Finance, Op Planning & Forecasting

How far are you with your targets, budget, and plan of attack for next year? What REVPAR and GOPPAR do you need to achieve? Have you gone over what next year will look like in terms of performance, and does it describe all actions in detail? Does everyone on the team know what the objectives are and which steps to take to get there? Did you make your new hotel budget already or are you right in the middle? What methodology are you using? Are you simply adding 3% to 5% each month based on last year’s performance? Or are you really putting your teeth into it and drilling down per segment, per channel, per account, and per day?

One of the biggest changes in guest behavior is the expectation around hotel communication. In an always-on digital world, travelers expect to be able to message properties at any time of day, and to get considered responses quickly and in their own language.

Spas are an expected amenity for most luxury and ultra luxury hotels, and properties with savvy operators are benefiting greatly from luxury travelers increasingly willing to spend on spa. Spas are also mandatory under the brand standards for certain luxury and ultra-luxury brands, as well as a requirement to comply with Forbes Five Star Standards.

For event planners, speed and convenience is everything. When they’re considering venue space, they need immediate answers and a smooth, hassle-free experience. Venues that can provide this quickly often find themselves with a significant competitive edge.

Imagine this: two hotels side by side. Both boast rooftop pools, chic lobbies, and decent coffee. Yet one is bleeding profits while the other thrives, not by doing more—but by doing different. The latter doesn’t compete on price or amenities; it sails in its own Blue Ocean, where competition becomes irrelevant.

Engaging a professional hotel management company can be a wise strategy to leverage operational expertise, benefit from brand recognition, and enhance market competitiveness. However, many owners are unaware of the significant risks these agreements can pose to the long-term value of their assets. Without careful negotiation, a hotel management contract can favor the operator’s interest at the owner’s expense.

In the summer of 2025, traveling on business, I checked into a U.S. boutique hotel that promised cutting-edge hospitality: a 100% automated operation. No front desk, no humans—just email confirmations, entry codes, text messages, and chatbots. What could possibly go wrong?

In the ever-evolving landscape of global trade, tariffs have emerged as a formidable challenge for hoteliers. As these financial barriers reshape the market, understanding their implications is crucial for those in the hospitality industry. Hotel giants have already noted the possible shifts in revenue due to trade policies.

As AI continues to redefine the boundaries of business optimization, a growing debate has emerged around the ethics of AI-driven pricing. The recent controversy surrounding Delta Airlines’ CEO and the suggestion of “personalized pricing” has rightly triggered public backlash. It also opens an important industry-wide conversation: how should AI be used in pricing and where do we draw the line?

The role of revenue management is evolving fast. The days of focusing solely on room rates are behind us. Today’s most successful hotels are thinking holistically – monetizing every part of the guest journey, designing offers around guest needs, and running controlled experiments to refine their strategy.