Hotel UGC collaboration: your checklist before, during and after the stay

You can return from a beautiful stay with plenty of footage, only to discover that the one shot the hotel needed is missing.

A room already full of luggage. Breakfast filmed too late. A video delivered with music the client cannot use. Many of these problems can be prevented before you leave home.

A successful hotel UGC collaboration starts with an agreed brief, continues with arrival shots and planned content capture, and ends with organised delivery and approval. This checklist covers each stage without confusing content production with posting on your social accounts.

The four phases of a well-prepared hotel UGC collaboration

Here, hotel UGC means photographs and videos a creator produces for a property. An assignment can also include influencer activity when you publish to your audience. But delivering files and posting on your account are separate commitments.

If you are starting out, our travel UGC guide explains the distinction. The checklist below begins once you are discussing a collaboration with a property.

Before the stay: agree the assignment and plan the shoot

1. Understand the hotel and the purpose of the collaboration

Review the property’s website, Instagram account and booking pages. Identify its visual style, rooms, services and the details that genuinely distinguish it.

Then ask: “How do you want to use this content?” A hotel introducing a new suite needs something different from a holiday rental explaining access or reassuring families.

Write down one main objective, the intended audience and the information to show. Do not simply recreate a competitor’s video: work out what a future guest needs to understand.

2. Turn the brief into a deliverable list and a shot list

Before booking transport, agree a shared document that specifies:

• Deliverables: number of videos and photographs, duration, orientation, editing, subtitles and any raw files.
• Distribution: the hotel’s channels, any posts on your accounts, dates and accounts to tag.
• Permitted uses: channels, duration, territory and any paid advertising.
• Payment and benefits: fees, nights, included services and costs you must cover.
• Schedule: stay, delivery, feedback, included revisions, approval and payment.

For copyright assignments in France, the Intellectual Property Code requires the rights and scope of exploitation to be defined. Do not replace these details with “the hotel can use the videos”. Our UGC usage-rights guide covers the points to discuss.

Next, build your shot list: the specific shots you need to capture. Connect each shot to a deliverable, such as the entrance for a Reel’s opening, the room for its main sequence and the terrace for its ending.

3. Confirm arrival details and access

The day before travelling, confirm the time, your contact’s name and the check-in arrangements. Also check the room category, parking, meals and experiences actually included.

A short message is enough:

Hi [name], I’m confirming my arrival on [date] at [time]. For the planned shoot, could we confirm access to [spaces], the times for [experiences] and who I should contact on site? Our shared brief is version [reference]. Thank you!

Do not assume a pool shown on Instagram will be open, that a spa will be private or that late checkout is included. Record the arrangements and any alternatives.

4. Check your equipment and storage space

Charge your phone, camera and backup batteries. Clean the lenses and record a short test video with sound.

• Free up storage without deleting your only copies of previous work.
• Pack the chargers, memory cards and adapters you need.
• Check your microphone and stabilisation equipment.
• Prepare a backup method and keep the brief available offline.
• If a drone is planned, check flight conditions and required permissions separately.

More equipment does not replace preparation. Our guide to filming equipment for hotels helps you prioritise.

On arrival: capture what will be difficult to recreate

5. Introduce yourself to the reception team

Explain that you are the expected creator and give your contact’s name. The team on duty may not know about the conversations with marketing.

Ask who can help with access, information or unexpected issues. Confirm timings without expecting staff to reorganise their service at the last minute.

6. Film the room before settling in

Keep luggage out of frame and capture the room before disturbing the bed or equipment. Film a wide view, a movement towards the window and then the bathroom.

Play back a take immediately: an overexposed window or a mirror reflecting your suitcase may make the shot unusable. It is easier to try again now than after a night in the room.

Represent the room you actually received. Do not imply that a view or facility is available in every room category if it is not.

7. Photograph the welcome details

Welcome tray, linen, bathroom products, styling and views: capture these details while they are still untouched.

Vary the scale. A wide shot establishes the space; a close-up adds material for editing. Keep guest names, booking references and other private information out of frame.

8. Scout the property with the team

Ask for a short tour or advice on which spaces to show and when. Also note private areas, service periods and access restrictions.

The hotel’s permission does not replace the permission of people being filmed. For promotional use, arrange consent from recognisable guests or staff. Otherwise, change your framing or shooting time. Service Public explains French image rights and the scope of written consent.

During the stay: tell a story and cover the brief

9. Publish the agreed Stories, if posting is included

If your contract includes Stories, spread them across useful moments: discovering the room, breakfast, an activity and the evening atmosphere. Confirm the property’s official account and any agreed links.

Do not post a series of nearly identical scenes just to hit a quota. If the assignment covers file delivery only, you do not need to add an influencer campaign to the service spontaneously.

In France, promotional posts made in exchange for money or benefits in kind can fall under commercial-influence rules. Make the advertising relationship clear and identify the advertiser. A tag alone does not describe it. Bercy’s disclosure guidance includes the French labels “Publicité” and “Collaboration commerciale”.

10. Plan lasting posts while you shoot

A Reel and a carousel do not require exactly the same images. If the brief includes two posts, plan their structure before collecting more footage.

For a video, look for an opening that establishes the property, a progression and an ending. For a carousel, choose a clear first image, followed by photographs that each answer a question: room, food, activities or access.

Do not keep everything in your head. Mark the shots that are actually usable on your list, not just the ones you attempted.

11. Capture complementary photographs and video

For the important spaces in the brief, consider both still photographs and video sequences. A slow movement, a simple action or a different viewpoint gives you options when editing.

• Plan a wide shot, a medium shot and a detail.
• Leave a little footage before and after the action.
• Allow space for text and interface elements.
• Check focus, sound and exposure on sample takes.

