brand communication exercise rather than a revenue driver.
For welcome sequences, your brief needs specific information about:
Your typical inquiry-to-booking conversion timeline. If data shows most guests book within 7-10 days of joining your list, your welcome sequence should align with this pattern rather than dragging out over several weeks.
The specific hesitations that prevent interested prospects from booking. A luxury hotel discovered through exit surveys that their primary booking barrier wasn’t price but uncertainty about location convenience. This completely changed their welcome sequence focus from value justification to location benefits.
The primary sources bringing subscribers to your list. Guests joining through a wedding venue guide have different expectations and knowledge gaps than those subscribing through general destination content.
A luxury hotel in Bali transformed their welcome sequence performance by providing this specific information. Rather than a generic brand introduction, their sequence now addressed the exact concerns that database analysis showed prevented bookings—primarily uncertainty about weather patterns and transportation logistics. Conversion rates increased 34% by focusing on these specific barriers rather than general brand messaging.
Pre-Arrival Sequence Insights: The Psychology of Anticipation
Pre-arrival emails occur during a uniquely receptive psychological window when guests are actively anticipating their stay. Yet most hotels provide minimal guidance about how to effectively leverage this heightened engagement.
For pre-arrival sequences, your brief should include:
Your typical booking-to-arrival timeline and when guests make various pre-arrival decisions. Many properties are stunned to discover that dining reservations are typically decided 2-3 weeks before arrival, while spa bookings occur 5-7 days pre-arrival. This timing intelligence completely changes email deployment strategy.
Ancillary revenue priorities based on both margins and availability. A Caribbean resort discovered their sunset sailing experience had both their highest margin (72%) and highest satisfaction scores, making it the priority focus for pre-arrival promotion rather than their more heavily marketed spa services.
Common pre-arrival questions revealed through guest service communications. Addressing these proactively reduces support burdens while improving guest experience.
A boutique hotel in New York revolutionized their pre-arrival revenue by mapping their emails to actual guest decision timing. By promoting restaurant reservations 18 days pre-arrival and spa services 6 days pre-arrival (matching when guests typically made these decisions), they increased pre-arrival revenue by 47% without changing any actual offers.
Post-Stay Sequence Intelligence: Extending the Relationship
Post-stay emails maintain the relationship after the physical experience ends, yet many hotels treat them as an afterthought with minimal strategic direction.
For post-stay sequences, your brief must include:
Actual stay experience data showing satisfaction metrics and service interaction patterns. Guests who had spa experiences should receive different post-stay content than those who primarily engaged with dining venues.
Typical rebooking cycle for this specific segment. A ski resort discovered their guests typically rebooked 9-11 months in advance for the following season. This completely changed their post-stay timing strategy from generic “come back soon” messaging to specifically timed booking prompts aligned with this planning cycle.
User-generated content opportunities based on what guests actually share. A beach resort found their signature swinging day beds generated 15x more social shares than any other property feature, making them a focus for post-stay content that encouraged tagging and sharing.
A mountain lodge transformed their post-stay performance by segmenting based on actual guest experiences rather than generic categories. Guests who had taken guided hikes received different content than those who had primarily used the spa, with each sequence emphasizing the specific experiences these segments had most enjoyed. This targeted approach increased review submissions by 40% and return bookings by 28%.
Hierarchy in Action: The Transformation of Real Briefs
To illustrate how this information hierarchy transforms results, let’s examine how a real brief evolved from its initial state to a performance-focused version.
Here’s the original brief for a spa promotion from a luxury European hotel:
“We’d like to promote our spa to guests with upcoming stays. The email should reflect our ‘sophisticated tranquility’ brand positioning and highlight our range of treatments while encouraging bookings. The tone should be elegant and refined while remaining approachable and warm. Our spa offers various treatments including massages, facials, and body treatments ranging from €90-250. Guests can book through our online system or by calling the spa directly.”
This brief fails to provide any specific conversion objective, detailed segmentation, or insight into guest psychology. It’s focused almost entirely on brand voice and basic service description without addressing why guests would actually book these treatments.
After applying our hierarchy, the revised brief transformed into:
“Our objective is to generate spa bookings averaging €185 per guest from first-time visitors with reservations 10-20 days away who booked deluxe rooms or higher categories. We’re specifically promoting our 90-minute Signature Alpine Facial (€185) which has our highest profit margin (65%).
This guest segment has demonstrated premium preferences through their room category but hasn’t engaged with spa content. Their primary motivations include seeking comprehensive relaxation experiences and ‘permission’ for self-care during vacation. Common objections include uncertainty about treatment quality and concern about scheduling conflicts with other activities.
