Free hotel using fake IG followers?

Someone bought an Instagram account, built around travel photos, and started messaging hotels for “collab” stays. The result? Free rooms, just by owning a well-positioned account.

Marketing analysis

Instead of starting from zero, this person bought attention. Attention is a currency. The hotels didn’t care who owned the page, only that it had followers interested in travel.

Why it works

• Leverages existing audience trust and reach
• Saves time compared to growing a new account
• Hotels see social proof (followers = potential exposure)
• Perfect alignment between content theme (travel) and offer (free stays)

Examples

• Influencers buy theme pages all the time to launch new brands fast
• Startups like Gymshark partnered with fitness pages early to reach gym-goers
• Travel creators trade posts for hotel perks and cross-promotion