Great properties don’t always look great online
Hotel photographer Mauro Risch explains why outstanding properties are often let down by outdated visuals, and how seeing your business through a guest's eyes could change the way you market it.
By Mauro Risch, the Hotel Photographer
I spend a lot of time photographing hotels and resorts, and one thing surprises me more than anything else. Some of the best properties I visit simply don’t look that way online.
I’ve arrived expecting an average accommodation property because of what I’d seen on its website, only to discover beautifully presented rooms, thoughtful design and a fantastic guest experience. I’ve also seen the opposite. It reminds me that guests often make decisions based on perception rather than reality.
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That’s a problem because, for most travellers, your photographs create the very first impression of your business. Long before they compare room rates, read guest reviews or explore your facilities, they’re deciding whether your property feels like somewhere they’d like to stay.
When business slows, it’s natural to look at pricing, promotions or distribution channels. Many accommodation providers also invest time improving their websites and social media.
But when was the last time you looked at your property’s photography through the eyes of a first-time guest?
Not as the owner or manager who knows every room and every recent improvement, but as someone seeing your business for the very first time.
Imagine two beachfront resorts sitting side by side. Both offer spacious apartments, ocean views and excellent guest reviews. One listing features bright, professionally photographed images that capture the natural light, the outlook and the feeling of being on holiday.
The other relies on photographs taken several years ago on an overcast day, with flat lighting and awkward angles. Even if the accommodation is almost identical, many travellers will assume the first property is of a higher standard before they’ve read a single word of the description.
That’s how quickly first impressions are formed.
Read: Lights, camera, action: Preparing your place for a photoshoot
Good photography isn’t about making a room look bigger than it is or creating unrealistic expectations. It’s about presenting the property honestly while showing it at its absolute best. The right light, thoughtful composition and attention to detail help guests picture themselves staying there before they’ve even made a booking.
Those details matter because guests are looking for reassurance. They want confidence that the experience they see online is the experience they’ll enjoy when they arrive. Strong imagery helps build that confidence and creates trust before a booking is ever made.
One thing I notice regularly is that accommodation providers invest significant time and money improving their properties, whether it’s renovating bathrooms, updating furniture, refreshing landscaping or creating new guest spaces, but never update the photography to reflect those changes.
Guests can’t appreciate improvements they never see, and the online impression no longer matches the experience waiting for them.
Your photography should evolve as your property evolves.
There’s a simple exercise I often suggest.
Open your website or online listing, then compare it with a few nearby competitors.
Resist the temptation to read the descriptions or compare the prices. Simply look at the photographs and ask yourself one question:
“If I knew nothing about these properties, which one would I be most excited to book?”
If you hesitate before choosing your own, it’s worth asking why.
The answer isn’t always that your property needs renovating. Sometimes it simply needs to be presented in a way that reflects the quality you’ve already created.
Today’s images work harder than ever before. They appear on booking platforms, your website, social media, email campaigns and digital advertising, often becoming the first and sometimes only chance to capture a potential guest’s attention.
A strong collection of professional photographs isn’t just a marketing asset; it’s one of the clearest ways to communicate the value of your business.
Perhaps the biggest mistake I see isn’t that accommodation providers have poor properties.
It’s that exceptional properties are being presented like ordinary ones.
Every hotel and resort has something that makes it memorable. It might be a spectacular view, beautifully designed interiors, mature tropical gardens or simply the atmosphere guests experience from the moment they arrive. Those qualities are what persuade travellers to stop scrolling and start imagining themselves on holiday.
Great photography can’t create those experiences. But it can make sure they’re seen.
And in an increasingly competitive market, that first impression may be the difference between a guest clicking “Book now” or moving on to the next property.
AccomNews is getting ready to spotlight more industry leaders like Mauro Risch at NoVacancy 2026.
