Case Study:
Boschendal
Reimagined Through Data
The challenge
Before partnering with SearchKings Africa, Boschendal faced a familiar challenge for iconic heritage estates.
Despite a world-class offering and consistently high demand, direct revenue was declining year-on-year.
A heavy reliance on Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) meant high commission costs were steadily eroding profitability. At the same time, Boschendal’s marketing and booking data lived in silos. There was no closed-loop view between the internal tech stack & guest data.
Boschendal’s hotel was busy but insight and the use of first-party guest data was limited.
Due to a lack of detailed reporting on marketing efforts, Boschendal couldn’t understand its ROI or make strategic marketing investment decisions.
Without a clear view of the full guest journey, growth was happening but not as efficiently, profitably, or data-driven as it could be.
The Approach
When Boschendal partnered with SearchKings Africa, the objective was clear:
Increase direct,
booked-on revenue
Create incremental demand across every channel
Because of our in-depth hospitality expertise,
we didn’t start with ads.
We started with the business.
Working closely with Boschendal’s marketing and revenue teams, we mapped the full commercial ecosystem, from demand generation to booking and reporting.
This collaborative deep dive revealed where systems, data, and decision-making were disconnected.
Those insights became the foundation for a unified strategy focused on:
- Regaining digital independence
- Improving visibility across the guest journey
- Driving more profitable, data-led growth
- Marketing attribution by channel per direct booking.
The Outcome
A dynamic, direct booked-on revenue generation setup tailored specifically
for the hospitality sector and customised for Boschendal.
This partnership fundamentally changed how Boschendal approaches its digital marketing strategy.
Beyond performance metrics, the estate now operates with a data-led
decision-making culture across its entire technology stack, from marketing through to revenue and reporting.
By securing revenue earlier through extended lead times, Boschendal unlocked greater financial flexibility.
This allowed the team to:
- Target new source markets with confidence
- Reinvest in demand generation and brand growth
- Make clearer, faster decisions backed by reliable data
The result is a more efficient marketing engine, stronger confidence in ROI, and a digital foundation that continues to support the expansion of Boschendal’s property portfolio.
The Results
- 48% increase in YoY direct booked-on revenue
- 60% increase in revenue across all channels
- 21.5% increase in YoY reservations
- 760% Average ROAS achieved over the first 8 months
- 30% increase in lead time from key international markets
Amy Kropman
CEO, Boschendal
SearchKings Africa was an easy choice for us because of their industry knowledge in luxury hospitality. Their understanding of booking trends by source market, combined with their status as a Google Premier Partner, made it a no-brainer for us.
Over the last 10 months since partnering with SearchKings Africa, we’ve generated over R4 million worth of direct bookings. I would recommend SearchKings Africa to absolutely anybody because of their deep understanding of our industry and the way the day-to-day dynamic with the account manager gives us a real sense of partnership.
