Social media continues to be essential to the hotel industry’s resilience and will undoubtedly continue playing a leading role as hotels look forward to welcoming more guests back in 2021. To understand COVID-related legal considerations for hotels promoting a safe, clean and welcoming stay, Hotel Executive turned to Foster Garvey attorneys Greg Duff and Ruth Walters for insight.
In an article titled, “Content Rules: Hotel Social Media in a Post COVID-World,” Duff and Walters take the lead in discussing what legal issues should be examined in developing a post-COVID social media strategy.
They agree that social media remains a powerful tool for hotels, but also caution hoteliers to be sure what they are posting about cleanliness, contactless service and flexible cancellation, among other pandemic-related services or amenities are true and communicated consistently across channels.
Duff and Walters said in an interview, “First and foremost, hotels must ensure their claims are true and that the promoted policies and practices are actually put into place and followed.”
With demand on the rise from hotels and their clients to share COVID-related promotional images and videos of hotels in social media marketing efforts, Duff and Walters also encouraged hotels work out these details with group clients before event contracts are signed.
“Early discussions about hotels and/or groups wanting to use photos/videos for marketing purposes is important. Hotels seeking to take photos or videos of a particular event need to obtain written approval from the group and to obtain individual consents from any individual who will be identifiable in marketing materials.”
Read the full article, including additional insights on communicating with employees about social media, on the Hotel Executive website.
