+58% Direct Revenue: The “Patmos Aktis” Success Story
Key Takeaways
- Total Revenue resulting from direct bookings increased by an impressive 58% Year-Over-Year, with August achieving a spectacular 82% increase
- Guest check-ins that resulted from direct bookings grew in July and August by 35% and 54%, respectively
- 62 direct bookings came from Google Ads (+47%) resulting in an impressive 65.2% increase in Revenue from this specific channel
- Guests from Greece grew by 405% and from Türkiye by 268%
- A new market was unlocked – Switzerland showcased a 320% increase in direct bookings, without targeted advertising
- The Meta accounts (Facebook & Instagram) of Patmos Aktis garnered a combined 2,611,376 impressions and reached more than 2.03 million users
- Instagram followers of the Patmos Aktis profile increased by 54%
Introduction
Nestled on the serene shores of Grikos Bay on the low-key island of Patmos, Patmos Aktis Resort & Spa underwent a transformative renovation and rebranding journey in 2024, joining Marriott Bonvoy’s Luxury Collection. This rebranding not only elevated the hotel’s stature but also shone a spotlight on Patmos as a luxury travel destination. With meticulous planning and a strategic creative overhaul of its social media presence to align with the new brand identity managed by Panadvert, Patmos Aktis achieved remarkable growth in both guest arrivals and revenue resulting from direct bookings, establishing itself as a standout success story in the luxury hospitality sector of the island.
After analyzing the hotel’s 2023 performance, we noticed that direct bookings on the Patmos Aktis Resort & Spa website through the WebHotelier platform had the lowest percentage of cancellations compared to OTAs and the highest Average Daily Rate (ADR). We also noticed that direct bookings and revenue were significantly higher than OTAs which was a very positive indicator for the hotel’s sales strategy, price parity and the reliability and usability of the website. Moreover, the Google Ads & Meta Ads stats indicated that the hotel performed well in 2023 with high ROAS, but with a lot of room to increase bookings.
The transitional state of the hotel itself, however, brought unique challenges. For several months, we could not showcase traditional visuals of its facilities like rooms, common areas, or amenities, as renovations were still underway, and targeting new international markets while maintaining appeal to existing key demographics presented a delicate balancing act. In addition, Marriott Bonvoy’s strict brand standards required creative storytelling approaches while ensuring compliance with music licensing and content usage rules.
With those data in mind, and knowing the importance of maintaining/increasing direct bookings at high rates, we designed the hotel’s strategy for 2024. Adaptability was essential in order to guide us in this particular situation and bring the best results possible for our client. A 360° digital approach that utilized both organic digital channels and paid digital campaigns was put in place in order to cover as many touchpoints of a customer’s journey as possible.
Since we could not showcase the actual physical facilities and amenities of the hotel, we proposed, thus, to shift the focus to showcasing the destination of Patmos itself—its historical and cultural heritage, natural beauty, and local experiences—to keep audiences engaged and inspired. At the same time, we began building anticipation for the hotel’s grand reveal with carefully crafted teaser campaigns that created buzz and curiosity.
Having this creative direction in mind, our main campaign goals for 2024 were:
- To cover and create demand for the hotel in the main markets interested in the destination of Patmos using Google Ads & Meta Ads
- Increase bookings and revenue with the aim of maintaining/increasing ROAS
- Increase awareness of the hotel in the main targeted markets
The strategy for the paid digital campaigns began with defining the target countries with the aim of setting the budget and actions for each month, country by country. Using various tools to observe trends in country searches per month (e.g. Keyword Planner) and interpreting metrics that are useful in meeting demand (e.g. Search Impr. Share, Click Share) we adjusted the budget allocation accordingly for each country. An important finding was the margin in demand coverage for Türkiye, the main market of Patmos Aktis Resort & Spa.
Organic Digital Channels
1. January–May 2024
Building Anticipation Through Location-Driven Content
Highlighted Patmos as a destination, emphasizing its cultural richness, historical landmarks, serene landscapes, and unique activities.
