Can someone give me some insight on this please?

You can't easily rank in a big city like London for a hotel name. There will be a lot of competition because you're going after 1) a big city and 2) a hotel.

You could do some research and try to rank on long-tail keywords with less competition.

Small cities and villages is a different story. I've ranked enough websites with good content and SEO, without any backlinks.

Best would be to include the word hotel and area name in your domain name. If that's the keyword you're going for. Just remember that keyword in domain name is just a small factor in SEO.

Don't know about the hosting.

You should have created a simple site back in the day. Now it would be a good reputable site, and it would be easier to rank it.

That said, you will have a hard time buying a "keyworded" domain name for hotels in London, so buy the one with the REAL name - you will get visibility and one thing most SEO newbies don't know about: Google TRUST rank. Don't ask me to explain, cause I won't.

Then, configure the domain name, install WordPress, grab a simple white theme and focus on CONTENT. Create at least 50 pages of unique content, 1000 words per page. Include original photos on each post. Crosslink the pages with relevant keywords. Forget SEO and focus on content creation and local backlinks: directories, personal blogs, press releases. Pay someone to write a proper Press Release and send it over local newspapers, blogs, forums, etc etc. Ask admins to give you some exposure.

Keep on working this way for some months and you WILL see results. Focus on CONTENT. You will thank me later and in long term. I promise.

Now, if you decide to start hitting the poor site with backlinks left and right you will get page 3-6 rankings for months/years - please don't do it.

Anything else, just ask away.

Fernando

I've been employed in a big business firm in our country, and I could see that your dad got some point since most of the people now a days are using cyber ways to make life easy. Don't worry about such ranking since "MOST" people never take the most expensive hotels (most the top hotels price). I would suggest to always include the word "Hotel" in your web, and always remember, no matter the rank in the net your hotel belongs, Business are just a matter of good service to the customers. Price, hotel location, room space, etc. always what the customers wanted to know. Even if you are bottom of the top 100 hotels, satisfied customers will always do positive comments in your business and the more positive comments, the easier to locate. Since people mostly search hotels to stay with this sentence "Cheap and clean hotels in UK" or some-like.

Thank you everyone! for the phenomenal support.

Don't waste your time.......

Sure I could tell you lots of ways to have a go - but your time is valuable and you'd be better off doing it old-school and marketing it in ways you know you can get results.

Andy

Even when you're using traditional marketing methods such as newspaper ads or brochures; it would still help to have a website address where potential guests could see photos of the hotel or learn about the area.

Rose

Websites are the new millenium.
You have to have one.
Put great content, like tourist spots near your hotel etc,

Make a newsletter and email it to your present customers.

There is so much to do with a hotel site.

you are missing big opportunity.

thats really a hardwork if you want to compete with giants site. You can check Google Keyword Tool and find what you want to rank with.