Is a 3D Tour Worth It? The ROI for Hotels, Event Spaces and Holiday Lets
Most hospitality marketing budgets focus on bringing people to a listing or website through ads, directories and search. A 3D tour can also help those visitors decide whether a property or venue meets their needs before they enquire or book. The useful question is what the tour helps people understand, and how you will measure its contribution.
What photos may leave unanswered
Wide-angle photography can flatter a room, but a still image cannot always show how spaces connect or where awkward corners sit. Guests and event planners may need more context before deciding whether a place is right for them. A realistic preview helps set expectations alongside clear photos and descriptions.
A 3D tour lets people explore the space, understand its layout and see how rooms connect without relying only on selected camera angles.
What Matterport reports
Matterport says customers have seen the following results from its digital twins:
- 25% more online engagement.
- 12% increased booking conversions. This is not a claim that total bookings rose by 12%.
- 68% “more convincing content”. That is Matterport’s wording.
- 75% fewer in-person site visits from stakeholders. This refers to stakeholders, not guest visits.
These are Matterport-advertised customer results, not guaranteed outcomes for every hotel, event space or holiday let. Use them as prompts for what to measure on your own property rather than a forecast of return.
The cost side
Ask for a quote that separates capture, hosting, updates and extras such as floor plans, photography or video. The scope will depend on the property, access, travel and how often the space changes. Check what you receive, how the tour can be shared and what happens when a rescan is needed.
The value may come from clearer enquiries, more confident booking decisions or fewer unnecessary stakeholder visits. Compare relevant measures before and after adding a tour, while allowing for changes in season, pricing and other marketing activity. A tour is only one part of the booking journey.
The international angle
Overseas guests may be unable to visit before booking and may be reading in a second language. A tour can show the bedroom layout, entrances and shared areas more clearly than words alone. Pair it with accurate written details about access, facilities and any limitations so guests can make an informed decision.
Event spaces: the remote site visit
For corporate events, weddings and conferences, planners may be organising from another city or time zone. A tour can help them review room layouts and sightlines, consider catering flow and share the space with colleagues before arranging an in-person inspection. Include the tour with a proposal and answer practical questions promptly; confirm capacities and measurements separately rather than treating a visual tour as a certified survey.
Making a tour work harder
A tour works best alongside clear booking information. Three practical ways to use it are:
- Keep the booking button visible. Place the tour so it does not hide availability, pricing or the next step for visitors ready to book.
- Publish useful facts alongside the tour. Give confirmed room capacities, access details, distances and facilities in text so people can assess whether the property meets their needs.
- Share it where it helps. Include the link in relevant enquiry replies, proposals and property listings.
The takeaway
A 3D tour can help guests and event planners understand a space before making contact. Before committing, ask for examples in your sector, check that the tour loads well on mobile and choose measures that matter to you: engagement, enquiry quality, booking conversions and stakeholder viewing requests. Compare those measures with the cost of capture and ongoing hosting.
Source for the advertised customer results: Matterport, Short-Term Rentals.