Luxury Hotel Black Friday Strategy: 8 Ways to Boost Revenue

Black Friday began as an American shopping tradition after Thanksgiving, and it is now a firm fixture in the hotel marketing calendar in Ireland and the UK, marking the start of the Christmas booking and gift-giving season. This year it falls on Friday 27 November 2026, with Cyber Monday following on 30 November.

For luxury independent hotels, it is a chance to grow direct revenue, as long as your offers are easy for guests to find, easy to book and ready well before the day. Here are nine ways to prepare.

1. Get Ready to Rock

Black Friday is busy and unforgiving, so plan early and test everything before launch. Click every deal link, test every call-to-action button, load enough inventory and check every price in your booking engine. Make sure your website loads quickly on mobile, where much of Black Friday browsing happens.

Put all your packages and gift vouchers on one dedicated landing page, so guests can buy in one click. Describe the offer, dates and terms in plain text as well as images: clear, direct copy is easier for guests, and for AI assistants, to find and repeat.

2. Extend Your Deals Until Cyber Monday

Black Friday offers don't have to end after one day. Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, started in the US as a way to extend the sales window, and this year it falls on 30 November. Running your offers through the weekend and into Cyber Monday can maximise sales, especially if you have invested heavily in the campaign, even though the urgency may drop. For more ideas, see our Black Friday and Cyber Monday game plan.

3. Add Value

Percentage discounts are fine if your business can afford them. If not, add value instead: a complimentary upgrade, inclusive breakfast, welcome amenities, a free activity, bonus loyalty points, or no supplement for children. "Stay longer, save more" offers can also increase revenue per guest over several nights. Our guide to driving direct bookings without discounting has more ways to do it.

4. Be Open to Doorbusters

A steep discount on a small number of items, such as your top suite at 50% off, creates buzz and draws traffic to your website. Once the door buster inventory has sold out, visitors can still be shown your other offers.

5. Remarket to Website Visitors

Only a small share of visitors book on their first visit, so retarget people who started a booking but did not finish, using Meta and Google. Aim at two groups: those who abandoned a booking earlier in November, and visitors who viewed your Black Friday packages without booking. Keep your direct rates visible in Google Hotel Ads too, so guests comparing prices see your offer.

6. Keep Your Subscribers Posted

Email remains one of your strongest channels. Send an exclusive offer to your subscribers and link straight to your booking engine, with attractive images and a strong subject line, such as "Offers That Make Us Proud" or "Grab the Deal of the Year". Our guide to festive marketing that converts covers the wider campaign.

7. Let's Make It a Game

Run a themed social media competition before Black Friday, with a prize that appeals to your guests. Share exclusive previews of your upcoming room offers and encourage followers to share the post or tag friends.

8. Embrace the Spirit of Christmas

Hotel gift voucher sales traditionally peak in the two weeks before Christmas, but many Black Friday shoppers buy early. Use festive calls to action such as "Find the perfect Christmas present", festive imagery, holiday-themed vouchers such as a festive afternoon tea, and free postage. Our gift voucher season strategy shows how to make the most of them.

9. Build Excitement Well in Advance

Build anticipation across every channel: Facebook covers and events, homepage and booking engine banners, social media reminders, newsletter features, a countdown clock, and Google Ads promoting the flash sale. A joined-up digital marketing plan keeps every channel pointing at the same offer.

Black Friday rewards the hotels that plan early and make it easy to book direct. With 27 November just weeks away, now is the time to put your plan in place. If you are an Aró partner, reach out to your account manager today. Otherwise, contact Aró Digital Strategy to talk through your campaign, or see how other hotels have grown in our success stories. It is also a good moment to start planning ahead: our guide to your 2027 digital marketing budget shows where to invest next year.