Our offer includes complimentary champagne service and extended access to our thermal suite (normally €75 additional) with any facial booking. Availability is limited to 6 appointments daily, with 60% already booked for the target dates.
This is the second pre-arrival email, arriving 14 days before check-in after an initial logistics-focused communication. It will be followed by dining-focused content 7 days pre-arrival. Previous similar promotions showed 3.2% conversion with €160 average booking.
Brand communication should emphasize our exclusive locally-sourced botanical ingredients that connect guests to the Alpine environment, differentiating our treatments from standard hotel spa offerings.”
Notice how the revised brief provides concrete direction on exactly what action we need from which guests and why they would take it. It places conversion strategy at the center while still incorporating brand elements in a supporting role.
This transformed brief led to a 42% increase in spa bookings compared to their previous approach because it addressed actual guest psychology rather than just brand positioning.
Why This Approach Actually Works: The Psychology Behind the Hierarchy
This information hierarchy isn’t just a preference—it’s built on fundamental principles of how effective marketing communication works.
Persuasive communication always begins with understanding what specific action you need someone to take and why they would take it. The mechanics of how you present that message—tone, design, brand voice—are important but secondary to this core strategic foundation.
When hotel briefs invert this hierarchy, they force copywriters to work backwards—trying to reverse-engineer effective conversion messaging from brand guidelines rather than building from a clear understanding of the desired action and audience psychology.
The most effective hotel marketers understand that brand voice and identity should serve conversion objectives, not the other way around. Your brand’s “sophisticated tranquility” positioning matters only insofar as it helps convince specific guests to take specific actions that drive revenue.
This doesn’t diminish the importance of brand consistency—it simply places it in the proper supporting context rather than allowing it to overshadow conversion strategy.
Implementing This Approach Without Creating More Work
Adopting this performance-based information hierarchy doesn’t require complex systems or lengthy processes. In fact, it typically results in more concise, focused briefs that save time for everyone involved.
The key is shifting your thinking from “what should we tell guests about our brand?” to “what specific action do we need from which guests and why would they take it?”
This mindset shift naturally leads to briefing conversations that prioritize conversion strategy over brand exposition. Instead of beginning discussions with brand guidelines, start with specific business objectives and audience insights.
When creating briefs, simply structure them according to the hierarchy we’ve outlined:
- Begin with the specific conversion objective and success metrics
- Define the exact audience segment and their psychological state
- Detail the value proposition and offer elements
- Clarify the journey context and sequence position
- Outline practical constraints and technical requirements
- Provide relevant brand guidance that supports the objective
This structure ensures you’re providing the information that actually drives results in the order that creates the most effective strategy.
The Competitive Advantage of Getting This Right
In an industry where most properties continue to prioritize aesthetic considerations over conversion strategy, implementing this information hierarchy creates significant competitive advantage.
Hotels that brief based on conversion objectives and guest psychology consistently outperform those that focus primarily on brand exposition. Their emails don’t just look and sound appropriate—they actually drive the specific guest actions that impact revenue.
This approach transforms email from a brand communication channel into a strategic revenue driver without sacrificing brand integrity. In fact, it often enhances brand perception by ensuring communications are not just on-brand but also genuinely valuable and relevant to recipients.
The difference is particularly pronounced in competitive markets where multiple properties offer similar amenities and experiences. When everyone has luxury rooms and attentive service, the property that communicates more persuasively based on actual guest psychology gains significant advantage.
The most successful hotel marketers recognize that beautiful design and perfect brand voice mean nothing if they don’t support clear conversion objectives based on genuine understanding of guest motivations. They use their briefs to provide this strategic foundation first, then layer in aesthetic considerations that support rather than overshadow these objectives.
Your Next Email Brief: A Different Approach
For your next email project, try restructuring your brief according to this hierarchy. Begin with absolute clarity about what specific action you need from which guests and why they would take it. Provide detailed insight into the audience segment and their psychological state. Articulate the value proposition in terms that matter specifically to this segment.
Only after establishing this strategic foundation should you address brand voice, design aesthetics, and technical requirements.
This approach won’t just improve your email results—it will transform how you think about all your marketing communications. By placing conversion objectives and audience psychology at the center, you’ll create messages that don’t just sound good but actually drive the specific guest actions that impact your bottom line.
The difference isn’t just theoretical—it’s measured in concrete metrics like higher conversion rates, increased ancillary revenue, and improved return on marketing investment. All without sacrificing brand integrity or creative quality.
In an industry where aesthetic considerations often overshadow strategic objectives, this performance-based approach creates both better results and more focused communication. It transforms your email marketing from brand-focused messaging to performance-driven communication that actually impacts revenue while maintaining your property’s unique voice and positioning.