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Industries · Hospitality & travel · Hotels, restaurants, travel
Fill rooms and tables on your own terms.
Every booking that comes through an online travel agency (OTA) or a delivery app carries a commission, and the guest stays with the platform. PromotEdge is a hotel marketing agency that helps hotels, resorts, venues, restaurants, cafés, cloud kitchens and travel brands win more direct bookings and repeat guests.
We use OTAs and delivery apps for reach, without letting them own your guests.
Guests find you on Instagram, YouTube or Google Maps, then check reviews and real photos. They book wherever it is easiest. That is often an OTA such as MakeMyTrip, Booking.com or Agoda, or a delivery app such as Zomato or Swiggy.
Mainline media and PR (public relations, meaning news coverage) make your name familiar in feeder cities. Digital work catches guests when they search and sends them to your own website or WhatsApp. On-ground events give them a reason to come back directly.
We work with hotels, resorts and wedding venues, restaurants and cafés, cloud kitchens and travel companies. Busy weeks vary by place: many leisure spots peak from October to March and at Christmas, hill stations in summer, and restaurants at festivals. We plan from your own occupancy and order data. Hotel branding gives guests a name and look they remember. Hotel website design gives them a fast page to book direct. For tour operators and travel brands, tourism marketing means trip pages and quick replies.
“Most of our bookings come through OTAs, and the commission keeps growing.”
Use OTAs for discovery, and win the second booking direct. We add direct-booker perks, search ads on your name, SEO (search engine optimisation) and a past-guest list on WhatsApp and email.
This is mine“A few bad reviews and our Maps enquiries dropped.”
Reply to every review fast and fix the cause. Reputation management makes asking routine.
This is mine“Our weekends are full, but weekdays are empty.”
Give each kind of guest a midweek reason, such as a corporate stay or a nearby-city staycation, each with its own Meta ads or search campaign.
This is mine“Wedding enquiries come in, and nobody follows up in time.”
Reply within the hour and track every enquiry to a signed booking. A CRM (software that tracks every lead) reminds the sales manager if nobody has answered.
This is mineWe haven't yet run marketing for a hotel or a restaurant client. The nearest we have is in our own group: The Trip Space, a travel company, and brands where people walk in and buy, such as Style Baazar and Head Turners hair and beauty studio.
Brands we have worked with
“An aligned partner is always a welcoming step. Someone who can think deep through lines, understand the matrix of product management. Fortunate enough, PromotEdge has been a partner in progress for me. …”
Bobby SrinivasChief Manager Marketing & Brand Marketing at Utkarsh India“As a progressive and emerging digital marketing company, PromotEdge is doing something right to enhance the experience of companies associated with them. …”
Anish Basu MallikMarketing Executive at Unimark Group“PRAN & PromotEdge have been working together for last 1.5 years. Throughout, the work experience is good and satisfactory. As a client, we found PromotEdge very professional and dedicated towards any project assigned to them. …”
Sharif Rezwan KabirBrand Manager at PRAN RFL Group| Step | What we do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy | Position you against nearby rivals. Set a direct-booking target, then plan the budget season by season. | Without a target, bookings drift to the platforms. |
| Advertising (mainline) | Outdoor and newspapers in feeder cities, radio for events, food films, and PR in travel and food media. | Guests book places they have heard of. |
| Digital | Google Business Profile and reviews, SEO and AI search, search ads on your name, Meta, creators, OTA and app listings, and WhatsApp booking. | Guests decide here, and direct bookings are won back. |
| BTL (below the line) and activation | Food festivals, launches, pop-ups and travel fairs, plus venue open days for weddings and corporate events. | Events bring regulars back and earn photos and reviews. |
We report by property or outlet, so a strong location doesn't hide a weak one. Direct bookings and calls are tracked from day one, through your booking engine or ordering system.
We don't publish a price list. A 30-minute strategist call comes first, then a one-page plan. Media and creator fees are billed at actuals, and you approve each first.
| Way of working | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | Profile, review, social and ad work, with a monthly report; minimum 3 months, 30 days' notice to stop |
| Season or launch fee | A new outlet, or a festive or wedding-season push; timeline confirmed in the quote |
| Media and creators at actuals | Ad spend and creator fees, plus event costs, billed as quoted |
To compare quotes fairly, check how many outlets and platforms each quote covers.
