Can I share a link to my product if it helps travelers?
No. Rule 1 removes posts advertising hotels, rental properties, booking websites, referral links, and social media accounts, and the description says advertising leads to a ban.
Subreddit guides
r/hotels rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/hotels: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.
By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog.
Subreddit guides combine public Reddit source URLs, captured rules, visible verification dates, and Rankhog's account-safety workflow.
Current public stats
- Members
- 53,255
- Verified
- September 29, 2026
- Category
- Hotel operations and hospitality communities
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- No Advertising or Self-Promotion: Posts advertising hotels, rental properties, booking websites, referral links, social media accounts, or any other commercial or self-promotional content will be removed.
- No Buying/Selling Points or Reservations: Buying, selling, or transferring hotel loyalty points, award nights, or reservations between members is not allowed. These transactions violate most hotel program terms of service and expose both parties to account termination.
- No Cross-Posting Without Context: No blanket cross-posting without a written post if you want to link back
- No "Academic Research" Posts: Posts soliciting survey responses, academic research participation, or thesis/dissertation data collection are not permitted; please use a more appropriate subreddit for your study.
- Moderator Discretion: Posts may be removed at the moderator's discretion, even if they don't break a specific rule. This includes (but not limited to) content that doesn't fit the community's vibe, doesn't add anything productive to the conversation, or is overly hostile toward a person, business, or place.
- English Posts Only: The moderation team only speaks English, so all posts must be written in this language to keep them reviewable.
Works well
- A genuine question about hotel stays, loyalty programs, or booking choices, asked as a curious person with no link attached
- A helpful answer to someone else's question, drawing on what you know from working in or around the industry
- A written post about industry news or trends, in your own words, with no booking links or referral codes
- A cross-post that comes with a full written post explaining what it is and why it matters to this community
- A story or observation about hotel experiences that invites other people to share theirs
Avoid
- Posting any link that promotes your hotel, booking site, or product, because “No Advertising or Self-Promotion” gets it removed
- Dropping a referral link or your social media handle in a post or comment
- Offering to buy or sell loyalty points, award nights, or reservations, because “No Buying/Selling Points or Reservations” bans it and it can end accounts
- Cross-posting a link with no written post explaining why it matters here, which breaks “No Cross-Posting Without Context”
- Asking members to fill out your survey or take part in research, which “No 'Academic Research' Posts” removes
- Writing your post in another language, since “English Posts Only” means moderators cannot review it and will take it down
What r/hotels Is For
This community is for questions, general information, and news about hotels and the wider industry. People come here looking for advice, sharing their own experiences, and keeping up with what is happening in the hotel world. The description also draws a hard line right up front, saying that advertising, self-promotion, or soliciting the sale of points or bookings will result in a ban. So think of it as a room full of travelers and industry people talking about hotels, not a place to sell anything.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rule that decides almost everything here is “No Advertising or Self-Promotion”. It removes posts advertising hotels, rental properties, booking websites, referral links, social media accounts, or any other commercial or self-promotional content. The description adds that advertising, self-promotion, or soliciting the sale of points or bookings will result in a ban, so this is not a soft rule. “No Buying/Selling Points or Reservations” matters if you work around loyalty programs, because buying, selling, or transferring points, award nights, or reservations between members is not allowed. “No Cross-Posting Without Context” matters if you want to link back to something, because a bare cross-post with no written post gets removed. “No 'Academic Research' Posts” matters if you were thinking of running a survey here, because soliciting survey responses or research participation is not permitted. “Moderator Discretion” is the catch-all, since posts can be removed even when they break no specific rule, including content that does not fit the vibe or adds nothing productive. “English Posts Only” matters for reach, because posts in other languages get removed.
What To Post
A good post here is a genuine question or a useful contribution with no strings attached. If you are a founder, the honest play is to show up as a person, not as a brand. Ask real questions about the industry, answer other people's hotel questions from your own experience, and share news or observations that help someone plan a stay or understand the business. If you want to reference something from elsewhere, write a proper post in your own words that gives context, because a bare cross-post link breaks the rules. Keep it in English. If your product comes up naturally in a conversation and someone asks, you can answer honestly in the comments, but never lead with it and never drop a link or a referral.
What To Avoid
The fastest way out is advertising or self-promotion, because the description says it results in a ban, not just a removed post. That covers hotel ads, rental property ads, booking websites, referral links, social media accounts, and any commercial or self-promotional content. Do not buy, sell, or transfer loyalty points, award nights, or reservations here, and do not ask anyone to. Do not cross-post a link without writing a real post to go with it. Do not post surveys, academic research requests, or thesis data collection asks. Do not post in a language other than English. And do not assume you are safe just because no rule was broken, since moderators can remove anything that does not fit the vibe or adds nothing productive.
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Common questions about r/hotels
Can I offer to sell or transfer hotel points or a reservation?
No. Rule 2 bans buying, selling, or transferring points, award nights, or reservations between members.
Can I cross-post something from another subreddit?
Only with a written post that gives context. A bare cross-post link breaks rule 3.
Can I run a survey of hotel guests here?
No. Rule 4 removes survey recruitment and research participation requests and points you to a more suitable subreddit.
Can I ask a genuine question about hotels or the industry?
Yes. The description says it is the place for questions, general information, and news about hotels and the wider industry.