The Retreat at Lockwood Pines

The Challenge

A couple in southern California had been operating a second home as a short term vacation rental property for many years, and had historically achieved acceptable booking volume and revenue generation. A recent steep decline in bookings, resulting in an unacceptably low revenue stream, prompted the owners to reach out to Vacaygency for help.

The property rests 5,000 feet up in the mountains northwest of Los Angeles, and includes a large, well-appointed group vacation home on 45 private acres adjacent to the Los Padres National Forest, with direct access to its trail system. The wooded property has low mountains on opposite sides and a deep valley between them, and the owners own the land ridge-to-ridge, which gives guests complete seclusion and unfettered access to explore and enjoy. A nine-horse stable and corral are near the home, and though no horses are on the property guests are encouraged to bring their own.

Our Solution

Conduct competitive market research and analysis, create a marketable brand identity, build new content for OTAs and direct booking website, engage lifecycle email marketing and author content, create digital promotions, and research and recommend 3rd party software to integrate OTA management and expand listing presence in new channels.

Marketing Initiatives

* Market research was conducted to evaluate overall market health and revenue potential, define the competitive landscape, create property positioning to differentiate Lockwood

* A new name was created to reflect the location of the home, convey the true uniqueness of the property, and build emotional connection with consumers

* Visual identity elements were crafted including property logo, new colors, and fonts to visually convey the serene, secluded dark sky mountain experience

* A new story was crafted for the online travel agency websites (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) designed to create a compelling and emotional connection between prospects and Lockwood, and clearly differentiate the property from competitors

* Select stock photos were sourced to highlight popular local areas of interest and lifestyle elements

* Content for a direct booking website was created with a focus on SEO to optimize organic search traffic

* Promotional messaging with a strong call to action (booking focus) was developed for use across a host of digital platforms

* Lifecycle email marketing was engaged to remarket to previous guests, and leverage them to promote the property to friends and family, with all audiences receiving a special discount offer for visiting again

* Third-party OTA booking management software was researched and evaluated to provide a centralized management platform for current OTAs, and allow for simple expansion into new channels