Your Questions. Our Answers.

XPORT has specialized in the hospitality industry since 2001. We understand the problems and challenges your industry faces. You’ll benefit from our insights and best practices gained from over 25 years of experience in hotel marketing. Instead of dealing with a constantly changing roster of contacts and unnecessary jargon, you’ll have a dedicated partner who understands hotel marketing, websites, systems, and the unique aspects of the industry. We don’t view design, technology, and marketing as separate entities, but rather as interconnected building blocks.

Generally speaking, no. We work with you to structure the transition, clarify access rights and responsibilities, and ensure that important systems and ongoing initiatives are taken into account during the transition. In doing so, we rely on designated points of contact and strive for solutions that are as open and independent as possible.

No problem—that’s exactly what we’re here for! You don’t need to know in advance which online marketing solutions or website strategies are right for your business. Just take advantage of our free initial consultation, where we’ll thoroughly assess your current situation with no strings attached. In a brief 15-minute conversation, you won’t be speaking with an anonymous salesperson—instead, you’ll talk directly with one of our experienced hotel consultants. We’ll take the time to listen to you, analyze your challenges, and give you an honest assessment (with absolutely no sales pressure) of the steps you need to take to achieve the best results for your specific needs.

For 25 years, our focus has been on the hospitality industry. As a result, we are familiar with typical hotel processes, reservation systems, OTAs, interfaces, and guest booking behavior—and can tailor our services specifically to these needs.

For us, working together in person doesn’t depend on physical proximity. In our day-to-day work, we coordinate easily online—with clients as well as within our team. And when an in-person meeting makes sense, we get together on-site for workshops, kick-offs, or joint meetings. This keeps the lines of communication short while still allowing for face-to-face interaction.

Yes, absolutely! As a listed consulting firm, we’ll help you take advantage of BAFA fundingfor marketing. This way, you can secure up to €2,800(or up to 80% of consulting costs) in government grants for your business growth. We provide strategic guidance—from brand building to a crystal-clear online marketing strategy to impartial system consulting —all while staying within your budget.

That depends on your hotel, your target audience, and your goals. Together, we’ll analyze which channels offer the greatest value—from SEO and Google Ads to social media, email marketing, and metasearch engines.

Yes. You decide how we'll work together. We'll develop the strategy and support your team in implementing it, or we'll carry out specific measures together with our specialists.

There is no single “best” software solution. A small boutique hotel needs a different solution than a large vacation resort. We provide100% vendor-neutral advice. We analyze your workflows and recommend exactly the systems that fit your hotel and your budget— without any lock-in effect.

Absolutely. Not only do we provide strategic advice, but as a digital marketing agency, we alsohandle the implementation ourselves. We seamlessly integrateyour new booking engine, table reservation system, or gift certificate store into your existing or new website design—for maximum reliability and the highest number of direct bookings.

For small hotels, a cloud-based all-in-one system—which combines a PMS, channel manager, and booking engine into a single platform—is generally the most sensible choice, rather than linking multiple individual tools. What matters most here isn’t so much the maximum range of features as it is ease of implementation, intuitive operation, and a fair pricing model—typically between €8 and €15 per room per month. However, there is no single “best” system, as the right solution always depends on the number of rooms, the hotel’s structure, and its target audience. This is exactly where our system consulting comes in: from the wide range of options, we narrow it down to the two or three systems that are truly the best fit for your property.

That depends on your starting point. The compact package (starting at €490) is a good fit if your target audiences, positioning, and content are already largely defined and you primarily need a coherent site structure. In the concept workshop (starting at €2,990), we dig deeper and work together to examine target audiences, offerings, user navigation, and content, among other things. The best way to determine which option is right for your project is to discuss it during an initial consultation.

Our design process is designed to make the most efficient use of your time. During the workshop, we identify the key questions and gather your insights about the hotel, guests, and goals. We then use this information to develop the site structure, user flow, and content plan, so you can focus your input on the decisions that really matter.

No, absolutely not. One of our most important core values is your independence. Our website design service is a standalone consulting offering with no hidden lock-in effect. In the end, you’ll have a clear, well-founded roadmap in your hands. Of course, we’d be delighted if we could handle the design and programming for you afterward—but you’re completely free to work with another agency to bring the finished concept to life.

In the vast majority of cases: Yes! If your hotel is based in Germany, is a legally independent entity, and qualifies as a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), your chances of receiving funding are excellent. Since we are an officially listed BAFA consulting firm, you can have up to 50% (and in the new federal states, even up to 80%) of our consulting fees reimbursed by the government. We’d be happy to check your eligibility in advance during a free initial consultation and guide you through the process without any red tape. 

