Acadia Wilderness Lodge

Acadia Wilderness Lodge is a boutique, family-built luxury retreat just minutes from Acadia National Park. The handcrafted yurts offer a blend of rustic simplicity and modern comfort, designed to help guests reconnect with nature, unplug from busy lives, and experience the natural beauty of Mount Desert Island in a purposeful way.

How We Helped Acadia Wilderness Lodge Boost Direct Bookings with a Full-Funnel Digital Strategy

Challenges Faced

After a strong first season, the lodge needed a strategy to scale its presence without compromising its soul. Competing in a crowded Mount Desert Island lodging market, they wanted to:

• Increase direct bookings (and reduce reliance on third-party platforms)
• Attract guests who valued the lodge’s emphasis on authenticity and slow travel
• Build a digital presence that feels as calm and welcoming as the stay itself

The goal wasn’t just more bookings, it was more of the right bookings.

Objective

• Differentiate the lodge in a highly saturated regional travel market
• Create a seamless user experience that reflects the high-quality stay
• Guide values-aligned travelers from discovery to decision with less friction
• Showcase place-based storytelling that resonates with modern travelers
• Build long-term infrastructure for visibility, attribution, and optimization

The Strategy

Our strategy was grounded in a core belief: the right guests were already looking for a place like this—we just had to help them find it, trust it, and book it.

We built a full-funnel digital marketing program, anchored in insight and storytelling, that met travelers at every stage of their journey—from dreaming to booking.

1. A Website That Reflected the Experience

We redesigned the website to feel like an extension of the stay: warm, thoughtful, and easy to navigate. Mobile-first functionality, visual hierarchy, and SEO enhancements ensured that visitors could find what they needed quickly and transition naturally from curiosity to conversion.

2. Data-Informed Audience Targeting

We analyzed regional booking patterns and user behavior to identify high-intent planning windows and key interest segments. Our campaigns focused on people already exploring trips to Acadia—especially those drawn to nature, wellness, and couples’ retreats.

3. Channel-Specific Campaigns with Heart

We launched geo-targeted paid search and social campaigns segmented by traveler interest. These emphasized themes like reconnection, intentional travel, and rustic luxury. Each touchpoint told a story—not just about amenities, but about why this stay would feel different.

4. Seamless Tracking, Even Offsite

To optimize performance, we built a custom GA4 funnel that followed the user journey through to Campspot (where bookings were completed). This gave us full-funnel attribution, allowed for continuous refinement, and supported the later introduction of dynamic pricing to drive revenue stability.

5. Value-Aligned Collaborations

We partnered with creators and media outlets whose audiences aligned with the lodge’s values, helping to introduce Acadia Wilderness Lodge in authentic, trust-building ways that felt less like ads and more like invitations.