Can you feel the autumn atmosphere settling into the streets and shops around you? October 31st is just around the corner. Halloween is an exciting opportunity to get creative with your offers that can quickly and effectively engage potential guests on your hotel website. This year, why not take your spooky celebrations up a notch and offer a unique and thrilling experience to your visitors?

On this day haunted by skeletons, vampires, and witches, many travelers are on the search for a frightening and festive getaway. Here are our best tricks to treat your customers to personalized messages communicating your most creative Halloween campaigns on your hotel website to boost your direct bookings.

1. Welcome your thrill seekers

Get ready to be welcomed with a scare at GHT Hotels. The hotel hosts a celebration in which the costumes of ghosts, witches or demons, as well as toasted chestnuts and "panellets", fully transport visitors to autumn, while they enjoy some spooky entertainment activities. Via a Welcome Layer, GHT Hotels displays the various perks of its Halloween proposal, including free access to the indoor heated pool as a tempting way to relax your muscles during this tense period.

Notice to thrill seekers, Cahernane House Hotel is welcoming their guests with a promise to hear Ireland’s greatest storyteller, Eddie Lenihan, tell tales of myth, magic and mystery. In addition to a full Irish breakfast each morning and Halloween treats in the room upon arrival, visitors will have the opportunity to take a haunted history tour of Cahernane and listen to ghost stories at Killegy Graveyard. No guarantee here, however, that customers will sleep tight.

Welcome message encouraging users to go directly to the booking engine

2. Leave a chilling sense of urgency

Halloween is the time to scare and surprise. This is exactly what Ohai Resorts accomplishes by showcasing a Layer on their Homepage displaying their offer with a countdown clock to encourage their website visitors to finalize their reservations. What’s more frightening than missing out on a good deal? This is a creative way to communicate the time sensitive nature of your campaign by encouraging visitors to book right away rather than allowing the time to browse other websites searching for a better offer. 

The message is followed by another Layer in the booking engine with a one-click promotional code once Halloween dates have been selected. Visitors can also find a schedule of the different activities offered for Halloween on the Ohai Resorts websites, allowing them to visualize their stay from the moment they enter the hotel’s direct channel.

Countdown clock encouraging to book a limited time offer

3. Don’t forget about families! Offer activities for children and adults alike

Let’s not forget that it’s children who have been counting down the days until they can finally dress up in their costumes for a sweet night of trick-or-treating. Brandon House Hotel found the perfect way to combine activities for children, adults, and the whole family. For a two or three night stays at their hotel, visitors’ children will have the opportunity to enjoy a Kid’s Club and playground, while adults have access to the Health and Leisure Club. Together, they will enjoy discounts at various local attractions like amusement parks or museums.

Showcasing family offers available for short stays

4. Offer a sweet experience Halloween

Not a fan of horror films or haunted houses? Crillon Le Brave opted for a sweet version of Halloween, with charming typical activities to appeal to all travelers. Included in the program at this Provencal village is a pumpkin carving workshop, make-up and costume competitions, a candy hunt in the village at nightfall, and fireside storytelling. 

Displayed in the booking engine, a Halloween themed message highlights the various benefits of direct booking, providing extra incentives to potential bookers and giving that final push to finalize their reservation.

Layer on Booking Engine giving extra incentives for direct booking

5. Extend the festivities

Who said the spirit of Halloween is exclusively for the 31st of October? Think of the autumn lovers, waiting for pumpkin patches and apple cider all year long. Appealing to them before the festive month even commences, Balboa Bay Resort offers a Halloween package for the entire month of October. By crafting the perfect package featuring both luxurious and local attractions, they are simply leveraging the festive atmosphere as their reason for offering guests the various perks of the package when purchased directly. 

Homepage message featuring an exclusive package offer for Halloween

Just like the hotels mentioned in this blog, you and your hotel can benefit from the magic of Halloween. Create novel marketing campaigns that will astound your website visitors and devoted customers. Work with your team to develop fresh and engaging initiatives and adjust them to your brand and audience. Now, and during any other holiday event, is your chance to boost your direct bookings and increase your revenue.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out this ingenious Halloween marketing campaign that grabbed our attention and generated a buzz among visitors: Lopesan Hotel Group's terrifically spooky marketing strategy.