One Whitby accommodation provider takes full advantage of his location amongst steam trains and the Grand Turk.
The Story
David and Hilary Parker own the Queensland Whitby guest house and David’s also treasurer of the Whitby Hospitality Association. They bought the Queensland in January 2007 and since then they’ve learnt a thing or two about appealing to tourists – even in a tough market.
David and Hilary outside the Queensland
The Queensland was recently subject to a £130,000 refurbishment; with every room improved, every bathroom replaced and £25,000 worth of new sash windows; enabling the Parkers to take full advantage of their sea-front location.
The Progress
The windows had to be replaced with original-style windows, which added an unexpected expense in a challenging economy, but they make best use of the sea views.
In recognition of their investment, the Parkers have recently received a 4* Visit Britain Award.
A double bedroom at Queensland Guest House
The Results
In spite of the recession, the Queensland has been very busy. Helped by their location, the guest house in Whitby has also taken advantage of a couple of marketing tools that have boosted visitor numbers.
The first is a video that has been added to the website. This enables guests to see the exact location and view each room. Since adding the video, conversion rates have improved considerably.
The second tool is a listing on www.iknow-yorkshire.co.uk which the Queensland joined two years ago. This listing has brought substantial volumes of business.
Modern Double Bedroom
“I joined iknow-yorkshire almost two years ago and it has brought a substantial volume of business which offers pretty good value for money. »
« After our holiday, we returned to forty enquiries ; 70% of which we converted to bookings. “That success rate was extraordinary and it was a great start to the year!”
David Parker, Owner
A spacious family bedroom
Tags: Queensland, Whitby, Yorkshire