Think of your hotel as a house: the brand strategy is the foundation. This is where we define your values, target audiences, positioning, and unique selling propositions. The corporate design then translates these fundamentals visually into a logo, colors, typography, and visual language. In short: the brand strategy sets the direction; the corporate design makes it visible.

A beautiful website alone doesn't explain why a guest should choose your hotel. A well-thought-out brand strategy defines positioning, target audiences, values, and unique selling propositions. This foundation then shapes your website, social media, newsletters, and other communication channels.

Whether your hotel is eligible for funding depends on the applicable funding requirements. As a BAFA-listed consulting firm, we would be happy to work with you to determine whether your business meets the criteria and which strategic consulting services are eligible for funding.

Clear positioning can be especially valuable for small, unique hotels. Instead of competing on size or large marketing budgets, you can specifically highlight your hotel’s personality, unique experiences, and strengths—and thereby attract exactly the guests who are a good fit for you.

That depends on the process and the existing systems. If off-the-shelf software already handles a task effectively, there’s no need to develop a new solution. A custom solution may be worth considering if specific workflows, missing interfaces, or repetitive manual tasks cannot be effectively addressed with off-the-shelf solutions.

On the contrary! When tedious routine tasks—such as typing up registration forms, scanning documents, or manually managing invoices—are handled digitally, your team’s workload is noticeably reduced. Your employees will have their minds free for what really matters: genuine, personal interaction and warm hospitality.

No. We are 100% vendor-independent and won’t force you into a closed, all-in-one system. Our goal is to build stable interfaces (APIs) so that your existing tools (such as PMS, IBE, or voucher shop) can finally communicate seamlessly with one another. You keep your software; we eliminate the need for manual data transfer. 

The BAFA Business Consulting Program is a government funding program for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Depending on the company’s location, the government covers 50% or 80% of eligible consulting costs. The goal is to support companies in their strategic development—for example, in the areas of digitalization, marketing, or corporate strategy.

The odds are very good if your hotel is based in Germany, is a legally independent entity, and meets the EU’s SME criteria (fewer than 250 employees and annual revenue of no more than 50 million euros). We’d be happy to work with you to determine whether your hotel meets these requirements during a no-obligation introductory meeting.

Consulting costs of up to €3,500 are eligible for funding per grant application. Depending on the company’s location, the grant covers 50% or 80% of these costs—that is, up to €1,750 or €2,800.

With hellohotel, we typically launch a new website within 4 to 8 weeks. For custom premium projects, we generally estimate 6 to 8 months, depending on the scope and the need for coordination. The timeline also depends on how quickly we receive content, images, and feedback.

Existing rankings cannot be guaranteed during a relaunch. However, with a well-designed redirect strategy, a well-thought-out URL structure, and technical SEO support, we lay the groundwork to preserve existing visibility as much as possible.

Not necessarily. We’ll work with you to determine whether your existing images are a good fit for the new website and the look you’re going for. If you’re missing high-quality or up-to-date images, a professional photo shoot might be a good idea—because good photos play an important role in a guest’s decision to choose a hotel.

We take accessibility into account right from the design and technical implementation stages. However, the extent to which a website meets applicable requirements also depends on its design, content, and integrated third-party systems, such as the booking engine. Upon request, we can also conduct a targeted accessibility audit of the website.

The use of AI alone does not determine visibility on Google. Other important factors include technology, structure, relevant content, and a solid SEO foundation. We take precisely these factors into account when working on AI-powered website projects.

AI can speed up certain steps in the workflow, thereby reducing the amount of manual work required. As a result, we spend less agency time on individual tasks. Concept development, quality control, and the final touches by our team remain an integral part of the project. We’re able to pass on these efficiency gains through transparent package pricing.

As of June 28, 2025, the Accessibility Enhancement Act has introduced new requirements for certain digital offerings and services. Whether and to what extent your hotel or website is subject to these requirements depends on the specific circumstances and any applicable exemptions. We can assist you with technical and design reviews, but we do not provide legal advice.

No. Accessibility and good design are not mutually exclusive. Sufficient contrast, clear structures, easy-to-read text, and intuitive controls improve the user experience for many guests—not just for people with disabilities.

An online marketing strategy is your plan for how your hotel will reach the right guests online: which channels, which messages, what budget, and how everything works together. Without it, you’re taking costly, random actions; with it, you create a system that consistently generates direct bookings.

A good strategy ensures that all marketing efforts work toward a common goal: more qualified visitors to your website, more direct bookings, and efficient use of your budget. Instead of looking at individual channels in isolation, you create a comprehensive strategy that works in the long term.

Quality always comes before quantity! We start by analyzing your market environment, your target audience, and your budget. Then we focus specifically on the channels that will deliver the fastest and most sustainable return on investment (ROI)—which, as a first step, might involve setting up a solid presence on metasearch engines or launching a protective SEA campaign for your brand name.

