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Ikal del Mar was a case study in how to do everything right. Starting from the design, positioning, marketing, management, and all internet activities.
Initially, basic market research suggested that a 200 room hotel charging $150 per night would perform at 60% occupancy and provide the best return on investment. When management and design company Prohotel International suggested building only 29 rooms and charging $500 per night, the investors were naturally concerned. After all, that would make Ikal del Mar the first luxury hotel in the area. Would it work?
In 1999, Prohotel engaged Hotelesys to construct the website, manage the online advertising campaign, create direct online reservations, and to engineer high rankings in the search engines of the time.
The hotel was a smashing success. As the only luxury hotel in Playa del Carmen, Ikal del Mar created its own market. With Hotelesys intensely focused on the internet and online communities, we managed to achieve in the first year:
- 65% direct online bookings with no travel agent commissions
- 80% average occupancy
- first and second page rankings on almost every keyword we targeted
- online advertising rates at pennies on the dollar
- a richly attractive internet presence that captured the feeling of the hotel exactly
Today
Following the lead of Ikal del Mar, now the area is full of competition in the top tier of the market. The Fairmont, Starwood, Madarin Oriental, and Banyan Tree hotel chains have all developed projects in Playa del Carmen.
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