Every client and project is different. The cost depends on the effort it takes, so we price after the first call.
Built for the places guests decide, from Google Maps to Zomato and Swiggy.
AI drafts answers to guest and traveller questions, and your team approves what is sent.
Names and packaging that stand out on a delivery app, and arrive neat.
One plan across search, ads, social and WhatsApp for guests and travellers, read on direct bookings and enquiries.
A fast phone site with a booking or ordering page for direct visits.
A direct-booking target, set against your rivals and seasons.
Photos and short films of your food and property, sized for each listing.
Google Business ProfileInstagramRank above booking sites on your own name, with a verified Maps profile.
Google Business ProfileGoogleSearch ads on your own name, and Meta offers for quiet weekdays.
Google AdsMetaInstagramReels and local creators on Instagram and YouTube, with content rights agreed first.
InstagramYouTubeFast replies, plus messages to past guests who agreed, all tracked in a CRM.
WhatsAppYour Zomato, Swiggy and OTA pages, judged on what you keep per booking.
ZomatoSwiggyAsk every happy guest for a review, and reply to each one fast.
Google Business ProfileZomatoHoardings and newspapers in feeder cities, plus news coverage in travel and food media.
Food festivals and wedding open days that bring guests back.
Unsure whether to grow direct bookings or fix your delivery-app listings first? Let's pick the start that suits your season. Plan your season
Real business problems, from sales to back office, each with a plain AI fix. A person stays in charge of every step.
Third-party portals hold most of India's online accommodation bookings and charge commission, so hotels want more guests to book direct.
The AI fix A WhatsApp assistant answers rate and room questions from the hotel's booking system. Groups and special requests go to the front desk; staff confirm bookings and rates.
A sudden event brings last-minute cancellations and moved events. Rooms and banquet dates that looked sold turn into lost revenue unless resold fast.
The AI fix A forecasting model reads past bookings and season to flag reservations likely to cancel and suggest rooms to hold for resale. The revenue manager decides rates and offers.
Source: Skift, 2026
AI and automation systems WhatsApp automation CRM integration and setup
These show what such tools do. Each card links its source. We do not claim a past project here.
Our beliefWe know digital inside out, and we think like an Indian business.
Google Business Profile, local SEO, brand-name search ads and direct-booking flows for every location.
02SEO for hotels and restaurants: your own website and Google profile ranking above the booking platforms.
03Direct bookings, the OTA balance, Google and review management, and packages for each season.
04Google Maps, reviews, Zomato and Swiggy listings, food creators and a direct channel for regulars.
05Destination content, itinerary search, Instagram and YouTube, and fast WhatsApp follow-up on enquiries.
India's food services market was about ₹7.95 lakh crore in FY2026, and online's share was 11%. For hotels, ICRA expects industry revenue to grow 7% to 9% in FY2027, after 11% in FY2026, and premium hotels to stay at 72% to 74% occupancy. Treat these as estimates.
Source: IBEF, India's food services market projected to reach US$ 150 billion by FY31 (figures from Redseer Consulting), 10 July 2026. ICRA, Domestic hotel demand anchors growth amid global travel, quarterly update, 29 September 2026
Our view: a guest starts with a search, a reel or a forum, then reads Google Maps reviews and photos, then books where it is easiest. A diner checks the rating, then orders from an app. SiteMinder's 2025 survey found 65% of Indian travellers had quit an online hotel booking, often over slow pages, hard payments or security worries.
Source: SiteMinder, Changing Traveller Report 2025, India findings, release of 2 December 2024
In their words: "Show me real photos. Tell me the full price. Answer me fast." Few say it aloud, but guests judge you on a quick WhatsApp reply, a bathroom photo that matches the room, and a booking page that opens on a weak signal.
