Valentine's Day is one of the most competitive dining and hospitality moments of the year. For 2026, my workplace - a Sheraton hotel with a restaurant managed by Executive chefs from 5-star hotels - wanted to do more than just run a promotion. They wanted to drive qualified traffic and convert that attention into real bookings across two distinct offerings: a Romance Hotel Room Package and a Valentine's Special Menu at the hotel's restaurant. Therefore, I have created a full-funnel marketing strategy to achieve that goal.
"The goal wasn't just exposure — it was a seamless journey from the first Instagram reel to a confirmed reservation."
Campaign Timeline
Photo & video production, website launch, content calendar activation, email blast #1, Google Ads live, Meta Ads campaign launch, OpenTable & Google Business Profile updates.
Ongoing reel publishing (12 total), giveaway campaign kick-off in partnership with the on-site Spa, email blast #2 to restaurant subscribers, campaign performance monitoring and optimization.
Final push content, countdown reels, last-minute booking conversions, ad budget shifted to highest-performing creatives, Valentine's Day execution.
The Offerings
Two packages, two audiences, one cohesive brand story:
Romance Room Package
A curated overnight stay experience positioned as the perfect Valentine's gift — targeted at couples seeking a meaningful local escape.
Valentine's Special Menu
A limited-time prix-fixe menu designed to attract both hotel guests and walk-in diners, promoted across all digital touchpoints.
Digital Marketing Tactics
Photo & Video
End-to-end production from planning and styling through on-site shooting and post-production editing. All visual assets were created in-house to ensure brand consistency and emotional resonance.
Valentine's Menu Design
Designed the physical Valentine's menu with an embedded Google Review lead magnet — turning a table leave-behind into an ongoing reputation-building tool.
Content Calendar
Produced 12 Reels and 1 Carousel post, scheduled from January 26 through February 14. Each piece of content was crafted for platform-native engagement, with hooks tailored for short-form discovery.
Giveaway Campaign
Leveraged the hotel's on-site Spa as a co-sponsor for a Valentine's giveaway — creating a win-win collaboration that expanded reach for both brands while rewarding their shared audience.
Website Launch: mixtlounge.ca
Launched a brand new website with a full logo rebrand and a friendlier, conversion-optimised interface. Key additions included reservation functionality, Google Analytics integration, and a UX designed to convert social media traffic into confirmed bookings.
2 Email Blasts
Sent two targeted emails to the restaurant's subscriber list introducing the Valentine's Menu. Each email was timed strategically — one to generate early awareness, one to capture last-minute bookers.
Google Ads
Launched search campaigns to capture high-intent locals actively searching for Valentine's dining options — intercepting demand at the exact moment of decision.
Meta Ads
Ran paid campaigns across Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and Threads — using the original video and photo content to drive awareness and retarget engaged audiences for conversions.
OpenTable & Google Business Profile
Added a special Valentine's Experience menu to OpenTable for increased exposure on their dedicated Valentine's Day page and for frictionless booking. Refreshed photo galleries on both OpenTable and Google Business Profile to present the most visually compelling version of the offering.
Why This Approach Worked
The strategy was built on a full-funnel philosophy: generate awareness through organic social and paid amplification, capture intent with Google Search ads and OpenTable presence, and convert through a seamless owned-media experience — a new website designed from the ground up with bookings as the primary goal.
By integrating a giveaway in partnership with the Spa, we didn't just grow our audience — we grew a relevant audience with genuine hospitality intent. And by embedding a Google Review prompt directly into the physical menu, the campaign extended its value beyond February 14, building long-term social proof that continues to attract future diners.
Overall Results
With a total digital marketing spend of only $685.90 across all campaigns for the Valentine's Menu and Romance Package, the campaign delivered measurable returns across every channel.
Feb 13 – Feb 15 $10,212.28
Feb 13 – Feb 16 · 6 room nights $1,794
| Followers (last 30 days) | 47 +2.9% |
| Views last 30 days | 23,888 90.9% non-followers |
| Accounts reached (Feb 18) | 16,607 |
| Accounts reached (Feb 9) | 23,404 |
| Followers (last 30 days) | 26 +4.5% |
| Views last 30 days | 14,995 93.2% non-followers |
| Accounts reached | 15,772 +105,046.7% |
For a total ad spend of under $700, the campaign generated over $12,000 in combined revenue — a remarkable return driven by the synergy of organic content, paid amplification, and a conversion-optimised owned media ecosystem.