Content Formats
- Static posts and carousel images showcasing the beauty of Patmos
- Inspirational copy and abstract imagery to maintain engagement and align with a luxury aesthetic
2. May–June 2024
Introducing the New Patmos Aktis with Teaser Campaigns
Upon receiving photorealistic renderings, we launched a teaser campaign to signal the hotel’s transformation and build excitement for the final unveiling.
3. June 2024–Ongoing
Full Reveal with Lifestyle & Experience-Focused Content
In June 2024, the first professional photo shoot was completed, unlocking a wealth of new content:
- Visuals: Stunning sea-view shots, redesigned rooms, the serene pool area, and new dining spaces
- Lifestyle Imagery: A curated photo series of a sophisticated couple enjoying the property, reflecting the refined luxury of Patmos Aktis
Paid Digital Channels
In addition to the organic curation of the social media profiles of Patmos Aktis, targeted Google and Meta ads were in place throughout the entire season. Our Performance and Data Analysis team designed the Google ads as Performance Max campaigns in order to leverage all the components of Google’s advertising offerings under a single campaign, achieving more direct bookings with reduced CPC. The Meta ads would work complimentary to the Google ads by boosting the organic posts in order to achieve extended reach and brand awareness.
The main countries that our paid campaigns targeted were:
- Türkiye
- Greece
- USA
- United Kingdom
- Italy
- France
Analysis & Results
1. Remarkable Growth in Check-Ins and Revenue from Direct Bookings
- Guest check-ins that resulted from direct bookings grew by 16.69% year-over-year, with July and August seeing peak growth rates of 35.14% and 54.48%, respectively.
Date of booking | Percentage Difference 2023/2024 |
|---|---|
| May | -100.00% |
| June | 15.49% |
| July | 35.14% |
| August | 54.48% |
| September | 8.33% |
October | -92.86% |
Total | 16.69% |
- Total Revenue resulting from direct bookings increased by an impressive 58.54%, with August achieving a spectacular 82.76% rise.
- 62 direct bookings came from Google Ads (+47.6%), resulting in an impressive 65.2% increase in Revenue from this specific channel, with a Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) of 7.98.
- 7 direct bookings from Meta, resulting in a ROAS of 3.18.
2. Expanding Market Reach
- Significant growth was seen from markets, with Türkiye leading the hotel’s market penetration at 35.15% – a 268.57% increase compared to last year –, while Greece’s penetration increased 405.56% to 24.80% of the total penetration. France also presented an impressive increase of its hotel market penetration by 270% to 5.04% of the total.
Country | Penetration in 2024 | Percentage Difference 2023/2024 |
|---|---|---|
Türkiye | 35.15% | 268.57% |
Greece | 24.80% | 405.56% |
Great Britain | 10.63% | 59.18% |
USA | 6.68% | -20.97% |
France | 5.04% | 270.00% |
Italy | 3.81% | 100.00% |
- In addition to the markets we targeted through our paid campaigns, we noticed new markets that booked directly through the hotel’s website, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive and 360° strategy. One such market is Switzerland, which showed a 320% increase in direct bookings at Patmos Aktis compared to 2023 and made up 2.86% of the total market penetration.
3. Success on Social Media Platforms
- The Meta accounts (Facebook & Instagram) of Patmos Aktis garnered a combined 2,611,376 impressions and reached more than 2.03 million users.
- Instagram followers of the Patmos Aktis profile increased by 54% to 11,754 while profile views grew by 21% compared to last year.
- Engagement on Facebook increased by 28.2% to 9.69%, compared to last year.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Patmos Aktis Resort & Spa and Panadvert demonstrates the transformative power of strategic planning and innovative digital marketing. Through meticulous data analysis and tailored campaigns, Panadvert successfully addressed the challenges of a rebranding transition and delivered exceptional results.
The hotel achieved a 58.54% increase in revenue from direct bookings and garnered an impressive 2.6 million impressions, reaching over 2.03 million users through social media channels. With organic and paid digital channels working in harmony, the campaigns not only strengthened Patmos Aktis’s position as a leader in luxury hospitality on the island Patmos but also elevated the profile of it as a destination of choice for discerning travelers.
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