Case Study
Hotel Grand Pacific

The digital landscape has changed significantly since Hotel Grand Pacific’s previous website overhaul.

For Kristine and her team, visibility is no longer simply about ranking in traditional search. Travelers are discovering hotels across Google, OTAs, metasearch platforms and increasingly AI-powered search. That makes the accuracy and consistency of hotel information across every channel more important than ever.

“It’s the importance of being visible,” says Kristine. “Visibility means something very different now than it did even three years ago.”

That shift creates a particular challenge for an independent property. Hotel Grand Pacific does not have a centralized reservations department, meaning guest questions and booking inquiries are handled by its in-house teams. Hotel Grand Pacific houses the hotel itself, as well as their on-site restaurant, a café, and their 14,000 square foot athletic club. Across these four venues, the volume and variety of questions can quickly add up.

At the same time, the hotel wanted to reduce its reliance on higher-commission OTA bookings by increasing opportunities to capture guests directly.

The team needed a digital strategy that could support both sides of the guest journey: helping travelers find accurate information and making it easier for them to book directly.

Hotel Grand Pacific expanded its relationship with Leonardo beyond its website, adding tools and strategies designed to support direct revenue, guest engagement and digital visibility.

Driving More Direct Bookings Through Paid Search Advertising

The hotel introduced paid search to divert more bookings away from OTAs and avoid reliance on discount rates. The goal with paid search was straightforward: provide travelers with another path to book directly while reducing the commissions associated with third-party bookings.

Giving Guests Answers Around the Clock with AskSuite

Hotel Grand Pacific also added AskSuite to its website, initially with a simple operational goal: make information more accessible to guests while taking pressure off its in-house teams. The chatbot handles questions ranging from room configurations and bed types to restaurant reservations, amenities, special rates and things to do around the hotel.

For a standalone property without a dedicated reservations team, that accessibility makes a meaningful difference.

“Because everything we have is in-house,” says Kristine. “When people are calling to ask questions, they’re calling our front desk. A chatbot that can answer guests’ questions and reduce the number of calls we receive is huge for us.”

AskSuite gives guests another way to get answers without adding another request to those teams.

And the volume has been significant. Since implementation, AskSuite has handled more than 13,000 guest chats, many occurring around check-in when hotel teams are already at their busiest.

The platform has also contributed directly to revenue. Hotel Grand Pacific has generated nearly $164,000 in finalized reservations through AskSuite. For Kristine, that revenue was an unexpected bonus.

“We originally looked at it just to be that service for our guests and to take some pressure off of our in-house Service Preferred team,” Kristine says, referring to their guest assistance service. But the additional revenues that we’re getting is a bonus, which is amazing. I love it when things pay for themselves.”

Between the chatbot implementation, paid search, and ongoing digital marketing guidance, the partnership between Leonardo and Hotel Grand Pacific has delivered measurable results: nearly $164,000 in finalized reservations, handling more than 13,000 guest chats, ensuring the website is constantly updated to meet best practices and promote new integrations.

But for Kristine, the value of the Leonardo partnership goes beyond the technology itself. As the hotel’s digital strategy has grown more complex, Leonardo has helped coordinate integrations, troubleshoot technical issues, and manage the many moving pieces behind the website.

“The customer service and the results that we get from Leonardo are outstanding,” says Kristine. “Anytime I need assistance, you guys are there.”

Looking Ahead

As Hotel Grand Pacific’s digital strategy continues to evolve, its partnership with Leonardo is evolving with it. What began with a website transformation has grown into a broader relationship spanning website technology, digital marketing, guest engagement, and ongoing technical support.

For Kristine, that long-term partnership comes down to finding the right combination of technology and services for the hotel’s needs.

“Leonardo is absolutely worth it,” she says. “Working with the team over the years, we have curated exactly the digital marketing package we need to best promote our hotel. I would absolutely recommend Leonardo to other hotels, and I have numerous times.”

As guest search and booking behavior continues to change, Hotel Grand Pacific has a partner it can turn to as its digital presence evolves with it. Wherever the guest journey goes next, Hotel Grand Pacific is making sure its story is there—and making it easier for travelers to choose the hotel on their way to booking.