December is the biggest voucher month of the year for hotels. Guests are actively looking for meaningful, last-minute gifts, and experiential vouchers continue to outperform physical products. But strong results don’t happen automatically. To reach your full revenue potential, and to recover quickly if sales are behind target , you need a mix of consistent best practice and fast-acting recovery tactics.
Here’s the full playbook.
1. General Best Practice: What Every Hotel Should Do in December
Make Vouchers Highly Visible Online
Your guests can only buy what they can find.
Ensure vouchers feature prominently across:
Homepage hero or banner
Main navigation
Room, dining and spa pages (“Gift an experience”)
Footer and mobile menu
A festive panel and strong visual cues make a measurable difference.
Optimise the Voucher Page for Fast Decisions
In December people skim, not browse. Help them choose quickly with:
Top 3–5 bestsellers
Categories such as “Perfect for Couples / Foodies / Spa Lovers”
Clear value propositions
Instant email delivery highlighted
Simple, low-friction purchase flow
Small enhancements lift conversion fast.
Use Email to Drive the Bulk of Sales
Database marketing is your most powerful December lever.
Send focused, useful emails to:
- Past voucher buyers
- Loyal and repeat guests
- Last-minute shoppers (final 72 hours are crucial)
Tone should be helpful and practical, not salesy.
Run Light, Well-Targeted Ads
A tactical push goes a long way:
· Meta retargeting + local gifting audiences
Google brand and “gift voucher” searches
Short bursts during peak demand days
The goal is being present when intent is highest.
Activate On-Property Opportunities
In-house guests convert extremely well this time of year.
Use:
· QR codes at reception/bar
· In-room tent cards or TV presentations
· Staff prompts at check-out and in the spa
It’s subtle, not pushy and consistently effective.
Engage Local Businesses for Corporate Gifting
Make it easy for companies still arranging client or staff gifts:
· Curated packages
· Simple invoice options
· Quick fulfilment
One corporate purchase can close the gap for several slow days.
2. When Sales Are Significantly Down: A Crisis Playbook
If your voucher numbers are behind last year or pacing lower than expected, don’t panic. December voucher performance is highly recoverable, often within days, when the right levers are pulled quickly.
Here’s what to do immediately:
Step 1: Diagnose the Drop (20-Minute Review)
Identify whether it’s:
· Traffic (visibility issue)
· Conversion (page or messaging issue)
· Product mix (bestsellers not prominent)
· Competitive pressure
This gives you clarity on where to act first.
Step 2: Increase Visibility Today
Nearly every underperforming voucher campaign starts with poor visibility.
Implement instantly:
· Strong homepage banner
· Prominent navigation placement
· Festive panels on high-traffic pages
Most hotels see uplift within 24–48 hours once this is done.
Step 3: Send Two High-Impact Emails This Week
Email can recover lost ground quickly.
Focus on:
· Past buyers (“Gifting made easy”)
· Warm guests (“Give the gift of your favourite hotel”)
· Urgency moments (“Instant delivery before Christmas”)
This alone can rescue a slow month.
Step 4: Lift Conversion on the Voucher Page
Make the decision effortless:
· Feature the top sellers
· Add “Perfect for…” categories
· Boost reassurance about instant delivery
· Reduce scrolling and simplify choices
Conversion improvements often show same-day results.
Step 5: Add a Short Paid Boost
Turn on or increase:
· Meta remarketing
· Local/regional gift audiences
· Google Ads on “hotel gift vouchers” / “[city] gift vouchers”
Even small budgets can create meaningful uplift.
Step 6: Maximise On-Property Buyers
Your current guests are your warmest prospects.
Staff prompts + visible QR codes = fast, organic sales.
The Formula for December Success
Consistent best practice ensures you reach your full December potential.
Rapid-response actions ensure you recover quickly if you fall behind.
In almost every case, sales rebound when hotels focus on three things:
Visibility, email, and ease of purchase.