Article · Creators
What gear do you need to film a hotel?
A recent phone is enough to produce sellable UGC, and it is in fact the expected format: brands buy videos that look like what people post, not like a corporate film. What separates a good video from a bad one is almost never the camera body, it is light, stability and editing.
What actually changes the quality
In order of real impact on the result, not in order of price.
Light.
Shoot early morning or late afternoon. A room in midday sun gives hard shadows and blown-out windows that no editing recovers. It is the only free setting that transforms a video.
Stability.
A shaky shot is spotted instantly. The stabilisation built into recent phones is enough in most cases; a small tripod handles the rest.
Sound.
Often replaced by music at the edit, so rarely critical in travel UGC. But clean ambient sound, waves or birds, adds a lot at no cost.
Editing.
This is where footage becomes a video. Pace, shot order, how long each shot holds. A free mobile editor does the job.
The minimum to start
You can deliver a first collab without buying anything. If you do invest, get these three before anything else: a small tripod or clamp, a microfibre cloth for the lens, which is the most common cause of soft footage, and enough storage that you never delete rushes on site.
What you do not need yet
A mirrorless body, lenses, a motorised gimbal, a light panel. That gear produces beautiful images but it changes the job: you move towards production, with the setup time and the bulk that come with it. Many properties actually find the result too polished for a social feed. Wait until you have regular clients, and let them fund the purchase.
The settings that matter
Shoot vertical, at 1080p rather than 4K unless asked: lighter files, smoother editing, and the difference is invisible in a feed. Lock exposure before starting a shot, otherwise brightness shifts mid-move. Clean the lens between takes. And shoot more than you need: a missed shot cannot be recovered once you have left the hotel.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a drone to film a hotel?
No, and it is often prohibited. Flying is regulated, many properties and municipalities exclude it, and nothing protects you if you are not registered. Only offer it if the property asks and handles the permissions.
Should you film in 4K?
Rarely worth it. Vertical 1080p is enough for a social feed, keeps editing light and avoids huge files to transfer. Go to 4K only if the contract asks for it.
Which editing app should you choose?
The one you know. Free mobile apps cover everything UGC needs. Switching tools will not make your shots better.
Do you need permission to film inside a hotel?
Yes, always, even on a collab. Tell the front desk, keep other guests out of frame, and ask before filming common areas at busy hours.
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Deliverables written before the shoot
On Séjournée the property describes what it expects before you arrive: number of videos, length, format, any photos. So you know what to film when you get there, and nobody discovers at delivery that a shot is missing.
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