Revenue Management & Channel Opt

The world economy continues to serve up dishes we would all prefer to send back. Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano told Skift recently that booking windows are now typically “sub-three weeks,” meaning under 21 days. This reflects the ongoing popularity of last-minute bookings and may indicate an even tighter window than that experienced during the post-pandemic period.

One tool that revenue managers and commercial strategists at larger hotels and chains have long relied on are stay restrictions. When operating on your own or with a small team, however, implementing these strategies can feel overly complex, time-consuming or perhaps too trivial to even think about.

When the phone’s ringing off the hook and bookings are pouring in, revenue management feels like a joy ride. But what happens when things don’t go as planned? Flash floods, runaway inflation, or a sudden shift in the weather…

Hotel innovation is a people problem before it is a tech problem. Since HITEC, I’ve been reminiscing less about the tech I saw and more about the people I met. Yes, AI was everywhere, literally everywhere, predictive analytics, plenty of stuff some good - but not only. But the biggest takeaway wasn’t a product. It was this: success doesn’t come from the tech, it comes from the people.

Today’s travelers are no longer content with one-size-fits-all service. They seek authentic, personalized experiences tailored to their individual preferences—and are willing to pay for them. In fact, a 2024 study of nearly 1,800 hotel guests found that 61% were willing to spend more for a custom-tailored stay. For hoteliers, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity: How can hotels consistently deliver high-touch, individualized service at scale?

For years, I have seen revenue management occupying a yet critical but narrowly defined space in the hotel ecosystem. It has traditionally been a role grounded in numbers: monitoring pace, adjusting rates, watching competitor pricing, and updating spreadsheets. This work, though essential, has long kept talented revenue professionals locked into highly tactical routines, limiting their ability to influence broader business outcomes.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the lobby. It’s this:

Data silos are spoken about often in the hotel industry. Different systems for different functions – all doing their respective jobs. But what’s the harm? In a world where efficiency is paramount for commercial success and guests expect seamless, hyper-personalized experiences – an effective Find, Book and Grow strategy simply cannot co-exist with data silos.

For many hoteliers, this story will feel familiar: your legacy Property Management System (PMS) no longer meets the needs of your operation. Workflows are clunky, guest experiences inconsistent, and the thought of switching feels too costly or complex – so you stick with what you know.

Talk to any hotelier about the guest journey, and the same themes tend to emerge: personalisation, seamless booking, loyalty, guest experience. Technology is expected to enhance all these moments. But there’s one step that often gets overlooked and yet it underpins the entire guest relationship: identity verification.