At $4,000/night, Castle Hot Springs promises perfection:
- Ancient desert hot springs
- A historic guest book signed by the Rockefellers
- World-class amenities and experiences
Yet one missing piece is costing this iconic Arizona wellness retreat over $1M annually.
This week, we're diving into one of the most Instagrammable properties I've seen to date.
Uncovering what you can learn from their “wins” and “losses” and the steps to transform their social presence from a photo dump into a direct booking machine.
First, their backstory.
The crown jewel of Castle Hot Springs– their cascading hot springs tucked into the canyon.
A natural spring whose story goes back centuries to when indigenous people first traveled there for medicinal and healing purposes…
It wasn’t until the 1880s when entrepreneur Frank Murphy purchased the land to build the original ‘Castle Hot Springs’ resort.
The first wellness resort in Arizona.
When they first opened, guests had to make a grueling five hour stagecoach ride in order to reach the springs.
Eventually made easier in 1898 when the first train depot was built nearby and ten years later, the first bus route.
Castle Hot Springs’ explosion in popularity wouldn’t have been possible without this.
They hit their stride in the “Roaring Twenties” with a prominent guest list spanning from the Rockefellers to the Vanderbilts and even President Roosevelt.
But their “heyday” started its decline in the 70's with a fire destroying the main resort building and by the late 90’s the remaining structures had been torn down.
After changing ownership a few times in the following decades…
The current owners bought it and finished restoring it in 2019, honoring the original property.
All-in-all, the resort is a historical icon.
And today, it is primed for social media success–
The original hot springs are truly one-of-one.
It would be nearly impossible to replicate their amazing land.
They don’t skimp on their units or landscaping either. They are immaculate, it’s an oasis in the middle of the desert.
The stark contrast between the lush green spaces and the rough desert would play amazingly well on social.
And their on-site activities provide an endless variety of content:
- Guided hikes
- Desert adventure courses
- Private wellness classes
- Horseback riding or UTV adventures
- E-bike tours
- Wine tasting
- Paddleboard yoga in the hot springs
There’s even a three acre farm on property for their restaurant.
And to be frank, they have seen some success on social media…
They have 112k+ followers on Instagram, with their best reel doing 308k+ views.
Nothing mindblowing, but worth taking a look at to see why this crushed while their other content fails to crack 20k views.
First, they partnered with a big Arizona influencer (@visit_arizona).
It’s even one of @visit_arizona’s higher-performing posts. Here’s why:
- They have onscreen text to hook viewers
- They showcase the “wow” moments right away with the hot springs
- The most exciting activities (rock climbing and canyoning) are shown next
- They have a few sunset “hero shots” to showcase the views
- They finish off the reel with other activities to introduce variety
An amazing post from 2023 that never got replicated…
… here’s how the rest of their account looks:
✔️ Averaging <500 likes per post
✔️ 31 reels out of 1,150 posts (2.7% of posts)
✔️ Non-existent comment sections
✔️ Only 6 reels with 30,000+ views
✔️ 755k total reel views (this should be one viral post for them)
The reality of an account like this– minimal direct bookings.
Taking full advantage of social media would allow them to build lasting relationships and inspire potential guests without the friction and “dull experience” provided on an OTA.
Plus, they would be reaching an emotional buyer, more willing to pay thousands per night compared to a price-sensitive OTA shopper.
They could see 10k+ link taps a month coming into their booking funnel, at $1.6k to $4k+ per night, that could be over $1,000,000 in bookings left on the table every year (and $140k+ in OTA fee savings).
Yet they miss on creating content that capitalizes on this.
Their content reminds me of reading a Travel + Leisure magazine:
93% of their last 400 posts are single images, not even carousels…
Their captions are lacking– single sentences with no guidance.
Examples:
“Seed to sautéed — today’s harvest is tomorrow’s feast.”
“Embrace the serenity of a secluded Spring Bungalow.”
This doesn’t give the viewer any context around what they are looking at or that this is a hotel they can book.
The reels they do post– hyper-cinematic (and overly dramatic) clips of a single activity, amenity or experience.
It’s hard to tell what exactly their account is– it could be a restaurant or a local travel account…
You’re left confused and uninspired.
The exact opposite feeling guests should get when finding you on social.
A few takeaways on what to avoid on your account:
- Single static photos don’t work (no matter how large your following is)
- Don’t waste a whole reel on b-roll of a single experience/ amenity
- When using models, avoid “overly dramatic” scenes that feel like advertisements
Compare this to some of our accounts–
- Spoon Mountain’s top reel has 5.5M+ views (17x Castle Hot Springs’ top reel)
- Onera Fredericksburg has over 27M+ lifetime views (35x Castle Hot Springs)
- Alila Marea’s top reel has 810k views (164% higher with a less Instagrammable property)
More importantly– they give a feeling of inspiration.
When a potential guest visits our pages they immediately get sucked into our ecosystem with videos showcasing the amazing features of our properties.
It allows them to see and feel what it would be like to stay with us.
When you visit Castle Hot Springs’ page, you struggle to find even a single video to help you envision what a stay at their iconic resort would look like.
Here’s how we would transform their account (and some takeaways for your own):
1. Go all-in on reels.
They give viewers a sense of inspiration and excitement to book.
Plus, the organic reach is unmatched. Even Castle Hot Springs, with 112k+ followers, gets minimal engagement on single-image posts.
2. Find the right influencer partnerships.
The right influencer collab can crush, even if you have minimal engagement on other posts.
3. Give viewers all of the “action” in every reel.
The best reel at Castle Hot Springs gave viewers the dramatic landscape, adventurous activities and a farm-to-table experience…
… the worst reels were slow shots of a single experience or amenity.
4. Be hyper-specific with onscreen text and captions.
Make it blatantly obvious that viewers can book a stay with you to experience everything they are seeing in your reel.
- “Booking link in our bio” in the captions
- Onscreen text to explain what they could experience
- Clear booking language in your bio (non-existent right now in the Castle Hot Springs bio)
Social media can be one of the best revenue-driving platforms for your hotel.
But only if you inspire guests to engage with your property and buy into the experience you offer.
___________________
Exciting news for your hotel!
We’ve expanded the Oasi team to bring you the same strategies and expertise that fueled Onera’s success.
From boosting your social media presence and marketing strategies, to optimizing pricing and offering full-service property management, we’re ready to help your property attract the Modern Traveler and maximize your returns.
Fill out an inquiry here and let’s explore how we can work together.
See you guys next week!
-Ben Wolff
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