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Photos guidelines

Get the best photos possible for your hotel

Photography is one of the primary ways people learn about your property on Google. That means it plays a critical role in whether they decide to book. By following some simple photography fundamentals can transform average photos into great ones. Let’s learn how to make a great photo.

Photos quality matters

Great photos can lead to more clicks: Photos are often the first thing people notice when they’re scrolling through hotel profiles on Google.

Great photos can save you time: Photography can tell people about everything from the accessibility features available to the mood at your hotel. Which means you can spend less time answering questions, and more time running your business.

Great photos can get you more bookings: The ultimate outcome of great photos? People get the information and inspiration they need to book with you.

Photos quality matters

Great photos can lead to more clicks: Photos are often the first thing people notice when they’re scrolling through hotel profiles on Google.

Great photos can save you time: Photography can tell people about everything from the accessibility features available to the mood at your hotel. Which means you can spend less time answering questions, and more time running your business.

Great photos can get you more bookings: The ultimate outcome of great photos? People get the information and inspiration they need to book with you.

Engaging

Engaging photos draw people in and help them imagine themselves at your hotel. They should not only feel inspiring, but also portray your hotel accurately.

Inclusive

Inclusive photos take special care to meet the needs of diverse travelers, prioritizing representation and accessibility.

Trustworthy

As their name suggests, trustworthy photos build trust with travelers and the communities they visit.

General best practices

Photos help tell the story of your hotel and to tell an authentic and compelling story, your photos shouldn’t just be visually appealing. They should also represent your property accurately, showcase what makes it unique, communicate its values and culture, and give people all the practical information they need to know.

01

Staging

Cleaning and arranging your space so it looks its best on camera.

  • Arrange your furniture, remove clutter, and organize items.
  • Wipe down all surfaces, including counters, sinks, bathtubs, and showers. Remember, small details can make a big difference.
  • Natural light produces the most professional-looking photos, so make sure your curtains and blinds are open.

Tip: Keep photos up-to-date. Retake photos if you renovate or redecorate. Your photos should always be up-to-date so you can set the right expectations with potential guests.

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02

Composition

Giving people a clear understanding of the space and its important features.

  • Shoot from corners which will make the place feel wider and add depth.
  • Horizontal orientation generally makes rooms look more spacious. Vertical orientation works best for narrow spaces.
  • Take care to highlight details that potential guests would want to see, like accessibility features, architectural elements, decor, or amenities.
  • If you want to take a close-up, always keep an element of the environment (such as a wall, floor, or surface) in the frame for context.
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03

People

Knowing when and how to include people.

  • Only show people in communal space. Showing people in the lobby or bar can help convey a social atmosphere. Just make sure the primary focus is the space. Don’t show people in private accommodations.
  • Be minful of diversity. If including people in your photos, aim to show diversity of all forms — including gender, race, ethnicity, age, and ability.
  • Avoid shots that feel posed. Instead, try to capture people in action enjoying a drink at the bar or the comfortable seating in the lobby. This helps potential customers imagine what their stay will be like.
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Documenting your space

From full-room shots to close-ups of important features, your photos should give people an immersive look at your space. In this section, we’ll walk you through an example property, showing you how to capture all the essentials and stand out from the crowd.

Getting the major shots

Giving people a clear understanding of the space and its important features.

  • Include a full-room photo of every room in the unit.
  • Capture major rooms in the unit from multiple angles, that would help your potential guests better assess accessibility.
  • Give a full view of the bed. Photos taken directly in front of the bed (including the floor and sides of the bed) or photos from the side of the bed (including the floor).
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  • Capture in-unit amenities either in your full-room photos or additional photos to highlight them.
  • Try to avoid close-up shots of toiletries and appliances that show clear branding.
  • Capture major rooms in the unit from multiple angles, that would help your potential guests better assess accessibility. Document every unit type.
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  • Showcase communal amenities, if relevant. Communal amenities like pools, restaurants, meeting rooms, and gyms can be a big selling point, so it’s best practice to include a photo of each one.
  • Show what your property looks like from the outside, capturing surrounding natural features like trees, as well as built features like street lamps, neighboring shops, stairs, and pathways.
  • Highlight architectural features, furniture, and decor.
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Prioritizing accessibility

  • Capture the floor and transition between rooms. Try to include the floor in most of your photos, capturing any steps or other elevation changes. Provide straight-on views of hallways and doorways as well.
  • Document accessibility features thoroughly. Capture wide and close-up shots of accessibility features in your units, interior and exterior. That way, people can understand their positioning and get a look at the details.

Tip: As an additional option, provide photos with measurements of door widths, bed height, and any thresholds annotated or superimposed onto the image. This is valuable information for accessibility.

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Capturing your space authentically

  • Show how the space feels. Choose photos that accurately capture the mood through elements like color palette, lighting, and decor. Bright colors and rich patterns will create a very different mood than muted colors and clean lines.
  • Communicate your values. Whether you’re a family-run establishment that values community or a modern high-rise that values ease and efficiency, your photos should tell people what’s important to you.
  • Tell the story of your history and culture. If there’s unique history or culture embedded in your hotel, be sure to highlight pieces of artwork, architectural elements, views, and other features that reflect it.
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Editing your photos

Light editing can help your photos shine — while remaining accurate.

Editing should only be used to lightly enhance your photos, not fundamentally change the way they look. When in doubt, erron the side of underediting. Representing your hotel accurately is more important than producing an appealing photo.

01

Brightness

Getting brightness just right so photos look natural and details are clear.

  • Adjust the exposure of photos that look a little too bright (overexposed) or a little too dark (underexposed).
  • Don’t use HDR effects.
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02

Cropping / orientation

Making sure photos have clean lines, well ordered visual elements, and no distortion.

  • Use standard crop ratios. (1:1, 4:3, 2:3 and 16:9 in both horizontal and vertical orientations.)
  • Don’t crop too tightly.
  • Make lines straight. Straighten your photos so that walls and floor lines appear level.
  • Don’t skew stretch or distort.
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03

Collaging / Composing

Keeping photos simple and straightforward.

  • Don’t remove visual elements or add not real elements.
  • Don’t make collages
  • Keep the real background. Remember, accuracy takes priority over aesthetics.
  • Don’t add graphics
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04

Sharpness

Ensuring photos look clear and crisp.

  • It’s best practice to choose content that's at least 1024 x 683 px but ideally we recommend 2048 x 1366 px.
  • Use the sharpest version
  • Don’t over-sharpen photos in post edit
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05

Color / Saturation

Making colors look vibrant yet realistic.

  • Avoid oversaturation. Too much can look artificial.
  • Don’t use dramatic filters. Dramatic filters can wash out detail and feel artificial.
  • Don’t make colors too warm or cold. Always aim for a balanced color palette. Adjust the whites of your photo to look neutral
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Different ways to get hotel photos to be displayed on Google

Google Business Profile

Hotels can upload photos directly to their Google Business Profile

Recommended for individual hotel properties and smaller hotel chains.

Business Profile APIs

Google Business Profile APIs can be used to easily manage multiple properties at scale.

Recommended for hotel chains, connectivity partners, and for agencies who work with multiple hotel owners to market and advertise their properties.

Property List

Partners who share a list of properties with Google can include photos along with other property details in this list.

Recommended only for technically savvy partners such as connectivity partners and hotel chains.

Hotel Prices API

Photos for specific room types are currently only supported in this API

Recommended only for connectivity partners and hotel chains who are participating in the rooms module feature.

User generated content

Users can upload their photos (and write reviews) for hotels on Google.

Hotel owners can request the removal of a user uploaded photo if they owner believes that it violates Google’s photo policies.