F&B, M&E, Ancillary Revenue

Best available rate (BAR) was the most commonly adopted strategy for pricing hotel rooms back in the 90s, but as the hospitality industry has evolved and become a sophisticated digital ecosystem of OTAs, own brand channels, and systems, a new pricing model was needed.

There’s preparing for a championship game, and then there’s preparing for March Madness.

This article is part of my ongoing project, Sustainability Transitions in the Swiss Foodservice Industry: Reimagining Foodservice for a World Never Imagined. In our increasingly complex global food system, narrow sustainability approaches tend to emphasize conventional value functions that focus on limiting waste or destruction and maximizing the share of value captured by a single organization.

The hospitality industry is at a crossroads. Mergers and acquisitions abound, shining a spotlight on the increasing role of hotel management groups centralizing and automating operations. With an influx of new technology aimed at increasing efficiency, hoteliers are facing a critical question: How do we navigate system fragmentation, choose the right tech partners, and ensure our business remains competitive in an increasingly complex environment?

The best hospitality experiences don’t just happen – they’re designed. And increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a central role in shaping the way hotels anticipate and meet guest expectations.

Digital marketing can feel like an elusive game. Just as you nail your strategy – something changes. By weaving data strategies into your digital marketing approach, you’ll facilitate short-term and long-term success with targeted high-value audiences. It’s a secure way to capture commercial growth at the Find, Book, and Grow stages of the customer journey.

Housekeepers are the backbone of the hotel industry, but they need a little help to support our business today. Rising guest expectations and the need for greater efficiency have been a drain on housekeepers’ ability to keep pace with the needs of their position. Therefore, many independent hotel operators are reworking their approach to technology to give housekeeping teams a hand.

I just got back from a whirlwind trip across the globe, meeting with Otelier team members in our APAC offices, and I’m more excited than ever about the impact Otelier can have on the future of hotel operations and performance. From Brisbane, Australia, to Ahmedabad, India, to Colombo, Sri Lanka, I spent time with our engineers, customer support teams, and professional services teams – each of them playing a vital role in building the future of hospitality technology. I also had the opportunity to meet with some of our customers, hearing firsthand about their challenges and opportunities.

Not long ago, trade shows were the B2B equivalent of an annual shopping mall—where buyers and sellers met, shook hands, and struck deals. But in a world where technology and new product research happen online, do we still need trade shows?

Last year in February I published an article “The law of unintended - or is it intended? - consequences coming to a restaurant near you,” in which I argued that the new California law taking effect in April 2024, requiring fast-food chain restaurants to start paying a minimum of $20 an hour ($41,760 a year plus benefits), would affect adversely both consumers and restaurateurs alike: