Building a new hotel or renovating an existing one is a massive undertaking. As the months (or years) of planning, construction and clean up come to an end, it’s time for you to hire a hotel photographer to show off all your hard work. A Google search for the term “Hotel Photographer” will return 177 MILLION results! So how do you decide which photographer is the right one for you? There are many different factors that can direct your decision but we have found that answering 8 simple questions will help you make the best decision for your individual property.

The single most important question to ask when choosing someone to photograph your hotel is whether your brand will allow you to use the photos from their shoot. It does not matter whether you hire the most talented and most expensive photographer if the photos that they take cannot be approved by your brand. Many brands require that you use a hotel photography company that has been contracted by the brand. Other brands have a list of preferred hotel photographers or photography companies that you can choose from. Those companies pay a steep price for the privilege of exclusivity and with that price comes a level of protection from the brand. No matter how great your photos are, if they are not approved, you have wasted your money and will have to redo the photo shoot. We have photographed more than 800 hotels for more than 40 different brands but even with all of our experience, there are brands we cannot shoot.

We have photographed hundreds of Choice Hotels in the past and were actually invited guests at the Choice Hotels Owner’s Council convention several years ago. As experienced as we are, we haven’t shot a Choice Hotel in years because they changed their requirements and require owners to use one of the agencies Choice has contracted with for photos. Sure, we could do a better job than many of the subcontracted photographers they choose but it does not matter if you can’t get our pictures approved.

If you aren’t sure, check out our portfolio of work or just give us a call. We are always happy to provide a straightforward answer and aren’t afraid to say NO>

2 – What Type of Hotel Photography do you need and does your Hotel Photographer specialize in that type of photography?

Ask yourself what words you would use to describe your hotel and find a hotel photograph who specializes in that type of photography.

When you look through the Google search results for the term Hotel Photographer, you will see words like Luxury, Award Winning, Incredible. If those are the words you use to describe your hotel, then that is absolutely the type of hotel photographer you should hire and they are worth the expensive prices they charge. Some photographers specialize in high end, lifestyle photography. They are experts at selling a concept or an idea. These types of photo shoots can range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. If this is the type of property you have, then by all means hire the very best and most talented photographer who can help you tell your story.

On the other hand, if you do not have a luxury resort or high end luxury hotel, then you are more likely interested in photographs that show the logistics of your property instead of inviting people to envision a lifestyle. The words we chose to describe our approach is Quality, Consistency and Value. We specialize in midscale, limited service properties where the owners and the brand are focused on those same values.

3 – Who will the actual Hotel Photographer be?

Many of the brand approved photography companies subcontract their work to local real estate photographers who may have little or no experience photographing hotels. If this is the only company you are allowed to use then you are stuck. It is important that you understand what you are getting for your money. We have been hired by several of these companies in the past so we understand how these companies work. The photography company negotiates a rate with the brand and then they pay a small portion of that negotiated rate to a local photographer. If you are required to use one of these companies, it is important that you ask about the experience of the person who will actually shoot your hotel and speak to that person in advance to make sure that they are a good fit.

4 – Ask to see samples of previous Hotel Photography from the actual photographer who will be shooting your hotel.

We all know that sometimes the perfect picture is simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes the perfect picture just happens. While that’s often the case when it comes to beautiful sunsets during a walk on the beach, that’s not typically the case with a hotel photo shoot. We don’t have the luxury of sitting around all day waiting for the perfect shot to appear. The company your brand suggests may have beautiful pictures on their website but you should ask to see a portfolio of the work that your actual photographer has done. Most photographers choose their very best shots and share only those on their website or in the portfolio that they send you.

5 -Does your Hotel Photographer have RECENT experience with your brand?

We have shot for more than 40 individual flags and have plenty of experience but every time we shoot, we verify that we are using the most recent brand standards. Every brand has nuances and specific requirements for their hotel photography guidelines. One brand requires that a pen and pad be present beside the phone on the bedside table. If the pen and pad are not there, the photos will not be approved. Another brand requires that the bedside table be completely clear and if there is a phone or pen and pad on the bedside table, the photos will not be approved. If your photographer is not familiar with the requirements of your brand, you may incur additional reshooting or photoshopping costs if the photos are not approved.

Brand Photography Guidelines are not totally clear — for example, one brand’s photography guidelines say “Never photograph the hotel pool during day” and yet on another page of their guidelines, it says “Always photograph the hotel pool when the sun is directly overhead”. So which is it? It’s important that you hire a photographer that knows what the brand requires — ESPECIALLY if the hotel photography guidelines are not clear or are confusing. FYI – we know which way that brand wants your pool shot because we shoot that brand all the time.

6 – Does the Photographer help you prepare for the Hotel Photo Shoot?

We understand that you are operating a hotel and the needs of your guests and your staff must come first. The best way to make sure your photo shoot goes well is to prepare well in advance of the arrival of the photographer. Review your brand photography guidelines of course. But we want to make sure that you understand what the guidelines really require. We will send you detailed instructions for how to prepare for our arrival but most importantly, we will schedule a phone call with your general manger, head of housekeeping, maintenance director and anyone else who will be involved in preparing the hotel for photos. We don’t just tell you that the linens need to be wrinkle free. We will share our tips about HOW to iron your linens, how to restock breakfast, and many other lessons we have learned over ten years of photographing hotels.

7 – What happens on the day of the Photo Shoot?

Ask when your photographer will arrive at the hotel and what will happen on the day of the photo shoot. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, we will have spoken to you and your staff well in advance of the shoot but there are always last minute questions and preparations that need to happen. We understand that things happen but advanced preparation can eliminate a lot of the unique challenges that come with photographing hotels.

We arrive at the hotel the day before the photo shoot and the first thing that we do is walk through all of the areas and rooms to be photographed with you. That way we are all on the same page as to whether you are ready for photos. We will review the hotel photography guidelines with you on our preparation call and then verify during the walkthrough that they have been met. We will look at lighting and sunstreaks and shadows to determine the schedule for the day of the shoot. The most important goal of the walkthrough is to make sure that everyone is comfortable. We are really good at what we do but our number one goal is to make sure that the experience is a positive one for us all and that everyone has fun.

8 – What is included in the price of the Hotel Photography Package?

The first question you will probably ask is “How much does a hotel photo shoot cost?” and while that is an important question, the more important question is “What is included in the price of the hotel photography package?”.

It is important to ask such questions as –

• Does the photographer charge by the picture or do they charge by the job?
• How much time of actual photography is included?
• Are there ongoing royalty or additional usage fees?
• Who owns the rights to the photos?
• How do the photos get uploaded to your website?
• Is Photoshop or additional editing included in the price?

By asking the right questions you can be sure that you have hired a hotel photographer who understands your business, your budget and your brand.