Casita De Cruzita – Vacation Rental

“Casita de Cruzita” was (now sold) an upscale vacation rental located in College Station, Texas. Casita de Cruzita was founded by a retiree Victoria Martinez Nichols, a corporate retiree,  in 2006. Mrs. Nichols had worked in corporate America for over 30 years and aspired to have her own business “one day.” She converted her family home originally built in 1929 located on a corner lot just one-block from Kyle Field at Texas A&M University into one of the most beautifully furnished vacation homes in her hometown.

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Marketing Dynamics helped her make her dream come true by building an on-line marketing strategy and helping Mrs. Nichols to convert her customer feedback into actionable features at the home. The results enabled Mrs. Nichols (68 years young – Can you believe it?) to subsidize her retirement income that affords her the freedom and flexibility that matches her retiree lifestyle, while keeping her clients raving!

What we did:

  • This home listed for sale $1.2M and sold for a bit under $1M.
  • “Casita de Cruzita” business in brief document that outlines the investment opportunity assessing revenue from FY 2006 to FY2013, forecasting revenue from FY2014 to FY2017, premium of the corner lot and location, operating costs, comparable pricing in the area, investment to date, operating expenses, and options.
  • Pricing strategy and service offering development (we have raised her prices every year to accomodate and manage demand for the resort)
  • In 2013, the owner raised her pricing 60% for special events and 40% on graduations weekends due to the SEC Football changes which has increased the value of the occupancy location.
  • Media exposure – covered on KBTX TV, The Bryan-Daily Eagle, Chamber of Commerce, and other magazines
  • Logo design
  • Brochure and letterhead design
  • Tag lines and positioning strategy
  • Use of media to include radio, television, print features, photography, and web marketing
  • Site design oversight and direction (2004)
  • Business card design oversight and direction
  • Open houses and networking events
  • Use of testimonials
  • Market feedback transformation to improve the property
  • Review of advertising and marketing opportunities as they arise.