LONDON, 20 January, 2026 – Hotels that allow guests to curate and book experiences alongside their room reservation can increase Average Order Value (AOV) by as much as 95%, according to a new report from hotel retailing and hospitality performance platform Journey.
New data reveals a shift in hotel revenue strategy. With room revenue under pressure from rising costs and ongoing reliance on OTAs, experience-led retailing is emerging as a critical growth lever beyond the room.
Performance data from Journey’s luxury hotel partners, found that hotels which apply the same commercial discipline to experiences as to rooms generate higher guest spend, strong repeat behaviour and improved marketing efficiency.
Journey’s analysis shows that making experiences visible and bookable at key moments in the guest journey unlocks meaningful incremental revenue.
On average, extras such as spa passes or dog charges, add an additional 16% in booking revenue at the point of reservation. When guests can curate experiences, such as spa, dining and facilities, as part of checkout, Average Order Value can increase by up to 95%.
The uplift is particularly pronounced at properties with spa offerings. Hotels that sell both rooms and spa services see an average 44% increase in AOV, rising from £371 to £534. Making spa inventory bookable online also has a direct impact on marketing efficiency, with return on ad spend increasing from 13 to 30.
The data also highlights the long-term value of experience-led stays. Repeat guests at properties featured in the report spend between 1.5 and two times more than single-order guests, underlining the role of experiences in driving both higher spend and stronger lifetime value.
Simon Bullingham, CEO of Journey, said: “With margins under pressure, hotels can no longer rely on rooms alone to carry performance. Our data shows that when experiences are treated as revenue-generating products, not amenities, hotels see measurable gains across AOV, repeat spend and marketing efficiency. The data also shows that maximising a ‘Return on Experience’ comes from structure. If an experience can’t be managed, it can’t be sold. If it can’t be sold, it can’t be yielded. And if it can’t be yielded, it can’t scale. Hotels that treat experiences with the same commercial discipline as rooms are the ones unlocking new growth, even in a high-pressure market.”
John Pette, Managing Director, Fairlawns Hotel & Spa, an award-winning independent hotel and spa, said: “We’ve moved away from thinking about occupancy and started focusing on the total guest experience. When stays can be curated with spa, dining and wellness before guests arrive, spending rises naturally because they’re investing in the experience as a whole, not just a room.”
Ed Burrows DL, Founder of Wildhive, an award-winning luxury hotel group, said: “Today’s guests don’t choose us for convenience, they choose us for the experience. When the hotel becomes the destination, every touchpoint must earn its place. Curated itineraries and narrative-led moments are now essential to standing out.”
Jess Middleton, Owner, Manor House Alsager, a luxury spa hotel, said: “When we made all our experiences bookable alongside rooms, we immediately saw the impact. Guests plan more, engage more, and spend more because the whole stay feels more intentional rather than incidental.”
These insights are detailed in Journey’s newly released white paper, Stay for the Story: How Hotels Can Unlock Return on Experience and is available to download now: https://journey.travel/insights/stay-for-the-story-whitepaper-whitepaper
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Astrid Kusumawardhani, Abode Worldwide
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About Journey
Journey helps luxury hotels grow direct revenue by retailing the whole guest experience, not just rooms. More than 750 hotel and spa properties use Journey’s Performance Platform, a unified system across experience management, digital marketing, booking, and payments. Customers include Nikki Beach, Camiral, Corinthia and Lakes By Yoo. With live bookable inventory at every moment, from pre-arrival to post-stay, Journey enables hotels to retail rooms, dining, spa, and activities in a seamless, shoppable experience for guests. The result is higher guest spend, stronger loyalty, and a measurable Return on Experience. For more information, visit https://journey.travel/.
