Why empowering travelers with upgrade options drives revenue, satisfaction, and loyalty
Mar 27, 2025
Guest-led upselling – where travelers choose their own upgrades – is replacing static offers in hospitality. When guests are given meaningful choices, they spend more, engage more, and drive higher revenue, turning upselling into a win-win for both guest experience and hotel profitability.
Key takeaways
Choice drives revenue and satisfaction
- Empowered guests spend more and are more likely to upgrade again.
- Timing matters: upgrades offered at check-in convert better.
- Guest-led upgrades feel natural and enhance the stay experience.
Lessons from other travel industries
- Airlines, cruises, and rail already offer personalized, well-timed upgrades.
- These models show that guest-led enhancements drive both satisfaction and revenue.
- Hotels can adopt similar strategies by integrating flexible, guest-driven offers.
Let guests choose how they pay
- Payment flexibility (e.g., mixing points and cash) increases conversion and loyalty.
- Most loyalty members prefer using points but are unaware they can.
- Giving control over payment reinforces the upgrade as a valued benefit.
Learn more at Plusgrade
