The Cove Boutique Hotel , La Jolla, San Diego, CA
"We went from a property with strong bones and a brand that nobody noticed to a hotel that guests specifically sought out and were willing to pay significantly more to stay at. The OTA commissions we were paying before MSG's engagement now stay on our P&L, that shift alone paid for the entire engagement in under eight months.
— Sarah Donovan, General Manager | The Cove Boutique Hotel, La Jolla, San Diego, CA
72%
Direct booking rate (up from 32%)
+$60
ADR premium over comparable properties
4.9★
TripAdvisor rating (up from 4.1)
+38%
F&B revenue increase post-outlet rebrand
Project Scope
A Nine-Month Full Hotel Brand & F&B Overhaul
The Cove Boutique Hotel had a well-positioned location in La Jolla, a genuinely loyal guest base, and a team committed to great service. What it lacked was a brand that communicated any of that to a guest who had never visited, and an F&B outlet that was doing its job as an amenity but nothing more. We spent nine months rebuilding both, from the ground up, in parallel.
→ Full brand identity system new logo, refined typography, updated color palette, photography and video art direction, and brand standards guide
→ New website with integrated direct booking engine, mobile-first design, SEO-optimized copy for La Jolla boutique hotel search terms, and a photography overhaul
→ Rooftop bar concept developed from scratch name, positioning, visual identity, cocktail and food menu, staff training, and a local marketing launch strategy
→ Full guest journey mapping pre-arrival email sequence redesign, in-room brand touchpoints, dining experience enhancements, and structured post-departure follow-up
→ Email marketing program pre-arrival, in-stay, and post-departure automated sequences built to increase direct rebooking rates and generate authentic reviews
→ Direct booking campaign reduced OTA dependency from 68 percent to 28 percent through brand positioning, direct booking incentives, and a 12-month search and email strategy