An ambitious restoration
A magnificent Baronial castle, set on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond and dating back to the 1700s, Cameron House Hotel suffered a tragic fire in 2017. A hugely ambitious restoration project has now returned the building to its former glory and the luxury hotel, together with its golf course, marina and self-catering Cameron Lodges, is once more a five-star destination.
Our job at Equator was to build a digital platform to re-establish Cameron House as one of the UK’s leading resorts.
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Creating a unified digital experience
We needed to bring the hotel and lodge businesses together in a single, unified experience, merging two websites into one while partnering with two different booking agencies and collaborating with the client’s brand agency. At the same time, we had to develop a marketing strategy to navigate PR challenges, and drive long-term growth.
"Equator’s deep understanding of the hospitality industry was key to making it all work."
Opportunity, not competition
Drawing on our experience of similar projects, our strategy focused on a bespoke UX hierarchy that allowed both brands - hotel and lodges - to maintain their own identities while working in harmony on one domain. Each brand would support the other, creating opportunities for cross-selling rather than competition.
Meanwhile, we worked strategically with the brand agency to develop an integrated marketing strategy, maximising traffic and brand awareness.
A plan for success
From an initial audit of the two existing sites, we identified points of friction and defined a UX strategy that would deliver highly qualified traffic to the booking engine, all while adhering to new brand guidelines.
We delivered a brochureware solution in line with the needs of the business, developing fundamental brand decisions while the hotel was closed for restoration. We collaborated with two booking engine providers - Elina for Cameron Lodges, and ResortSuite for Cameron House - each with a unique set of requirements.
Our marketing strategy focused on PPC, SEO and Outreach, with the latter playing a fundamental role in redressing the negative press - associated with the historic fire - which continued to dominate the search landscape. Display was also used to bolster brand awareness.
Results and impact
2021 vs 2017
Despite the disruption and challenges of temporary closure, plus the global COVID pandemic, we saw highly impressive figures in the first five months of the website going live. Comparing 2021 with 2017 - the last normal year of trading - we saw
Organic traffic growth of 72%
Overall traffic up 27%
Increased CR of 2.9% against 0.33%, an exceptional growth rate of 780%
Estimated increased revenue of around 28%
A new lease of life for Cameron House
We delivered a 5*+ transformation for Cameron House on Loch Lomond, during an exceptionally challenging period. Find out how we could redefine a digital presence for your business, with equally satisfying results. Call us now.