Why UK Hotels Should Leverage Pinterest to Drive Direct Bookings
It all begins with an idea.
In a competitive hospitality landscape, driving direct bookings is a strategic priority for many UK hotels seeking to reduce dependency on Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and retain greater control over customer relationships and revenue. While platforms like Google, Instagram, and Facebook are commonly used for digital marketing, Pinterest remains an underutilised but highly effective tool for reaching travel-intent audiences at scale.
With over 500 million monthly active users globally, Pinterest operates less like a traditional social media platform and more as a visual search engine. Its users actively seek inspiration and plan future purchases — making it particularly well suited to the travel and hospitality sector.
Here’s why Pinterest should be a core component of your hotel’s direct booking strategy.
1. Pinterest Captures Users in the Planning Phase
Unlike other platforms where users may browse passively, Pinterest users are actively searching for ideas and solutions — including travel destinations, accommodation options, and curated experiences. Terms like “luxury hotels UK”, “romantic getaways in the Cotswolds”, or “spa weekends in the Lake District” are commonly searched on the platform.
Critically, Pinterest reports that 87% of users have made a purchase as a result of content they’ve seen on the platform. For hotels, this presents an opportunity to engage travellers at the point of intent, when they are still considering where to stay.
2. Sustained, High-Intent Referral Traffic
Pinterest pins are evergreen in nature. Unlike the fast-moving content of Instagram or Facebook, a well-optimised pin can continue to drive qualified referral traffic to your website for months — even years — after it’s first published.
Furthermore, traffic from Pinterest tends to convert at a higher rate, as users are often further along in their planning journey and more inclined to take direct action.
3. Travel Marketing Is Visual by Nature
Pinterest’s visual-first format aligns naturally with travel marketing. Hotels are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this, as they often already possess high-quality imagery of their property, amenities, and surrounding location.
By creating visually compelling pins — such as “Boutique Hotel Stays in the Scottish Highlands” or “Top 5 Coastal Retreats in Cornwall” — you can inspire prospective guests and link them directly to relevant landing pages, including your booking engine.
4. Enhanced Visibility Through Search Integration
Pinterest functions as a search engine in its own right, and pins can also appear in Google Image Search results. When properly optimised with relevant keywords and descriptive metadata, your content gains dual exposure: within Pinterest and through broader search visibility.
This makes Pinterest a highly cost-effective addition to any SEO strategy, particularly for hotels targeting specific regions, experiences, or seasonal campaigns.
5. Cost-Effective, Long-Term Marketing Value
One of Pinterest’s most significant advantages is its low ongoing cost. Organic pins continue to deliver value over time without additional spend. Additionally, Pinterest’s advertising platform (Promoted Pins) offers comparatively low-cost media buys, enabling hotels to test campaigns and scale performance efficiently.
For properties with limited marketing budgets, Pinterest presents an excellent opportunity to achieve long-term reach with minimal ongoing investment.
6. Opportunity to Promote Direct Booking Incentives
Pinterest enables direct linking to specific pages — including booking portals, offer pages, or blog content. This provides a direct path for users to convert without detouring through OTAs.
Use the platform to showcase:
Seasonal packages (e.g. "Winter Escapes in the Lake District")
Event offerings (e.g. weddings, corporate retreats)
Exclusive direct booking benefits (e.g. complimentary upgrades or flexible cancellation)
This approach reinforces brand ownership of the booking journey and strengthens customer loyalty.
Pinterest offers a unique opportunity for UK hotels to capture attention during the crucial planning phase of the guest journey.
With its visual nature, sustained reach, and ability to generate high-quality traffic, it represents a highly effective — and often overlooked — tool in the hotelier’s digital marketing toolkit.
By integrating Pinterest into your broader content and SEO strategy, your property can attract travel-ready audiences, highlight its unique offering, and ultimately increase direct bookings — all while reducing costs associated with third-party distribution.
Book a call with us to see how we can assist you or your clients. We offer Pinterest management, consultancy & in-house training.