Have you been mislead by hotel or inn travel photos when booking your vacation?

In this difficult economy, some hotels, inns and Bed and Breakfasts appear to be writing "fake customer reviews" and posting Photoshopped and misleading photos on their websites and travel websites such as "Travelocity" to entice travel customers to their destination.

Unfortunately, we all know in this day and age that what you see in photographs is NOT necessarily true - thanks to software like Photoshop - available to anyone - you can push pixels around to your heart's content - removing buildings, replacing sunsets, replacing landscaping, enlarging pools, etc.

For those hotels or inns who actually want to project truthful images to their potential visitors, video goes a long way towards reaching that goal. Video is less forgiving, which is why a Video Tour of a hotel, bed & breakfast or Inn will give give the viewer an accurate portrayal of the accommodations.  With video, you can tour your rooms, your lobby, show your beautiful restaurant, and take the viewer on a tour outside and around the neighborhood to show the actual setting as it really is.  Video can't be "Photoshopped" or altered as easily as still photography can, so it presents an accurate portrayal of the accommodations, not just retouched photographs taken at the "right" angle to magically remove something that may be distasteful.

Why I don't stay at many New England inns or bed and breakfasts

I don't like surprises on vacation!

When you compare inns or B & B's in the same city on any travel website and they’re both priced the same per night but one displays photos and videos (that effectively inspire and tell that hotel’s story) and the other only displays photos, which hotel is more appealing to you? Research has proven that it's the inn using video marketing!

We all know what a bed looks like, and that seems to be all that most websites for inns & 

B&B's display on their website!  

What I want to know before I book is what do the rooms look like?  Are they 5" larger than the bed?  What does the restaurant look like?  Is there one?  What type of neighborhood is it in - do I walk out the door to an industrial park or a corn field or a vibrant street filled with cafes and shopping?  Is there parking?  What is the view - sandy beach, brick wall or junkyard? What amenities surround the inn?  Who are the innkeepers?

Video provides an authentic and realistic portrayal of your accommodations and facilities, with a better scale of depth than still photography.  It creates emotion - and people make decisions based upon emotion.  Video also improves the "stickiness" of your website, with viewers staying on your website longer.

By adding video to your online inn or bed and breakfast website, you’ll be able to give online travel shoppers more information about your accommodations and influence their booking decisions.  Travelers are much more savvy today, and they demand an abundance of information before fully committing. 

Video can showcase the unique features and amenities of your accommodations  that increases traveler's perceived value of your inn.  

With our cost-effective video production services we can plan and produce a visitor attraction video that is unique, interesting and above all else, appealing to your customer base.  Today, high quality video tours of your New England inn or bed & breakfast can cost less than an annual ad in your local tourism book - and it works for you 24/7 every day throughout the world!

Wow - spectacular!

This video is so appealing because it is not a slick/staged/hyped pitch vehicle. Your approach is warm and inviting and intimtate-so well suited to the residential market. Of course, the quality of your voice is just right, too. Making hand held video is an art, and you have mastered it. Getting the lighting right is tough in large interior spaces, but I think it lends legitimacy to the piece-it's not touched up, but realistically represents the way the space looks.

Your video for the Inn continuess to make fans for us - it moves them to pick up the phone and make a reservation. When they arrive, they consistently say the rooms look as good or better than they did in the video. This truth in advertising has won us repeat guests and referrals unlike the hotels with slick, touched up videos.

Louise Venden

Innkeeper

Charles Street Inn

Beacon Hill, Boston MA

February 2009