Hotels sell on their own site and through OTAs; hotel brands also grow by management or franchise deals. Restaurants sell dine-in, on delivery apps and on their own page. The commission problem is the one D2C (direct to consumer) brands face on marketplaces, and a single café shares the worries of local businesses. More in our business models guide.
ICRA says domestic leisure, weddings and business travel anchor hotel demand. AI today: answer guest questions on WhatsApp and reply to reviews. AI next: MakeMyTrip says its Myra assistant can take a Hindi request for a 3-star Udaipur hotel to a confirmed booking in one chat. AI cannot cook your food or greet your guest. See AI automation systems.
Source: ICRA, quarterly update, 29 September 2026. MakeMyTrip, press release on Myra, 7 August 2025 (via Business Wire)
FHRAI (Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India): the trade's apex body, since 1955.
NRAI (National Restaurant Association of India): speaks for restaurants and publishes the India Food Services Report.
HAI (Hotel Association of India): calls itself the apex body of hotels.
Ministry of Tourism: sets national tourism policy; its NIDHI+ site lets hotels and food units register.
Source: Each body's own website, read 10 October 2026
Patu Keswani founded Lemon Tree Hotels and led it as Chairman and Managing Director from September 2002 to September 2025. Its first hotel, with 49 rooms, opened in May 2004. He is now Executive Chairman.
Riyaaz Amlani founded Impresario, the group behind Social and Smoke House Deli. The group says it serves guests at 80 restaurants in 20 cities.
Source: Lemon Tree Hotels, About us, read 10 October 2026. Franchise India, 9 August 2025. Impresario, read 10 October 2026. Restaurant India, IndiaRF invests INR 550 crores in Impresario, 14 November 2022
In 2008, classmates Sagar Daryani and Binod Homagai started Wow Momo in Kolkata with a 6 by 6 foot kiosk and ₹30,000. With no ad budget, they handed out tastings themselves.
A Kolkata mall shop lifted monthly sales from about ₹2 lakh to ₹11 lakh, The Better India reported. It reached 43 stores by 2015 without loans or venture money, and passed 850 stores in FY2026.
Source: The brand's own Our Story page, read 10 October 2026. The Better India, At 21, he started selling momos from his home kitchen, 22 December 2020. Franchise India, report on its 850-store mark, 8 April 2026
You can do much yourself: fill your Google profile, reply to every review, and keep a list of past guests who agreed to hear from you. Your property software, booking engine and licences are not ours. We can take the search, creator and listing work, or review your numbers in a marketing audit.
First, a direct-booking target by property and season, because without one bookings drift to the platforms. Second, your Google profile, reviews and website, because guests decide there. Third, search ads on your name and creators. Fourth, WhatsApp to past guests, so the second booking pays no commission. Vinnay Agarwaal, our COO (Chief Operating Officer), plans the operations and looks after our food, drink and lifestyle accounts. Jhalak Agarwal, our Performance Marketing Lead, runs the Meta campaigns and the D2C ads.
A cloud kitchen cooks for delivery only, so its shopfront is an app tile: a name, a photo and a rating. On Swiggy or Zomato the app owns the customer, so win the second order through WhatsApp ordering on your own channel. Shoot for a small screen with food photography, and test your packaging on real rides. Each virtual brand can have its own Google profile if it has its own packaging and website. One rule: the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) says a cloud kitchen with no seating needs a licence or registration.
Source: FSSAI, FAQs on licensing and registration, December 2021. Google Business Profile Help, guidelines for representing your business, read 8 October 2026
Useful before you start. Open it when you need it.
Hospitality ads feel informal, but the rules still apply.
Prices. Show the full price with all taxes. The 2023 dark-pattern guidelines from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) list drip pricing, which means revealing charges late.
Service charge. The CCPA's 2022 guidelines bar a default service charge on hotel and restaurant bills. The Delhi High Court upheld them in March 2025.
Food. Show your Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence details where required. Keep veg and non-veg marks accurate on menus and ads.
Reviews. Never buy, write or reward reviews. The Bureau of Indian Standards' standard IS 19000:2022 and platform policies both work against fake reviews.
