Case Study: How a Florida Gulf Coast Resort Used Guest Data to Drive 8,996% ROI

Listening to the Guest File and Turning Data Into ROI, From Calendar Emails to Data-Driven Campaigns

For years, the resort’s email strategy was little more than a calendar exercise - send something before spring break, a few reminders before summer, and hope guests filled rooms. It worked well enough to keep the lights on, but not enough to drive consistent growth.

That changed when the resort started treating its guest data file as more than a list of addresses. With 369,004 records and 265,351 enriched profiles, the data revealed exactly who was booking, how much they were spending, and the moments that mattered most. Once the resort aligned campaigns to what the guest file was already saying, the difference was immediate.

Guest Insights That Pointed the Way

The 2023 Guest History Analysis told a clear story. Millennials had grown into the largest under-50 group, while Gen Z was still small but climbing each year. Nearly half of transient guests had children at home, and families earning $75k–$150k averaged $273 per night. Higher-income households consistently paid more, landing in the $299–$333 range per night.

Those patterns made the strategy obvious: target families, time promotions around school calendars, and match pricing and offers to income bands. It wasn’t about discounting more heavily - it was about sending the right message to the right people at the right time.

Where Guests Were Coming From

By 2024, geography sharpened the picture. About three-quarters of transient guests were from the South, but shifts inside that mix were decisive. Florida’s share had grown three years in a row, while Texas declined over the same stretch. Atlanta remained steady as a major driver, and high-value Gulf Coast metros consistently overperformed.

Rather than spread campaigns thinly across all markets, the resort re-weighted its spend. Florida and nearby drive markets took priority, Texas spend was reduced, and Atlanta became a consistent anchor. Campaigns were heaviest in late spring and early summer, matching the seasonal crest in demand.

The ROI Payoff

The shift from calendar-driven to data-driven campaigns delivered returns that were impossible to ignore.

• In Q1 2024, $6,919 in spend generated $358,531 in revenue, a 5,082% ROI.

• In Q2 2024, $5,245 in spend generated $1,327,446 in revenue, a 25,208% ROI.

• By the end of 2024, the resort had spent $25,256 and driven $2,297,316 in direct revenue, an overall ROI of 8,996%.

In plain terms, every $1.10 spent generated $100 in direct bookings. Most of the lift came in Q2, but momentum carried through Q3 and even Q4, proving the approach worked beyond peak season.

Why It Worked

Families were offered convenience - breakfast, late checkout, memory-making packages - without clutter. Guests who already stayed four or five nights were encouraged to add one more. Booking was made seamless with simple bundles and short booking windows. Campaigns weren’t designed for volume, they were designed to meet people where they were, and the guest file supplied the map.

HMA’s Role

HMA guided the resort through every step of this transition. We began by cleaning the guest file - removing OTA placeholders, merging duplicates, and resolving identities. Then we enriched it with demographic and lifestyle insights. From there, we translated the patterns into a campaign calendar built around age, income, market, and season.

The result wasn’t more email. It was smarter email, driven by the data guests had already given the property. And within months, it turned into measurable revenue growth.

Hotels work with HMA because they get more than software. They get a team that understands both the numbers and the outcomes.

To start your own data-driven shift, call +1-831-655-0109 or visit wearehma.com.