How do I write destination guides that attract guests?
Short answer
Write destination guides from your team's first-hand knowledge, for a specific kind of traveller, with practical details they can act on: how long it takes to walk somewhere, when places are busy, what's worth booking ahead, and what you'd personally recommend. Keep facts current, show who wrote the guide, and link to the rooms and offers that suit those travellers. A guide that only repeats what tourism sites already say adds little; a guide with genuine local insight is useful to guests and more likely to be linked to and remembered.
By Lodging Engine Editorial Team· Reviewed by Eric Zwanenburg· Last reviewed
Pick the right topics
Start from questions guests ask your team:
- "How do we get here from the airport without a car?"
- "Where can we eat late on a Sunday?"
- "Which beaches are quiet in August?"
- "What's on in the area in May?"
One clear question per guide works better than a vague "Ultimate guide to [city]".
Write from experience
Google's guidance on helpful content asks whether content shows first-hand experience. For hotels, that's your advantage:
- Name real places your team visits and why.
- Give realistic times and distances (walk it yourself).
- Include practical tips: parking, opening patterns, booking ahead.
- Be honest about downsides ("busy at weekends", "steep walk back").
Structure for readers
- A short answer or summary at the top.
- Sections by theme or itinerary.
- Practical details in lists.
- A map or clear directions.
- "Where to stay" — a natural link to suitable rooms or offers.
Show who's behind it
Add the author's name and role ("written by our head concierge, who has lived in the area for 15 years") and a last-updated date. Google's guidance suggests making the who, how, and why behind content clear.
Example byline — use real details.
Keep it accurate
Restaurants close, routes change, events move. Review guides at least yearly and before peak season. See updating old content.
AI-assisted drafts
AI can help structure a guide, but it can't verify that places are open or distances are right. Every fact needs a human check. See should hotels use AI to write content?.
Common mistakes
- Generic lists copied from other sites.
- No links back to rooms or booking.
- Outdated recommendations.
- Recommending places nobody on the team has visited.
Checklist
- Topic based on a real guest question
- First-hand details and realistic times
- Named author and last-updated date
- Links to suitable rooms and offers
- Yearly review scheduled
Sources
- Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content — Google Search Central
- SEO Starter Guide: the basics — Google Search Central
- Google Search's guidance about AI-generated content — Google Search Central Blog