Video for holiday apartments: how to fill more nights without relying on booking platforms

On a booking portal, your apartment competes on the same screen with dozens of similar places to stay. Photos show what it looks like; video shows how it feels to be there: the afternoon light on the terrace, the water in the pool, the short walk to the beach. For an owner or a holiday rental manager, that difference helps justify the price and brings guests who know what they are booking.

What videos a holiday rental needs

• A main video of 30 to 60 seconds for your website, with a walk through the property and its surroundings.
• Vertical Reels with a single idea: the pool at night, the sun loungers, the sunset.
• One clip per room for the page of each apartment, if you manage several.
• The neighbourhood and surroundings: seafront, restaurants, how far away everything is.
• A welcome video for guests: how to get in, where to park and how the house works.

How to film a holiday home so people want to stay

Choose the time of day before the camera. Interiors benefit from soft morning light, while terraces and pools look best at sunset. Prepare the property as if a guest were arriving: beds made, cables tidied away, blinds open and no personal items in sight. Move the camera slowly and always in the direction a person would walk, so viewers understand the layout.

Also show what answers questions: the real size of the kitchen, the extra bed or the stairs. A faithful video avoids disappointment and, with it, bad reviews.

Where to publish it to win direct bookings

Platforms often change what they allow in each listing, so check their terms. The greatest potential lies in the channels you control: your booking page, Instagram and TikTok, and your Google listing if your property can have one. Someone who reaches your website through a video doesn't compare your price with the place next door. We go into more detail in video for hotels and direct bookings.

If you manage several apartments

A holiday rental manager can film in batches: the same script, the same hours of light and the same edit for the whole portfolio. That lowers the cost per property and makes the brand recognisable. That footage also helps you attract new owners, who want to see how you will present their home.

What to avoid

• Filming with guests inside or showing anyone without their permission.
• Using a wide angle so extreme that the room looks twice its size.
• Music without a commercial licence.
• Long videos that take too long to show the best part.

A filming plan for a holiday property

To film a holiday apartment well in a few hours, order matters. A typical day would look like this:

1. In the morning: bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen, making the most of the cleanest light.
2. At midday: detail shots, such as the coffee machine, the towels, the keys or arriving at the door.
3. In the afternoon: surroundings, the walk and nearby streets.
4. At sunset: terrace, pool and views, usually the shot that decides the booking.

If the home has a clear selling point, such as a private pool or being right on the beach, that shot should open the video. Everything else supports it.

What to look at to see if it works

You don't need a complex dashboard. Compare direct bookings and enquiries before and after publishing, check how long people spend on the apartment's page and ask your guests how they found you. It's also useful to see which Reel generates the most profile visits, because it shows which part of the home sparks the most interest.

The season matters too. Publish your summer videos when people start planning their holidays, not when they are already on the beach, and have autumn or winter clips ready if your property operates all year round.

See our accommodation examples and the video for hotels and holiday apartments service, or tell us how many properties you have and we'll send you a fixed quote.

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