What Goes Into a Luxury Hotel Campaign? Behind the Scenes at Park Hyatt
Production
Planning a photoshoot for your hotel can feel like a big lift—especially if it’s your first time. You’re trying to make sure everything looks perfect, runs smoothly, and results in content that actually moves the needle. But here’s the good news:
With the right preparation—and the right production partner—you don’t have to do it all yourself.
This guide walks you through what to expect, how to prepare, and how AB Photo & Video supports you every step of the way.
Most clients come to us not just for pretty pictures—but because they’re trying to:
This isn’t just content for content’s sake. Your imagery should:
A strong shoot sets your team up for long-term wins—and that starts with planning.
Every production is different, but here are the key things we typically help hotel clients prepare for:
We help with all of this in pre-production—our job is to make this easier on your team.
Styling is often what separates good images from great ones. It’s not just about fluffing pillows—it’s about shaping a cohesive story across every scene.
AB Photo & Video can help you build a full styling team that may include:
Without this layer of support, your in-house team ends up doing triple duty—and that often leads to delays, stress, or missed shots. With us, you get a smooth, magazine-style production day with professionals managing the visual details for you.
If you want the content to feel like your brand, it helps to have a team who can see those details before the camera does.
Seattle light can be stunning—but also unpredictable.
We plan our shot lists around the movement of natural light, and when it’s not working in our favor, we use flash. But not in the way you’re thinking. Our flash setups are designed to mimic soft daylight, subtly filling in where needed to restore contrast, tone, and detail.
Even on bright days, flash helps:
We often hear, “Wait—that was flashed?” And that’s the goal. It should feel natural. We’ve spent years mastering how to shape light so it looks like it was always there.
We actually encourage planning separate days for photo and video when possible. The setups, lighting needs, pacing, and direction for each format are distinct—and giving each medium its own space often leads to a stronger final result.
That said, we understand that not every production has the luxury of time or access. Sometimes, due to scheduling, seasonality, or operational constraints, you need to capture both formats within the same window.
In those cases, we can absolutely work in parallel.
Here’s how it works:
We used this hybrid approach successfully on larger projects like Park Hyatt Siem Reap and Marriott Chiang Mai. It does require more pre-production and crew coordination, but it’s a highly effective way to maximize a tight schedule while maintaining quality across both mediums.
The key is alignment—on lighting, styling, scene composition, and timing. And that’s something we’ve dialed in over years of high-end hospitality production.
Here’s the high-level process we guide every client through:
We’re not just here to take pretty pictures. We’re here to guide you through a thoughtful, efficient, and collaborative production process—from idea to launch.
Here’s how we approach every hotel and resort project:
We begin by aligning on your goals, audience, and how your visuals will support broader marketing or brand initiatives. Whether it’s a rebrand, launch, or seasonal campaign, we help define what success looks like.
Every property has its own story. We uncover the people, values, and experiences that make your space unique—so we’re not just documenting rooms, we’re capturing a feeling.
We shape the tone, visual style, and structure of the shoot—ensuring consistency between photo and video. This includes creative direction, moodboards, talent guidance, and more.
This is where it all comes together. We coordinate logistics, build the shot list, schedule around light and access, and assemble the right crew—including art directors, stylists, and production assistants if needed.
With a small, experienced team, we move efficiently and respectfully through your space—capturing story-driven visuals that feel editorial, intentional, and brand-aligned.
We handle editing, retouching, color, sound design, and file delivery. Every asset is polished and ready to use across web, social, third-party listings, and internal campaigns.
Need help rolling it out? We can advise on how to share your content across platforms, support your PR or marketing team, or build seasonal strategies to make your new visuals work harder.
Every step is designed to be collaborative, clear, and aligned with your brand’s standards.
A few things we’ve learned from shoots across Seattle and Southeast Asia:
Your hotel has a story—and your visuals should reflect more than just square footage. The best results come from treating this process like a creative collaboration, not just a task to check off.
At AB Photo & Video, we partner with hotels who care deeply about design, experience, and how their brand shows up in the world. If that sounds like you—we’d love to help shape your next shoot.