Vertical 9:16 suits a Reel or Story project; a website banner may require landscape footage. The format follows the destination, not a rule that everything must be shot in portrait.

12. Revisit selected spaces in different light

A terrace can show breakfast in the morning and a different atmosphere around sunset. Schedule these visits instead of relying on chance.

Golden-hour light is not guaranteed. If rain, wind or crowds affect the shoot, use the agreed backup plan: an indoor space, a detail, another time or a deliverable adjustment to agree with the client.

For evening scenes, check image noise and stability. A setting that looks beautiful to the eye may be difficult to film with your current settings.

13. Cover the agreed experiences and check for gaps

Restaurant, pool, spa or local activity: film what is actually included in the agreement. Confirm availability with staff and respect other guests.

Tell a sequence rather than collecting unrelated settings: arriving at the restaurant, discovering the table and seeing the food served. Do not describe a service as personally tested if you only filmed it.

At the end of each day, and again before leaving:

• Compare your footage with the deliverable list.
• Report a closed space or an impossible shot immediately.
• Back up originals to a second storage location and check sample copied files.
• Agree a replacement shot or adjustment before it is too late.

After the stay: deliver useful files and close the assignment properly

14. Edit and check content within the agreed schedule

Sort your footage, then check every export against the brief: duration, format, sound, subtitles, information and visual identity. Keep colours consistent without changing the reality of the property.

Check music rights for the planned uses, especially if the hotel wants to run advertising. If agreed, also provide a version without music or embedded text.

Distinguish initial delivery, feedback, revisions and approval in the schedule. There is no universal delivery deadline. If you anticipate a delay, tell your contact before the deadline and confirm the revised plan.

15. Deliver an organised folder and a clear summary

If fifteen edited photographs are agreed, deliver fifteen photographs that meet the brief, not fifteen files chosen just to reach the number. Apply the same check to videos and their variants.

Use descriptive names, such as hotel-room-vertical-video-v1.mp4. Separate exports, photographs and any originals. Test folder access without making it unnecessarily public.

Here is a delivery message you can adapt:

Hi [name], thank you for hosting me. Here is [link] containing the [deliverables] agreed in brief [reference].

The files are organised by [structure]. Permitted uses remain those in our agreement: [reminder].

Could you confirm access and consolidate your feedback by [agreed date]? The folder will remain accessible until [agreed date]. Thank you!

Sending is not approval. Track feedback, revisions and acceptance according to your agreement. Keep delivery records, your invoice and relevant supporting documents. For stays received as remuneration, see our guide to creator business status and tax returns in France.

16. Update your portfolio with work you are allowed to show

Choose representative content after checking reuse conditions and any confidentiality commitments. A file commissioned for the hotel is not automatically something you can freely publish in your portfolio.

Explain the context, your role and the deliverables. Include results only if they were measured and can be shared. Distinguish views, clicks and bookings: one does not automatically prove another.

17. Review the assignment and suggest a relevant next step

After approval, ask what was useful and what could be improved. If posts were included, share the agreed statistics at the agreed time.

A future collaboration should address a real need: another season, a renovated room or a new service. Suggest one specific idea and its objective, not just another request for a stay.

Careful delivery supports the relationship. It does not guarantee another invitation or commercial results.

Sample shot list: connect each shot to a purpose

This is a starting point for a stay focused on room and dining content. It does not replace the brief: remove unnecessary scenes and add what makes the property specific.

Your final check before closing the collaboration

Start planning delivery when you write the brief. Every piece of content should have a purpose, every commitment a record and every stage someone who knows what to do.

You can use this method whether you arrange a collaboration directly with the hotel or through a travel UGC platform such as Séjournée.

Sources and method

This checklist reworks a four-phase preparation process and adds practical examples of briefs, shooting plans and delivery. The examples are illustrative, without promised commercial results or invented first-hand stay reviews.

The pointers on usage rights, image rights and disclosure draw on the official sources linked in the relevant steps, consulted on 9 September 2026. For an assignment outside France, check local rules as well.

Frequently asked questions

How do you prepare a UGC collaboration with a hotel?

Start with a written brief covering the objective, deliverables, any posting commitments, usage rights, payment and dates. Then prepare your shot list, confirm access and check your equipment. On arrival, film the room before settling in. During the stay, review and back up your footage. Afterwards, deliver the agreed files and follow up on approval.

Do you have to post on Instagram during a hotel UGC collaboration?

Not automatically. A UGC assignment can cover files for the hotel’s own channels only. If your agreement also includes posts on your accounts, specify their formats, number, dates and required commercial disclosures. Confirm the accounts to tag and the links to use.

How many photos, Reels and Stories should you plan?

There is no universal quota. Four Stories a day, two posts and fifteen photos are one example of a brief, not an industry standard. The quantity should reflect the hotel’s needs, shooting and editing time, usage rights and payment. Agree the exact list before the stay.

What should you film first when you arrive?

After introducing yourself at reception, capture the room before unpacking or disturbing the bed. Start with a wide view, then the window, bathroom and welcome details. Check focus and exposure immediately. Keep personal belongings and private information out of the frame.

Does a complimentary stay remove the need to disclose the collaboration?

No. Under French commercial-influence rules, receiving a stay in exchange for a promotional post can trigger disclosure duties even without a cash payment. Make the commercial relationship clear and identify the advertiser. Tagging the hotel alone does not explain that relationship. Check local requirements for other markets too.

When should you deliver content after the stay?

On the date agreed in your contract. Plan the initial delivery, feedback, included revisions and approval separately. If a problem threatens the deadline, tell the hotel and agree a revised schedule in writing. Sending a link does not mean the files have been downloaded or approved.