Hotel Pre-Opening Checklist & Playbook

Description

Launch Your Hotel Right the First Time

Opening a new hotel or completing a major rebrand is one of the highest-stakes moments in hospitality. Miss critical marketing milestones and you launch to empty rooms. This playbook walks you through every marketing and distribution task across a 90/60/30-day countdown so nothing falls through the cracks.

What’s Included

• 90-Day Pre-Opening Marketing Checklist — Comprehensive task list covering brand identity finalization, website launch timeline, photography and videography scheduling, social media account setup, and PR outreach planning.
• 60-Day Distribution & OTA Setup Guide — Step-by-step instructions for setting up Expedia, Booking.com, Google Hotel Ads, and GDS connections. Includes content requirements, photo specifications, and rate loading best practices for each channel.
• 30-Day Launch Campaign Playbook — Pre-opening email sequences, social media countdown campaigns, local media outreach templates, influencer collaboration frameworks, and grand opening event planning guides.
• Rate Strategy Framework — Opening rate positioning methodology including comp set analysis templates, introductory rate strategies, rate tier structures, and first-90-days pricing roadmap.
• Pre-Opening Team Assignments — RACI matrix template for marketing, sales, revenue, and operations teams with clear ownership and deadlines for every task.

Who It’s For

Hotel developers, management company teams, GMs of new-build properties, and marketing leaders overseeing rebrands or conversions. Designed for independent hotels, boutique properties, and management companies launching new assets.

Why You Need This

Hotels that launch without a structured pre-opening marketing plan typically underperform RevPAR benchmarks by 15-25% in their first year. The cost of missed OTA setup deadlines, delayed website launches, and absent opening-day buzz compounds quickly. This playbook is your insurance policy against a slow start.