EN 
ES At weglobeyou we have a simple maxim: words alone do not fill rooms. What really makes the difference are results. That's why you won't find us repeating empty phrases like "our commitment is maximum" or "we are committed to digitalization". That's good enough for a brochure. What hotels need are real solutions that translate into direct sales, satisfied guests and stronger brands. That's why, after inaugurating this series with the Roc Hotels casethe Hotel Apolonia of Soria becomes the protagonist of this second chapter of our tourism marketing success stories.
And it couldn't be any other way: his story brings together everything that moves us at weglobeyouA hotel with character, a team with ambition and a challenge that called for a brave, creative strategy with that nonconformist touch that we carry in our DNA.
When differentiation is the only option
The context was not simple. Soria is not a mass destination and, precisely for that reason, it competes in a difficult league: that of the traveler who seeks authenticity, culture and local gastronomy. Here, every decision counts. Customers who choose Soria do not do so by chance: they compare, read reviews, look at photos, find out about the gastronomic offer and expect to live an experience with a local stamp. In this scenario, differentiation is not optional, it is a necessity. The Hotel Apolonia knew this and decided to step forward.
Its goal was clear: to stop being perceived only as "a good hotel in the center" and to become a "good hotel in the center". reference of local experiencesThe company is able to attract more direct bookings, increase the value of each stay and build customer loyalty.
That was the starting point of our collaboration. And this is where what we do best comes into play: turning hotels into generators of experiencesaligning every detail - from the website to the CRM, from gastronomy to digital campaigns - so that everything would add up in the same direction: more direct bookings, more profitability and a brand with much more personality.
Who is Hotel Apolonia and what did it seek to achieve?
The Hotel Apolonia is not just any hotel in Soria. Located in the Plaza de Herradores, one of the busiest places in the city, it is a modern space that pays tribute to the literary tradition of the land. Within its walls you can read verses by Machado, Gerardo Diego and Bécquer, poets who left their mark on these Castilian streets and who today accompany guests during their stay.
The hotel's proposal combines comfortable and modern rooms -some with balconies overlooking the main squares- with a bar-restaurant that is already a reference for locals and visitors. There, the torrezno and red shrimp croquettes have earned their own reputation, confirming that Apolonia not only offers beds, but also gastronomic experiences that connect with Soria's identity.
But his team was clear: the product alone was not enough. The Hotel Apolonia needed to make a leap in its digital positioning, make its website and its own channels the center of the strategy and, above all, increase profitability per customer through differentiating proposals. It was a matter of moving from selling rooms to selling complete experiences linked to destiny.
The challenge
The starting point of the Hotel Apolonia was similar to that of many independent urban hotels: a high dependence on OTAs that hindered profitability, a proposal perceived as too generic and poorly segmented communication campaigns, unable to connect with what really motivates each traveler.
The challenge was twofold. On the one hand, boosting direct bookings and regain control over the customer relationship. On the other hand, repositioning the hotel proposal so that each stay would have a clear added value. The idea was not simply to offer centrally located accommodations, but to turn the Hotel Apolonia in the best gateway to live Soria.
Our tourism marketing strategy for Hotel Apolonia
At weglobeyou we know that each hotel has its own DNA. Therefore, the first thing we did was to listen to the client and analyze their situation in detail: product, public, competition, environment and opportunities. From there, we designed a 360º strategy with experiential approachcapable of attacking the problem from various angles and transforming it into an opportunity for growth.
- Personalized experiences: We created an annual calendar that combined global dates -Christmas, Valentine's Day- with local events such as Tapa Week, the Truffle Fair or the mushroom season. Each moment became a getaway designed for different profiles, integrating accommodation, gastronomy and local details. The aim was not to fill rooms, but to provide reasons to book directly and experience the city from a different perspective. Hotel Apolonia.
- Synergies with the environmentThe hotel could not grow with its back to its territory. That is why we integrate local producers such as Atauta Estatewhose wine tastings were incorporated into the packs, and we added exclusive details such as boxes of sweets from Soria welcome gift for customers who booked directly on the website. These small gestures became great loyalty tools.
