Case study
Sterling Ridge Resort
Sterling Ridge Resort is a log cabin resort in Jeffersonville, Vermont, near Smuggler's Notch — offering private cabin rentals from studios to large group cabins, with year-round recreational amenities.
- +278% Nights booked via paid advertising
- 8/12 Months above all-time record (2024)
- $11.26 Average return on ad spend
The challenge
When Sterling Ridge approached us in 2019, they had just purchased the property and inherited a booking picture that was trending in the wrong direction. Reservations were down, and the new ownership had little visibility into which marketing efforts were actually driving stays. They needed two things at once: a clear understanding of what was working, and a marketing program that could turn that understanding into booked nights.
The solution
We started at the foundation — resolving the website and booking-engine issues that were quietly costing reservations — and implemented comprehensive data tracking so that every inquiry and booking could be traced back to its source. With that visibility in place, we overhauled their digital advertising, rebuilding campaigns around the keywords and audiences most likely to convert into stays.
Because hospitality is anything but static, we established regular consulting meetings to navigate seasonal demand, shifting industry trends, and — beginning in 2020 — the upheaval of COVID-19. As we learned what resonated with travelers, we expanded beyond search into new channels, putting Sterling Ridge in front of the right audiences across multiple platforms.
The results
Clean data and disciplined advertising compounded over time. Paid advertising drove a 278% increase in booked nights, every advertising dollar returned an average of $11.26, and in 2024 the resort beat its all-time monthly booking record in eight of twelve months. What began as a turnaround effort became a repeatable, data-driven growth engine.
Platforms
Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Spotify Ads, and Reddit Ads.