Alcohol. Alcohol cannot be advertised directly in most media, and the CCPA's 2022 guidelines bar surrogate advertising. Check state excise rules first.
Creators. Hosted stays and meals for creators are paid partnerships. Disclose them under the influencer guidelines of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the advertising watchdog.
Your legal team signs off offers and claims. General guidance, not legal advice.
One number. The Ministry of Tourism counts 428.7 crore domestic tourist visits in 2025, up 45.5% from 294.5 crore in 2024. Foreign tourist visits were 2.53 crore. The 2025 count includes the Kumbh Mela. Source: India Tourism Statistics 2026.
Hotels hire in large numbers, and their federation's president says entry-level attrition is high, so recruiters keep screening new candidates.
The AI fix A hiring assistant collects applications on WhatsApp, asks about role, language and shifts, shortlists by the hotel's criteria and books interviews. The HR manager makes every hiring decision.
Source: Deccan Chronicle (reporting Naukri.com data and the hotel federation FHRAI), 25 August 2025
Buffets are among the biggest sources of hotel food waste, and much of it happens before food reaches the plate.
The AI fix A forecasting tool uses bookings, past buffet footfall and events to suggest how much to prepare per meal, and flags dishes that waste most. The executive chef decides.
Source: World Resources Institute (blog on the WRI and WRAP study of 42 hotels), 2018
Berlin, GermanyUsually March. Next: 16 to 18 March 2027.
Start with the segment that fits your stay, such as adventure or business travel, then sit in a convention talk on trends.
London, United KingdomUsually November. Next: 3 to 5 November 2026.
Walk the Travel Tech area to see what systems others use, then catch sessions on sustainability and experiential travel.
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesUsually May. Next: 3 to 6 May 2027.
Decide first which sector fits your hotel, from leisure and luxury to MICE, and ask about the Hosted Buyer Zone.
Frankfurt, GermanyUsually May. Next: 11 to 13 May 2027.
Arrive a day early for the free education day, then read how meetings work before booking your appointments.
SingaporeUsually April. Next: 20 to 23 April 2027.
Go to the HoReCa segment for hotel and restaurant supplies, and try the AI buyer matchmaking before the show.
Shanghai, ChinaUsually March. Next: 30 March to 2 April 2027.
List the items you need first, such as tableware, coffee and tea or catering equipment, and plan your walk by category.
Do booking-site commission or empty weekdays sound like your month? Point to the one that costs more, and we'll begin there. Name the bigger cost
Where hotels, travel companies and their buyers meet each year. Pick one or two, and plan the stall, the meetings and the follow-up before you book.
New DelhiUsually January. Next: 19 to 21 January 2027.
Spend your first hour at the state tourism board stalls, then meet travel companies about listing your hotel or tour.
MumbaiUsually February. Next: 1 to 3 February 2027.
Fix one-to-one meetings with outbound tour operators and MICE planners before you arrive, and carry a group package sheet.
HyderabadUsually October.
Meet exhibitors from more than 10 states in one hall, and bring a short brochure for your stay or destination.
VaranasiUsually August.
Join the business sessions to hear what hoteliers face, and walk the hospitality expo for suppliers you can use.
Greater NoidaUsually August.
Bring your kitchen, furniture and operating supplies needs as a list, and book the structured buyer-seller meetings before the doors open.
CoimbatoreUsually July.
Watch the live demonstrations of kitchen equipment and foodservice technology before you buy, and ask for a matchmaking slot.
Dates change. Check the organiser's site before you plan.
Well-known Indian brands, each with one plain lesson for an owner in your line of work. Names only, as public examples.
Start with one simple product in a tiny outlet. Prove it sells before you spend big.
What they did Wow! Momo's website says it was founded in 2008 in Kolkata by two college classmates. It began with a 6 by 6 foot kiosk and Rs 30,000.
Source: Wow! Momo, company website (company's own statement, read Oct 2026)
Notice the small problem you face every day. Putting the answer online, like menus on a website, can be a good first step.
What they did Two Bain colleagues queued for restaurant menus at lunch, so they scanned menus and put them online. It began as Foodiebay in July 2008 and was renamed Zomato in 2010.