- Personalized campaigns with CRMWe segmented the database to design email marketing campaigns adapted to interests and seasonality. Each campaign was measured in detail - conversion, average ticket, ROI - to learn and optimize. Compared to the generic mailings of the past, personalized messages connected with the traveler and achieved more engagement and more bookings.
- Optimization of own channels: The web has ceased to be a static showcase and has become the center of the direct sales strategy. There, experiential packages and exclusive promotions were integrated, with a design and visual discourse consistent with the hotel's new identity. The client found a clear narrative: to book directly at the hotel. Hotel Apolonia had real benefits.
Results
The effects of the strategy were soon felt and went far beyond the numbers. Firstly, the Hotel Apolonia experienced a 42% increase in direct reserves in first yearThis significantly reduced its dependence on OTAs and allowed it to recover profitability margins. This growth not only meant more revenue, but also greater control over the relationship with the client, who now booked directly through the hotel's own channels.
The average ticket per customer grew by 25%This was driven by the integration of local gastronomy and Soria products in the experiential packages. Each tasting of Dominio de Atauta wine, each detail of handmade pastries included in a direct reservation and each promotion linked to the mushroom season added value to the stay and generated additional consumption that was previously lost.
In parallel, the customized CRM campaigns improved the conversion rate by 30% compared to previous generic mailings. It was no longer a matter of sending the same message to the entire database, but of reaching the right profile with the right offer at the right time. This resulted in more engagement, more bookings from their own base and a much better understanding of guest behavior.
The impact was also reflected in the customer satisfaction. Ratings on online platforms went from 4.3 to 4.5 out of 5 in less than a year, with comments highlighting the personalization of the experience, the attention to detail and the feeling of living "an authentic Soria" from the hotel itself.
But perhaps the most relevant change was the rebranding. The Hotel Apolonia left behind the label of "value-for-money downtown hotel" to consolidate its position as a experience benchmark in SoriaThe hotel's new brand, naturally linked to the city's cultural and gastronomic identity, not only attracted more travelers, but also generated pride in the hotel's own team. This new narrative not only attracted more travelers, but also generated pride in the hotel's own team, who saw how their work translated into a more solid, differentiated and sustainable product in the long term.
What we learned together
The case of Hotel Apolonia demonstrates something that we often repeat in weglobeyouIt doesn't take a million-dollar renovation or a radical change of concept to transform a hotel. Sometimes, the real revolution begins with a change of perspective. Looking at the product from a different perspective, detecting local potential and implementing a coherent, careful and measurable strategy is enough to generate a real impact.
What we learned with Apolonia is that local is not an add-on, it is the heart of the experience.. Integrating Soria's gastronomy, linking with events such as the Semana de la Tapa or the Truffle Fair and adding details such as a box of handmade sweets in direct bookings allowed the hotel to differentiate itself and connect emotionally with its guests. This connection not only generates immediate satisfaction: it builds memories and long-term loyalty.
We also saw that technology and data are essential allies when used in a meaningful way. CRM stopped being a contact database and became a real personalization tool, capable of segmenting, measuring and optimizing. Each campaign was not a shot in the air, but a learning process that fine-tuned the next action.
In tourism, every interaction counts. From the first click on the website to the last coffee at the hotel bar, every point of contact is an opportunity to surprise, excite and strengthen the relationship with the customer. And when tourism marketing is worked with care, with data and creativity, an urban accommodation can stop competing on price and become a driving experiences, loyalty and local pride.
Why this case represents us
At weglobeyou we do not believe in magic formulas or "copy and paste" solutions. We believe in listening to the client, understanding their context and designing strategies that work. The project with Hotel Apolonia sums up very well what it means to do purposeful tourism marketing: giving value to what already exists, amplifying it with creativity and translating it into measurable results.
Because yes, you can fill rooms with discounts. But what really generates impact, profitability and loyalty are authentic experiences. And that's just what we did here.
Do you want your hotel to be the next protagonist of one of our our success stories? Write to us. At weglobeyou we don't sell smoke: we design strategies that work, execute them with precision and measure every step so that results are seen, felt and enjoyed.