Located in the heart of Kinsale and overlooking the River Bandon and Kinsale Harbour, it’s unsurprising that Actons Hotel is reputed for its exceptional location. Steeped in history, they’re known to be the oldest Hotel in Kinsale and have celebrated over 67 years in the Hospitality Industry!
Set in the vibrant harbor town of Kinsale, Actons Hotel is home to almost 80 immaculate rooms and suites – many of which overlook the scenic Kinsale Harbor. Picturesque views aside, Actons Hotel is dedicated to providing genuine guest care and is often termed as a ‘home away from home’ by their many visitors. In an attempt to preserve the natural history and antiquity of the town the hotel provides all the luxury amenities of a four-star property, whilst retaining the charm and personality of the original building.
Guests are spoilt for choice when visiting Actons Hotel: there are two different restaurants available – Fisher St Restaurant for all your private dining needs and Sidney’s Bar & Garden Lounge which serves a wide selection of cuisine from 12noon – 9pm daily – as well as a generous on-site leisure centre comprising of a health and fitness club, 15m pool, sauna and Jacuzzi. The Harbour makes for a striking backdrop and gives an almost ‘destination holiday’ feel to those visiting. With untouched beaches, historical forts and sailing experiences all within reach, it’s understandable that Kinsale is seen as a more luxurious market and consequently a popular wedding location.
With stunning views of the surrounding countryside and only a 20-minute drive away, The Old Head of Kinsale is a popular attraction for the avid golfer – many of whom visit the Hotel. Actons’ guest demographic is almost 60% domestic with the remaining 40% made up of international – primarily US and UK – guests. They clearly understand their market and have worked hard to attract returning visitors whilst also incentivizing new visitors to the hotel. Richella Ryan is one of Avvio’s expert E-Commerce Managers. She works hand-in-hand with the team at Actons Hotel, having helped them transition to the Avvio Booking Engine. Ricky says:
‘It’s been an incredible few months for the hotel. Since setting their new website live and taking on Avvio’s booking engine software in August they’ve seen an incredible uplift in booked revenue: in September they saw an increase of 116% in booked revenue and an incredible 246% in October compared to the same periods in 2018.
They’ve also seen an increase in their average booking value since adopting Avvio’s software and now receive over 30% of their overall revenue from mobile bookings!’
Actons Hotel has been very open and receptive to taking new ideas on board. In the short time, they have been Avvio customers they’ve tried features like length-of-stay discounting and closed user groups as well as implemented mobile rates into their strategy. They’ve even started dabbling with bumper ads! They’re also keen adopters of Allora and have strong ‘book direct’ incentives proudly displayed on the Avvio recommender engine. Sales & Marketing Manager Amy Buttimer seems delighted by the service they’ve received from Avvio. She says:
‘We saw a huge difference – even after a few weeks moving our booking engine over to Avvio. Going from one software to another is always a concern but it was a seamless experience. The team were fantastic from day 1 and the usability of the back end has been fantastic! We’re now able to easily tailor our packaging to a defined demographic!’
It’s only been a few months since Actons Hotel has come on-board, but all signs point towards a very positive, mutually rewarding relationship. When asked what their plans were for 2020, Amy concludes:
‘There are no immediate plans to make any changes to the hotel. We are simply going to continue providing the highest levels of hospitality to our guests! Oh and fighting for market share against the OTAs!’
