A growing number of UK travellers are now choosing destinations based on what they have watched on screen.
From Saltburn driving interest in country estates to The Traitors boosting Scottish castle stays, “set jetting” has quickly become a key commercial opportunity for independent hoteliers*.
According to recent research, a quarter of Brits have travelled to a destination featured in a television show or film while a third discovered a new destination after seeing it on screen*.
This behaviour reflects a wider shift in guest expectations, where travellers are increasingly looking for stays that feel immersive and memorable.
This is where boutique hotels and independent operators have a clear advantage, with many already offering the kind of character and history guests are looking for.
The challenge is making those experiences easy to discover and book online.
The hotels seeing the strongest results are building packages directly into the booking journey.
One Scottish castle turning the interest in The Traitors into higher value bookings is Dalhousie Castle.
Through Profitroom technology we were able to create a more experience-led booking journey focused on spa stays, dining packages and tailored guest offers. This encouraged guests to commit more spend before arrival while creating a more personalised stay from the outset.
As a result, the property doubled online revenue while ADR increased by 21%. Loyalty programme enrolment also grew by 429%.
By automating dinner reservations within ‘Dinner, Bed and Breakfast’ packages, the castle has seen guests’ pre-booking restaurant tables rise from 15% to as high as 90%.
Guests who pre-book spa treatments, dining experiences or curated stays are often more engaged before arrival and more likely to return, as those added experiences create a stronger connection to the hotel
For many hotels, ancillary guest spend is also becoming an important part of loyalty and retention strategies while navigating rising costs and tighter margins.
This is especially valuable for destination-led hotels that can quickly build offers around local demand and cultural moments.
Often acting as a double for US cities like New York and Gotham, Glasgow continues to attract global productions because of its architecture and versatility on screen.
Working with Glasgow Grosvenor Hotel, we helped the property use guest data and tailored offers to better understand booking behaviour and create more relevant packages around guest demand.
As a result, regionally focused offers helped drive a 35% increase in room nights through direct sales alongside a 37% increase in direct revenue year on year.
Last summer’s Spider-Man filming in Glasgow highlighted how quickly destinations can capture public attention and why independent hotels need the agility to respond with timely packages and experiences.
This ability to move quickly and personalise stays is where many independent operators are outperforming larger branded competitors.
Not all stays are inspired by iconic films and TV series, but also the inspirational locations themselves. Coastal and wellness destinations continue to benefit from growing demand for experience-led stays across the market.
St Michaels Resort in Cornwall had zero packages available online before Profitroom was onboarded. After launch, 42% of all online bookings became packages.
Too often, hotels invest heavily in creating memorable stays but fail to communicate those experiences effectively online.
Packages can be difficult to find, upselling opportunities are missed and the booking process becomes transactional rather than inspirational. Technology plays an important role in bridging that discoverability gap.
Boutique hotels and resorts may not always win on scale, but they can compete far more effectively on experience, personality and agility.
Set-jetting may be the latest trend driving travel conversations, but the wider lesson is that experience-led stays drive stronger commercial outcomes.
From guest retention to ancillary revenue, hotels that sell experiences rather than just rooms are building more valuable guest relationships and generating higher revenue.
For hotels willing to think beyond bed-selling, there is an opportunity not only to increase revenue, but to build stronger and more lasting guest relationships.
Hotel Speak
2026-05-29 14:37:00