We don’t operate blindly. We make the success of all our initiatives measurable. With a clean, GDPR-compliant tracking setup and our own XPORT Analytics Dashboard, you can see exactly how much of your budget went into each channel and how many direct bookings actually resulted from it.

Yes, 100%. We've been a purely digital hotel marketing agency since 2001. That's your biggest advantage: We know the complex interfaces with your booking engine (IBE) or your property management system (PMS) inside and out, and we know exactly which emotional stories and images will motivate guests to make a booking.

Guests no longer search exclusively through traditional search engines; instead, they are increasingly using AI-powered search and response systems such as ChatGPT, Claude, or AI Overviews. SEO continues to improve visibility in search engines; GEO complements this approach by focusing on making content understandable and relevant for generative search systems.

SEO aims to improve your hotel’s organic visibility in search engines over the long term. SEA refers to paid search engine advertising, such as Google Ads, and can provide additional visibility immediately after a campaign launches. Both channels serve different purposes and can complement each other effectively.

That depends on your location, the competition, the season, and your goals. In addition to our support, you'll need a media budget for ads that can be clearly defined and adjusted at any time. Together, we'll set a budget that fits your hotel, and we'll only increase it when the data supports doing so.

That's exactly when SEA can be a good option. With targeted campaigns, you can direct guests who are already searching for your hotel or a suitable offer straight to your own website. This helps you boost your direct sales and reduce your reliance on booking portals.

SEA can generate visibility and clicks right from the start of a campaign. However, we need sufficient data to make a reliable assessment. The first meaningful trends often become apparent after a few weeks; campaigns are then continuously optimized based on the results.

SEO optimizes your website’s visibility in traditional search engines. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) focuses on making content understandable, relevant, and easy to categorize for generative AI and response systems such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and others. Both approaches complement each other but target different search environments.

Yes. AI-powered search and response systems are increasingly being used for inspiration, research, and travel planning. Guests can enter very specific requests (prompts), such as “Create a travel itinerary for a long weekend in Dresden at a design hotel with a good breakfast.” For hotels, this creates an additional channel for visibility—in addition to traditional search results—when they are recommended here. 

Meta-search engines can direct guests straight to your own booking funnel, thereby boosting your direct sales. Whether a campaign is worth it compared to an OTA booking depends on click costs, conversion rates, booking value, and commissions. That’s exactly why we measure and optimize our campaigns based on actual results.

Yes, they can also be a good fit for smaller and independent hotels. Budgets can be managed flexibly and targeted specifically where there is already a concrete intention to book. We’ll assess whether metasearch is right for your hotel based on your current situation, systems, and goals.

Which metrics are relevant depends on your goal. In addition to reach and engagement, metrics such as profile views, website visits, inquiries, or campaign results may also be important. That’s why we first define the goal and then evaluate the metrics that truly contribute to it.

We don't just look at the number of followers. Other key factors include engagement, the target audience, the quality and style of the content, and whether the creator and community are truly a good fit for your hotel. So it's not about the widest possible reach—it's about the right one.

A good partnership can provide your hotel with additional reach, visibility among a relevant target audience, and high-quality photo or video content. Once the appropriate usage rights have been agreed upon, you can then use selected content on your own website or social media channels.

That depends on the goal of the partnership. For example, we look at reach, interactions, content performance, website traffic, or—if it can be accurately measured from a technical standpoint—bookings resulting from these activities. Before we get started, we’ll work with you to determine which metrics are relevant for your hotel.

We can integrate appropriate sign-up forms and processes into your website. It’s important to ensure transparent consent and a properly set up double opt-in. Additional incentives, such as a promo code, can make signing up more appealing, but they must also be implemented in compliance with data protection and competition laws.

XPORT Analytics is our proprietary dashboard for our customers. Instead of sending you confusing reports from Google Analytics, we use XPORT Analytics to visualize exactly the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are truly important to you as a hotelier: traffic, booked revenue, conversion rate, and the performance of individual marketing channels. It’s simple, transparent, and available to you at any time.

Yes, when setting up the system, we ensure that the technical implementation complies with data protection regulations and coordinate tracking with the consent management system in use. Depending on the setup, this may include, for example, Consent Mode and the corresponding configurations of the tools used. The specific requirements that apply depend on your website, the services used, and their configuration.

We don’t view tracking in isolation from the broader context of hotel marketing. Thanks to our many years of experience in the hospitality industry, we know which metrics are relevant for hotels and how websites, booking funnels, and marketing channels work together. That’s why we don’t just provide you with data—we also help you interpret it and develop concrete actions based on it.