Executive Summary

LuxeRoom Hotels, a collection of three boutique properties in North Goa, was invisible outside the state. After an 8-month digital PR campaign by AK Network Solutions, the brand achieved:

• 📰 85 media features in top-tier travel publications (Condé Nast Traveller, Travel + Leisure, Outlook Traveller, Lonely Planet India)
• 🔗 420 high-DA backlinks acquired (average domain authority: 54)
• 🚀 +220% referral traffic from media placements to website
• 🏨 +38% direct bookings (reducing OTA commission dependency from 72% to 34%)

This case study details the exact strategy, execution, and results that transformed LuxeRoom from a local secret to a nationally recognised brand.

The Challenge

LuxeRoom Hotels owned three stunning properties in North Goa: a cliffside villa in Anjuna, a Portuguese-style mansion in Panjim, and a beachfront eco-resort in Morjim. Each property had unique architecture and personalised service, yet the brand faced critical pain points:

• Zero media coverage: No mentions in any national or international travel publication since opening in 2019.
• Complete OTA dependency: 72% of bookings came from Booking.com and Airbnb, with 18% commission eating margins.
• No brand awareness: Google search volume for “LuxeRoom Hotels Goa” was less than 50 monthly searches.
• Low website traffic: Average 1,200 visitors/month, mostly direct or branded search from existing guests.
• No journalist relationships: The marketing team had no media contacts or PR experience.

The owner, Priya Mehta, wanted to build a premium brand identity and reduce reliance on OTAs. She needed media coverage that would position LuxeRoom as Goa’s top boutique hotel choice for discerning travellers.

Our Strategy

We designed a data-driven digital PR strategy that combined traditional media relations with modern SEO and influencer marketing. Our approach had four pillars:

Pillar 1: Newsjacking & HARO/Connectively Responses

We monitored 12 journalist query platforms (HARO, Connectively, Qwoted, Muck Rack) daily. Our team responded to travel journalists seeking expert quotes on topics like “best boutique hotels in India”, “Goa monsoon travel tips”, “sustainable tourism in India”. We achieved a 23% response-to-publication rate (industry average: 5-8%).

Pillar 2: Guest Posting on Top Travel Blogs

We identified 150+ high-DA travel blogs (DA 30+) and pitched unique, value-driven articles. Topics included “5 Hidden Beaches in North Goa Only Locals Know” and “How to Plan a Sustainable Goa Vacation”. Each post included a contextual backlink to LuxeRoom’s booking page.

Pillar 3: Influencer Press Trips

We curated 3 press trips with 12 micro-influencers (10k-50k followers) and 3 mid-tier travel bloggers (50k-200k followers). Each influencer received a 3-night stay in exchange for 2 Instagram posts, 1 Reel, and 1 blog post. We tracked ROI using UTM parameters and dedicated promo codes.

Pillar 4: Data Journalism Campaigns

We created original data studies (e.g., “Which Indian State Has the Most Pet-Friendly Hotels?” using Booking.com API) and pitched them to travel journalists. This yielded 14 features in publications like The Hindu Travel and Outlook Traveller.

Implementation (Step-by-Step)

Here’s exactly how we executed over 8 months:

Month 1: Audit & Foundation

• Completed a media audit of existing mentions (found 0).
• Built a media list of 450+ travel journalists, editors, and bloggers across India and international publications covering India.
• Created a press kit with professional photography, property fact sheets, and owner bio.
• Set up media monitoring using Mention and Google Alerts.

Month 2-3: HARO & Guest Posting Launch

• Responded to 85 journalist queries in 60 days. Secured 19 placements including Condé Nast Traveller India and Travel + Leisure India.
• Published 12 guest posts on blogs like The Shooting Star (DA 52), Travelista (DA 48), and India Someday (DA 45).
• Average response time to queries: under 2 hours.

Month 4-5: Press Trips & Data Campaigns

• Hosted first press trip with 4 influencers in April. Generated 18 Instagram posts, 12 Reels, and 4 blog posts.
• Launched “Goa’s Most Instagrammable Hotels” data study – picked up by 8 publications.
• Secured 34 total features by end of Month 5.

Month 6-8: Scale & Optimization

• Scaled HARO responses to 10-15 per day using a dedicated team of 2 writers.
• Hosted 2 more press trips (one in June for monsoon content, one in August for pre-peak season).
• Published 8 more guest posts on high-authority sites (DA 40+).
• By Month 8, total media features reached 85.

Tools used: HARO/Connectively, Muck Rack, BuzzSumo, Ahrefs (for backlink monitoring), Mention, Google Data Studio (for reporting).

Results & Metrics

All results were tracked using UTM parameters, Google Analytics 4, and Ahrefs. Here’s the full breakdown:

Additional Metrics

• Media value (AVE): Estimated ₹85 lakhs (based on ad rates for equivalent placements).
• Social mentions: +340% increase in branded social mentions across Instagram and Twitter.
• Domain Authority: LuxeRoom’s website DA increased from 18 to 32 (Ahrefs).
• Organic traffic: +67% increase (from 1,200/mo to 2,004/mo) due to backlink-driven SEO.
• Conversion rate: Direct booking conversion rate improved from 2.1% to 4.8%.

Key Takeaways

What worked best for LuxeRoom Hotels — lessons that apply to any hospitality brand:

• Speed matters in PR: Our 2-hour response time to journalist queries gave us a 23% success rate vs. 5-8% industry average. Invest in a dedicated PR response team.
• Data drives credibility: Original data studies got 14 placements because journalists love unique statistics. We used Booking.com API and Google Trends to create proprietary data.
• Influencer press trips > paid ads: The 3 press trips generated content worth ₹12 lakhs in equivalent ad spend, with 94% positive sentiment.
• Guest posting builds authority: 32 guest posts on high-DA blogs contributed 60% of all backlinks and significantly improved organic rankings.
• Direct bookings are the real ROI: Every media feature that included a direct booking link contributed to the +38% increase in direct bookings, saving ₹4.2 lakhs in OTA commissions annually.

About AK Network Solutions

AK Network Solutions is India’s leading AI-powered digital marketing agency, specialising in data-driven Digital PR, SEO, and performance marketing for hospitality and lifestyle brands. We combine proprietary AI tools with human expertise to deliver measurable results.

Ready to get featured in top publications and drive direct bookings? Call us at +91-9818020078 or book your free audit below.