Client
The Hotel and Extreme Academy

Design Consultancy
Absolute
Helen Blake
01326 316372
studio@absolutedesign.co.uk
www.absolutedesign.co.uk

The Hotel at Watergate Bay was a successful, seasonal hotel for the traditional bucket-and-spade holiday. However by 2001 it found itself competing in a difficult and ever-declining market. The decision was taken to reposition and open for business all year round.

Absolute were called in to articulate the hotel’s new vision and values. The agency had to help differentiate the hotel in a crowded marketplace and challenge people’s perceptions of the Cornish holiday experience. But it was clear that a traditional hotel brochure would not work. So, Absolute decided to create a magazine, and the result was Another Place.

Another Place is a tongue-in-cheek take on upmarket lifestyle magazines. The publication emphasises the experience of the hotel rather than the facilities, and captures the aspirational element of holiday destinations. Using humour and evocative imagery, the magazine engages the reader and powerfully communicates the hotel’s repositioning.

The impact has been dramatic. Shoulder month bookings have almost doubled the market average, and in 2006 and 2007 room rates rose by 24% and 12% respectively. The number of permanent hotel employees has also doubled. The hotel was named ‘Best Tourism Experience’ at the South West Tourism Awards, and the whole project has had an enduring impact on the local economy.

Silver
Print - Consumer

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