Redefining luxury villa browsing to drive +28% deeper user engagement

Mallorca Collection, a luxury villa rental agency, returned to me after a previous collaboration to revamp their website. With the intention of increasing the average price of their catalog and implementing a new SEO strategy, they first needed to relaunch their digital platform to ensure it aligned with their premium brand positioning.

The Problem

• High Mobile Drop-Off 65% bounce rate on property pages (mobile), indicating navigation friction and the need for better UX.
• Declining Engagement Page views, unique views, and average time on page were all trending down, causing a drop in the lead capture rate.
• Outdated Look & Feel The design no longer conveyed a premium experience, making it less appealing to high-net-worth users.
• Competitive Pressure New platforms were delivering stronger digital experiences, raising user expectations and eroding Mallorca Collection's positioning.

The Hypothesis

Elevating the premium look and feel, refining the enquiry flow, and optimising the mobile experience for high-net-worth users would drive engagement and lead capture. We would validate this through bounce rate, time on page, and lead conversion rate.

Through stakeholder interviews, we explored how UHNWIs think, what drives their decisions, and why they choose Mallorca Collection.

This provided key insights into their expectations, emotions, and behaviors when booking luxury villas, shaping a detailed user persona that guided design decisions.

• Maximilian Roth

  Private Investor

  Age 55

  Mindset & Behavior

  Values privacy, security, and exclusivity over mainstream luxury.Delegates bookings to assistants or private concierges.Prefers trusted providers over new brands.

  User Journey

  Awareness: Discovers via referrals or wealth advisors, not ads.
  Consideration: Compares discretion, security, and past clientele.
  Conversion: Expects a seamless, personalized process without unnecessary interactions.

  Key Motivations

  Effortless, discreet serviceLong-term trusted relationshipsUltra-personalized experiences

• Freya Larsen

  Luxury Fashion Entrepreneur

  Age 47

  Mindset & Behavior

  Seeks prestige, exclusivity, and VIP recognition.Discovers brands via Instagram, luxury media, and elite circles.Prefers high-touch, concierge-driven bookings.

  User Journey

  Awareness: Finds via Google, luxury press, or social media.
  Consideration: Evaluates brand reputation and testimonials.
  Conversion: Books directly, expecting tailored VIP treatment.

  Key Motivations

  Status & prestigePersonalized luxury servicesExclusive experiences beyond villa rental

• Henrik Weber

  Private Investor

  Age 62

  Mindset & Behavior

  Focuses on family legacy, privacy, and multi-generational experiences.Prefers long-term partnerships over one-time bookings.Uses assistants or family office staff for logistics.

  User Journey

  Awareness: Learns via referrals, private networks, or wealth advisors.
  Consideration: Evaluates heritage, security, and family suitability.
  Conversion: Books far in advance, expecting comprehensive concierge support.

  Key Motivations

  Seamless family luxury experiencesLong-term trust and discretionPersonalized, full-service offerings

Uncovering Friction Points

Hotjar session recordings revealed three critical UX issues on property detail pages that were directly impacting engagement and conversions:

Competitive Benchmark

Analysis of Lecollectionist and Airbnb Luxe revealed how leading platforms build trust and luxury appeal. Key patterns emerged consistently across competitors:

A collaborative workshop helped define the end-to-end journey, identifying key touchpoints, motivations, and friction points across three stages. This allowed us to align the digital experience with real user needs and prioritise where to focus design effort.

The redesigned property detail page enhances luxury appeal, clarity, and conversion performance. By refining typography, storytelling, and feature visibility, we created a more immersive experience that builds trust and drives enquiries.

One year after the redesign, Mallorca Collection's new website showed significant improvements in acquisition, retention, and brand perception. The mobile experience was enhanced with better readability and a more prominent inquiry button, while the visual design adopted a more premium aesthetic through elegant typography, neutral colors, and high-quality photography.

UHNWI users don't tolerate friction. The most impactful changes were the simplest: a visible CTA and immediate clarity on what makes each property special. Working directly with the CEO in a 4-week sprint, lean research (Hotjar, stakeholder interviews, competitive benchmarking) provided enough signal to make confident design decisions.