With a website that had served them well but was in need of updating, the Powderhorn Chateau came to us with a brief to update their site to one that was contemporary, functional and gorgeous. 

A primarily seasonal business (the venue is extremely popular during the ski season), the challenge was to use imagery and navigation to draw attention to summer attractions without detracting from the high-season lure. In addition, a more immediate system for reservations had become essential.

Design

It was clear to us from the start that the emphasis for this site should be on imagery.  Set in the stunning Tongariro National Park region, the year-round beauty of the areas surrounding the Chateau would, we felt, sell the place better than words.  Great care was taken on the parts of both the client and Phosphor to choose the right balance of images.  Numerous discussions between our designer and the Powderhorn team took place in order to pin down the key elements that needed to be portrayed through the look and feel of the site.

The resulting look incorporated stunning vistas, striking shots of the hotel and a distinctive, elegant font on an understated background.  A great deal of planning also went into a Flash banner on the homepage that was designed to show both summer and winter attractions.  Thumbnail images that reveal on rollover were incorporated into the sub-navigation – a device that allowed us to introduce more images to the site and to create an element of interactivity.

Content Management

Features on the site that would need regular updating, such as local event listings and guest testimonials were written to be easily managed by Powderhorn using Adobe Contribute. By working with Contribute we are able to allow the client access to certain areas of the site and protect others, allowing complete flexibility but ensuring that there is no danger of major design and navigational elements being affected.

Reservations

The Powderhorn Chateau wanted a Reservation System that would generate more business and be easy for them to handle while maintaining the friendly interface with guests for which they are known.  The simple system Phosphor created allows them to process secure reservations almost immediately – after personal contact with the guest.  The email that is generated from the reservation form mimics their existing form allowing online reservations to easily integrate into their system.

Results

Within a few days of the launch of their new site in mid-summer, Powderhorn reported both a marked increase in reservations directly from the site and in enquiries about event and wedding planning.