SKI & CHILL
Edward & Kristi Lush
Dear Ed & Kristi,
As the seasons transition and we prepare for an extremely busy high season, I want to share some key updates and initiatives with you.
September Booking Trends & Looking Ahead
We observed a slight slowdown in bookings for the first three weeks of September, shifting from an average of 3 bookings per day in August to 1 booking every 4 days. However, the last week has seen a significant acceleration, particularly for the Christmas/New Year period. As Ikon passes arrive in mailboxes and news of early snowfall spreads, we anticipate a surge in high-season bookings.
Last-Minute Bookings
We continue to see strong last-minute bookings, primarily from Denver residents, and our dog-friendly properties remain consistently booked. We're proud to report that our last-minute-shoulder-season bookings are achieving higher Average Daily Rates (ADR) than some neighboring properties managed by other companies are getting in the high season.
Marketing Innovation & Expanding Reach
My directive to the team has been to outperform on traditional marketing platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. I'm pleased to share that Elysian properties consistently rank in top positions, demonstrating our commitment to maximizing your visibility. To further expand our reach, we're embracing innovative marketing strategies. We've curated partnerships with 4 social media influencers who will be featuring several of our properties between now and mid-December. Additionally, we're piloting a new paid advertising platform with a technology startup, initially focusing on two properties with the goal of expanding based on performance.
Over the past few months, we've been conducting A/B testing on listing photos to identify what resonates most with potential guests. Our findings reveal that cover photos showcasing a mix of elements, particularly fire and water features, perform exceptionally well. Images featuring fire pits, near hot tubs or with the majestic mountains as a backdrop also tend to capture attention and drive bookings. If you're interested in enhancing your property with a similar feature, we'd be happy to provide guidance and resources.
Value-Added Partnerships & Guest Experience
We're forging strategic partnerships with service providers to enhance the guest experience and drive revenue for both you and Elysian. One such partnership is with Ski Butlers, offering high-end equipment rentals with inhome fittings and convenient slope-side ski storage. As a valued partner, you can take advantage of special offers from Ski Butlers, including discounted rentals and free demos. We'll also be sharing a portion of the revenue generated through this partnership with you.
Growing Our Team & Investing in Our People
We continue to expand our team and are currently focused on scaling our cleaning operations. We're proud to offer our housekeepers a unique compensation model that includes a generous salary and benefits, setting a new standard in Grand County. We believe our cleaning and maintenance team are the backbone of Elysian, and they deserve to be compensated and cared for accordingly. If you know of anyone who might be interested in joining our team, we encourage you to make an introduction.
Picture Perfect: Insights into Cover Photo Performance
Growing with Intention
I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of our partners who have been so enthusiastic about their experience thus far with Elysian. Your positive feedback and referrals have fueled a tremendous surge of interest from other property owners. While I'm thrilled with this momentum and eager to help as many owners as possible, I'm also committed to growing carefully and with intention. This means carefully selecting the properties we manage and the partners we collaborate with to ensure we can consistently deliver exceptional service and results. In recent weeks, we've actually declined 2-3 times more properties than we've taken on, prioritizing quality and alignment over rapid expansion.
We're incredibly excited about these developments and the future of Elysian. Our dedicated team, combined with our commitment to innovation and guest satisfaction, will continue to drive exceptional results for your investment. As always, I encourage you to reach out to me with questions or feedback. I deeply value your partnership and appreciate your trust in Elysian.
Sincerley,
Paul Burke
Paul Burke
Your September 2024 Overview
Ski&Chill
Listing Performance
Please note we implemented new tracking software on 7/23.
How to Read Reports:
1st-page impressions: Search impressions are the number of distinct people who saw your listings on the first page of search results
Clickthrough: A click-through” happens when a user goes from seeing the listing on the search results page and then clicks to go to your listing.
Conversion Rate: conversion rate is the average daily number of distinct visitors who viewed your listing in search and then booked.
Listing Views: Number of visitors to your listing page.
Wishlist: Wishlist additions is the average number of times your listings are added to guest wishlists.
Green Upward Arrows: Areas where the listing is overperforming.
Red Downward Arrows: Areas where the listing is underperforming and improvement is needed.
We use this information to identify the stages where optimization for your property is needed.
