For today’s hotel leaders, the challenge is rarely about generating website traffic – it’s about turning that interest into direct bookings.
In this discussion we talk with Bobby Sweet (Aurora Anguilla Resorts & Golf Club), Cindy Wong-Galarraga (Booking Success) and Anne-Sophie Tirard (Userguest) where we hear how Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, a luxury Caribbean property, recently tackled this issue head-on through a collaboration with Booking Success and Userguest.
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Their story offers valuable insights for general managers, revenue leaders, and marketers striving to improve conversion, reduce OTA dependency, and grow profitability.
The Challenge: From Lookers to Bookers
Aurora Anguilla faced a familiar problem: while traffic to their website was strong, too many potential guests left before completing a booking. Packages and offers were compelling, but hidden too deep within the site. As Director of Sales & Commercial Strategy Bobby Sweet explained, “We had great offers, but guests had to dig to find them. That meant high site visits but fewer conversions.”
The team needed a solution that surfaced the right information at the right time – without overwhelming guests or diluting the brand’s luxury positioning.
The Solution: Smart Messaging with a Strategic Partnership
Enter the partnership between Booking Success, experts in digital strategy, and Userguest, specialists in smart notifications for hotel websites.
By layering Userguest’s smart messaging tools onto Aurora Anguilla’s existing digital campaigns, the property was able to:
- Highlight key offers upfront (e.g., “Save up to 40%”) to spark immediate interest.
- Differentiate direct bookings with clear benefits over OTAs, supported by price-comparison prompts.
- Personalize the guest journey by saving searches and reminding repeat visitors of their previous selections.
- Capture guest emails through tailored exit prompts, creating long-term marketing value.
Importantly, the team worked closely to ensure that messaging enhanced the guest experience without detracting from the website’s luxury aesthetic.
The Results: Significant Gains in 30 Days
The impact was immediate and measurable:
- 39% of bookings during the trial were influenced by smart messaging.
- A 50% increase in “look-to-book” rates, with more visitors moving into the booking engine.
- $175,000 in direct bookings attributed to Userguest notifications during a single 30-day trial – outside of peak season.
- Overall, more than $500,000 in revenue was connected to these efforts, proving the value of digital personalization.
As Sweet noted, “One of the biggest wins was realizing we could capture guests earlier, keep them engaged, and reduce the risk of losing them to OTAs – all while maintaining the brand integrity of a luxury resort.”
Key Takeaways for Hotel Leaders
Aurora Anguilla’s experience underscores three critical lessons:
- Surface Offers Early: Don’t assume guests will dig through your site. Bring compelling offers forward in the journey.
- Personalize the Experience: Saved searches, tailored reminders, and direct booking benefits give guests a reason to stay engaged.
- Balance Messaging with Brand: Smart notifications should complement – not clutter – your digital presence. Testing and refinement are essential.
The Bigger Picture
For general managers, revenue directors, and marketers, the Aurora Anguilla case highlights the power of combining traffic generation with conversion optimization. Driving qualified traffic is only half the battle; ensuring those guests book direct is where profitability is won.
The right digital partnerships can transform the way your hotel connects with guests online – turning lookers into loyal bookers while reducing reliance on costly OTA channels.
