Texas has hills!
Yeah, so, I don’t know a lot about Texas other than it’s pretty big and if you don’t own a pair of cowboy boots, you’re not going to fit in very well. Honestly, outside of a few trips to Austin to see some stellar music performances and eat some spot-on Tex Mex, I’ve not spent a lot – or rather, any – time in Texas. A couple of months ago, though, I was asked to step in at La Cantera Hill Country Resort for a time while the team there searched for their new full time Digital Marketing Manager. I was down that way a couple of weeks ago, and grabbed some very amateur photos (see below).
La Cantera sits atop Texas Hill Country. The property has 500 keys consisting of guest rooms, suites and casitas and offers nine dining outlets (indoor and outdoor), golf, a kids recreation program, incredible meeting and event spaces, and staggering views overlooking the Hill Country with San Antonio in the distance about 20 minutes away. The resort is in the process of going through a major renovation, with its new pools (two of which are infinity pools), ball rooms, and many accommodation types complete. The last of the renovations still underway are the casitas, the property’s signature restaurant and what will be an incredible 17,000 square foot spa with spectacular views, grotto, garden cabanas, Himalayan salt sauna, private spa suites…..you get the picture. This thing will be a destination unto itself.
In the middle of all this change, the property needed to generate February and Q2 revenue and create a leisure acquisition strategy to promote summer stays for a new and elevated guest willing to pay a higher ADR. And at the end of December, they found themselves down a man. That’s where I came into the picture.
To help keep them on track, I was brought in to manage the digital effort:
- Provide for website updates as new photography of the renovated spaces and new menus for dining outlets were made available and as new package and promotions were put into place
- Create and deploy e-mail campaigns to the past guest database
- Provide for the needs from the Destination Hotels corporate office from the property (holiday promotions and loyalty club offers)
- Work with the digital agency of record to execute marketing plan tactics as they relate to PPC and SEO
- Develop and implement a leisure acquisition strategy to generate revenue for spring, spring break and summer seasons using a profile of the property’s very best past guests
- Work with the onsite team and corporate office to start the process of creating a website for the new spa, launching in spring
When I got the call from the property’s DOSM to help out, I was so excited to work on a resort again — and with him again. I’ve worked for him on other projects in the short time I’ve been freelance, and he’s one of my first repeat clients. That means the world to me. Not only that, put he’s great to work for. He gives great direction and gives me the latitude needed to do good work. It’s just an all around fun experience.
I’m coming to the end of my run with them, as they quickly found their next super star. They’re moving on, and so am I.
My next Pick Up Report will be from New England. Stay tuned.