Source: Outlook Business, 4 Aug 2012
Turn one guest complaint into one memorable idea. Then see if the idea can stand as an offer of its own.
What they did A hotelier in Indore saw guests complain of cold starters in winter and put a live grill on their tables. The idea later became a restaurant of its own.
Source: Entrepreneur India, 16 Jun 2018
Let each customer have it their way. A small choice, like how they like their tea, can set a simple product apart.
What they did Chaayos opened its first store in 2012 to give every Indian 'meri wali chai', their own cup of tea. It now sells through cafes, delivery and packaged chai.
Source: Elevation Capital, portfolio page on Chaayos, undated (read Oct 2026)
If family members or co-owners run outlets in different places, agree in writing who owns the brand name and where each may use it.
What they did In the early 1990s, family members split Haldiram's outlets by region. A 2013 court ruling barred two of them from using the 'Haldiram's Bhujiawala' name, and they rebranded as 'Prabhuji'.
Source: Moneycontrol, republished on Storyboard18, 8 Sep 2023
These brands are not clients of ours and we use no logos. Each card links its source.
Want a second pair of eyes on your menu, listings and offer wording? Send them over and we'll read them with you. Send on WhatsApp
For projects we think we can help, this is how it goes.
In one working day: a 30-minute call with one of our strategists about your business and what is not working.
A short, honest plan: what to fix first and what we would do. It is free.
If you want to go ahead, we send a quote within 2 working days.
We confirm the timeline in the quote. Contracts start at 3 months, with 30 days' notice to stop.
Brands and people are named only as public examples. They are not PromotEdge clients or endorsers unless stated.
The services that go with this work, the segments we cover and nearby industries.
It depends mostly on locations and platforms. Ad spend, shoots and creator fees sit on top. We don't publish a price list. A 30-minute strategist call comes first, then a one-page plan. A written quote follows within 2 working days of the first call.
Make direct booking as easy as the OTA, and more rewarding. Use a fast booking engine with clear rates, search ads on your own name and perks for direct bookers. Add a past-guest list on email and WhatsApp, and metasearch where it pays.
Usually yes, for reach. Work out the full cost per booking or order: commission, platform ads and discounts. Compare it with your direct channels. Made-up example: a platform keeps ₹1,000 on a ₹5,000 booking, so three rebookings cost you ₹3,000.
Check your OTA and delivery-app contracts first, as terms differ by platform. Many hotels give direct bookers perks, such as breakfast or a late checkout, instead of a lower rate. Perks protect your rate and still reward direct booking. We also build a past-guest list on WhatsApp and email.
Very. Maps is where many guests decide, often on the spot. Every location needs a verified profile with accurate hours, fresh photos and replies to reviews. Our SEO work covers local search, and our online reputation management work covers reviews.
Earlier than most venues do. Couples often book venues many months before the date, and New Year's Eve and long weekends are planned weeks ahead. We start venue open days and wedding-planner outreach well before the season. Busy weeks vary: many leisure spots peak from October to March and at Christmas.
Yes, with deliberate work: a distinct brand name, packaging, strong ratings and Instagram content. Regulars also need a direct way to order, on your website or WhatsApp. Work out the full cost per order after commission and discounts first. See our cloud kitchens section for more.
Look past follower counts. Ask each agency, us included, how it will measure success: direct bookings and covers, or only likes? Ask who shoots your content and replies to reviews. Ask for reports by property or outlet, so a strong location doesn't hide a weak one. No agency can honestly say it is the best.
Social media for Hospitality and travel
First step: we would set a monthly plan of reels and stories from your rooms and food, with one person who answers every message and comment within a day. We would measure direct enquiries and bookings from social, and saves too. One rule: the ASCI influencer guidelines of April 2025 want a creator's label upfront and prominent, not buried in hashtags. On a video of 15 seconds or less, it stays on screen for at least 3 seconds. Guest reviews and the rooms are not ours.
Source: ASCI, Guidelines for Influencer Advertising in Digital Media, April 2025