I used to work in a hotel some years ago, doing the night shift, handling late check-ins and early check-outs. The best part will always be the people. From all over the world, you meet the most interesting travelers. Young married couples, families, friends, and you get to get a glimpse of so many diverse cultures.
But just as people are fascinating, they can also be complicated. And even more complicated when they believe they are entitled to special treatment just because they paid. Or, even worse, just because they think they are famous. I’m talking about influencers here, and I can vouch that stories like the one this hotel night auditor shared are 100% real.
More info: Reddit
Social media has created new opportunities for businesses, but also new challenges when personal branding meets the real world
Image credits: Ron Lach / Pexels (not the actual photo)
This boutique hotel was designed to impress guests, but its owners refused to offer influencers special deals or collaborations
The employee said many influencers tried to turn a simple restaurant reservation into a full photo session, even without booking a room
Image credits: freepik / Magnific (not the actual photo)
The narrator stopped influencers from treating the hotel like a photo studio, then the boutique faced a flood of negative and unhappy reviews
Image credits: DC Studio / Magnific (not the actual photo)
Image credits: rhodante
As more businesses become the scenery for social media content, the author revealed how management decided to set boundaries
Our Original Poster (OP) on this occasion is a worker at a boutique hotel who shared his growing frustration with influencers who constantly try to use the property as a free backdrop for content. In addition to handling overnight operations, the employee manages the hotel's social media accounts, where they regularly receive requests from influencers seeking discounted rates or, more often than not, free services.
However, the hotel's owners have a strict policy of avoiding influencer collaborations. It gets more interesting. According to the OP, some content creators don't even book rooms! Instead, they ask to use the hotel for photo shoots or to show up with tons of suitcases to create fashion content after paying for just one night.
Others go even further, requesting drone footage or expecting access to areas reserved exclusively for paying guests. The biggest problem comes from people who simply book a table at the hotel’s restaurant and assume that gives them full access to the whole property. The OP explains that he has to constantly remind them that the hotel is a private space where guests deserve privacy.
To address the issue, management quickly blocked restaurant guests from entering the hotel during dinner service. While the change protected guests, it backfired. The decision triggered a wave of negative online reviews. Influencers complained they had been denied access to the areas they had hoped to use as they pleased. And, as you may imagine, the OP has had enough.
Image credits: kroshka__nastya / Magnific (not the actual photo)
The influence of social media has changed not only our lives but also how physical spaces are designed. Including, to stay on point with our story, hotels. It’s called “Instagrammable hotels”, as this article shows, explaining that hospitality businesses increasingly consider visual appeal and user-generated content as part of their strategy. Instagrammable bars, restaurants, bookstores, everything.
The rise of influencer culture has also deeply changed the hospitality industry. Hotels increasingly invest in captivating, well-designed spaces because social media exposure is a marketing asset. However, there’s a price to pay, as the OP notes: content creators see these locations as free studios and expect special treatment and discounts.
There is another increasing issue. Today, millions of people consider themselves content creators, with experts estimating that the global creator economy already includes around 50 million individuals worldwide. But as you may guess, only a small percentage become profitable influencers. More and more people are seeking free content, which conflicts with other industries.
What started as a niche form of online promotion has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry. The global influencer marketing market expanded from approximately $1.7 billion in 2016 to an estimated $24 billion in 2024, showing how social media personalities have become a major force. Managing their opinions is tricky work, as local enterprises struggle to avoid getting flooded with bad reviews.
Have you ever found yourself near an online influencer? It seems they are everywhere, so don’t be shy and share your experiences with us!
The community was not happy with the story and expressed support to the narrator and their own opinions on influencers
