An FPV Drone Tour Brings the Marriott Marquis in New York to Life

The New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square has released a cinematic drone tour to celebrate its 40th anniversary. As Hotel Dive reports, The hotel wanted to create something fresh for guests and a wider audience. The result is a fast, smooth drone journey that flies through the lobby, the restaurants, the meeting rooms and the guest spaces. The video also includes custom sound design that makes the tour feel more like a short film than a marketing clip.

The hotel is one of the largest in New York City with 1971 rooms. It sits in the center of Times Square and is known for its huge atrium and busy foot traffic. The drone tour shows off all of that activity. Instead of staged shots, the production team captured real guests moving around the property. People check in, talk with staff and make their way through the corridors. According to the hotel, this gives the tour a natural feel.

Sales and marketing leaders at the hotel shared how they made it work. The project took two full days of filming. Each day lasted eight hours. A skilled drone pilot flew through tight paths, including hallways, kitchens and event spaces. The team also used a few actors to record small sound clips that help guide the story. Still, most of the people in the video are ordinary guests who gave consent to appear.

Before the shoot, the hotel sent emails and placed signs to make sure everyone knew filming was underway. Guests in the video had to give written permission. The hotel said this was handled smoothly because most people were excited to be part of something creative.

The hotel invested six figures to produce the tour. Leaders explained that part of the cost came from safety, pilot skill and the need for multiple takes.

Still, they believe it was worth it because the project stands out. As one executive put it, creating something unique was the entire goal.

Why Hotels Are Turning to Tech

The Marriott Marquis drone tour comes at a time when hotels are adding more technology to improve the guest experience. Many brands want tools that bring in new customers and help secure meeting and event bookings. Video content plays a major role in these plans. A drone tour works well because it shows the full property in a single take. Viewers can follow the entire guest journey without feeling like they are watching a traditional commercial.

The hotel said the video is part of a top funnel marketing push. This means it helps people who have never stayed at the property learn what it offers. The drone tour acts as a digital welcome. It gives potential guests a sense of the hotel’s size, design and energy before they ever book.

Another important factor is authenticity. Travelers today want content that feels real. Perfectly staged shots do not perform as well as they used to. People want to see the natural flow of a place. They want to understand how it feels to walk through a location. The Marriott team said this is why they kept the video raw and true to life. Families, couples, business travelers and international guests all appear in the footage. This mix shows what the hotel looks like on a normal day.

A Look Into the Future of Hotel Marketing

Drone tours could become more common as hotels try to stand out in a crowded market. A well made drone video can tell a complete story in just a few minutes. It gives the viewer a sense of movement and scale. It also shows parts of the hotel that are hard to capture with normal cameras. Tight hallways, high ceilings and busy kitchens all look different from the air.

Hotels may use drone footage for social media, event sales, or even virtual check in materials. The success of this video, which has nearly 650.000 views, shows the demand. People enjoy flying through places they have not visited yet. It also helps them build trust in the property. If the video looks genuine and full of life, the hotel feels more welcoming.

The Marriott Marquis team said the project worked because it was something that had not been done before. They wanted to create a tour that feels honest and exciting. They also wanted to match the expectations of younger travelers who respond to bold visuals and smooth storytelling.

DroneXL’s Take

This drone tour sets a new bar for hotel marketing. It shows how a single flight can reveal the energy of a large property. The key here is authenticity. Real guests, natural sounds and smooth flying make the hotel feel alive. More hotels will follow this trend. It gives viewers an inside look and builds trust long before check in. For the drone world, it proves that indoor cinematic flights are now a powerful commercial tool.

Photo credit: Youtube / newyorkmarriottmarquis