Email marketing for independent hotels

You paid to meet
that guest once.
Stop paying twice.

Social Spoon is a done-for-you email marketing agency for independent and boutique hotels. I help past guests book again, directly, so you’re not paying Booking.com commission to reach people who already know you.

THE SECOND BOOKING

Being found is one thing.
Paying again is another.

OTAs can introduce your hotel to new guests. But when a past guest returns through Booking.com, you pay commission on someone who already knows the place.

Email gives you a way to stay in touch and offer a direct route back. Start by finding out what your OTA bookings cost.

Run your own numbers

AN ILLUSTRATIVE 20-ROOM HOTEL

£8,191a month in OTA commission

Average nightly rate
£220
Occupancy
68%
OTA share of room revenue
50%
Commission rate
18%

A worked example, not an industry average or a savings promise. Not all commission is avoidable.

Four emails, from first hello to next stayMaison Serein · Fictional hotel. Real structure.

Welcome: an introduction to the 18-room property, its Garden Suites and courtyard breakfast.

See the full journey
OTA SHARE OF BOOKINGSBEFORE AFTER

73%43%

30 percentage points less reliance on OTAs.

Wellness retreatSri Lanka27 rooms

A 27-room hotel went from 73% OTA bookings to 43%.

Over six months, I rebuilt the welcome sequence, split the list into relevant groups and gave subscribers first access to seasonal availability. No paid ads were used in this programme.

Email open rate
13.5% 39.3%
Email subscribers
3,400 8,300
See what changed

One hotel, six months. Your numbers will be different.

Hotel terrace overlooking a valley at sunset

They checked out.
Who stays in touch?

If a guest hears from booking sites and never from you, who’s making the next stay easier to book? Give them a reason to come straight back.

Saijen Kanbi, founder of Social Spoon
SAIJEN KANBI / FOUNDER

You’ll work with me.
Not an account manager.

I’m Saijen. I run Social Spoon from Manchester, helping independent hotels turn guest interest into direct bookings.

I do the strategy, the writing and the build myself. You’ll know who’s responsible for the work, because you’ll be talking to him.

More about me

THE GUEST JOURNEY REVENUE SPRINT

Start with one email journey.

Choose one group: past guests, wedding enquiries or people already booked. I build up to four emails in your existing platform.

£1,000 fixed project.
A 14-day build once scope, payment, access and assets are in place.

It can be your starting point before ongoing management. There’s no retainer requirement.

How the Sprint works

How we work together

01

I look at what guests get.

The emails, the audience and what happens after someone clicks. Then we choose the gap worth fixing first.

02

I write and build it.

In your hotel’s voice, using your existing platform where it fits. One person is responsible for getting it done: me.

03

We check what changed.

Bookings where your system can track them, clicks and replies where it can’t. Opens alone don’t pay the bills.

Before we get started

We already send newsletters. Can you still help?

Yes. The question is who receives them, why that message matters now, and what happens next. I’ll review what’s already working before recommending more emails.

Will we have to change our email platform?

Probably not. I start with what you have and only suggest a switch if it prevents us doing the agreed work.

How much work will our team need to do?

You provide access, hotel updates, brand assets and approvals. I handle the agreed strategy, writing, design and build. We agree responsibilities before starting.

What if our email list is small?

Then I check how you collect subscribers and what guest data you can use for marketing. A small list needs a realistic plan, not a big booking promise.

What does it cost?

The Sprint is £1,000 for one completed journey. Ongoing email management and audits are quoted separately after a call. You’ll have the scope and price in writing before you commit.

Can you guarantee more direct bookings?

No. I’ll agree what success looks like before we start and measure it honestly. A tested email journey is something I can promise; a guest’s decision to book isn’t.

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR HOTEL

Your past guests know the place.
Give them a reason to return.

Tell me what happens after checkout. That’s a good place to start.

Book a discovery callI’ll tell you what I’d fix first, whether or not you hire me.

THE SOCIAL SPOON NEWSLETTER

The Concierge.

Hotel email breakdowns, direct-booking ideas and a clear opinion on what to fix next. Written by Saijen.

Read the archive on Substack

FREE TOOL FOR INDEPENDENT HOTELS

What are OTA commissions costing you?

Use your own figures to see the monthly and annual estimate. No signup needed.

Run your numbers