Despite increasingly difficult trading conditions in 2008, the Somerville in Torquay celebrated a record year and early bookings for 2009 are already showing signs of another record season.
The current owners, Adam Millward and Grant Chapman, have been busy upgrading the hotel since they purchased it in 2004 and have been awarded a five star, silver award grading in recognition of the standard of accommodation on offer. Adam Millward, commented,
“Although upgrading the fabric of the building has been a crucial part of our strategy, we have also been very conscious that we need to continually invest in our marketing. The online market is fiercely competitive and we knew that we needed something different that would really stand out from the crowd.
We chose the local Internet specialists, Website Vision, as they have a great deal of experience in delivering online marketing campaigns, but also have an intuitive understanding of the tourism industry. The end result has been a website and marketing campaign that has delivered a substantial increase in both visitor numbers and bookings, with the return on investment being outstanding.”
The new website is the first in the region to use integrated 3d video technology to give guests a taste of what they can expect on their holiday. In addition to showcasing the luxury accommodation on offer, guests can enjoy a detailed insight into the English Riviera through the sections showcasing many of the attractions and activities on offer in South Devon.
The success of the new website and associated marketing campaign has resulted in the Somerville being shortlisted for a national marketing award. The HRS Excellence Awards attracted over 100 national entries and the Somerville is one of three finalists, with the winner to be announced at a glamorous event in London on January 30th.
Richard Booker, Managing Director at Website Vision, added;
“Although it might seem counter intuitive as we enter a recession, we believe that now is the time to invest in marketing and the results that the Somerville is seeing from their website are really paying dividends in challenging times.
Having a website that is visually impressive and easy to use is very important but success will be limited without a targeted marketing campaign that builds online brand awareness and draws in visitors. We are committed to a program of ongoing training and development that keeps our team abreast of the latest online marketing strategies, and it’s this commitment that led to us becoming one of the first teams in the South West to gain professional accreditation status from Google.
The increased level of bookings that the Somerville is achieving shows that when online campaigns are successfully integrated within the wider marketing mix, the results can go a long way towards minimising the impacts of a period of recession.”
The new website can be seen at www.somervillehotel.co.uk. Founded in Torquay in 2001, Website Vision are currently based on the southern outskirts of Exeter and can be contacted on 0870 933 0093 or by visiting www.websitevision.co.uk
www.websitevision.co.uk | rbooker@websitevision.co.uk | 0870 933 0093
