Revenue Management

🏠 A 2023 Rackspace survey indicates 73% of hospitality IT decision-makers see AI as crucial to their business strategies. Marriott employs generative AI for personalized booking experiences. The Cosmopolitan's AI chatbot, Rose, enhances guest services in Las Vegas. Turtle Bay Resort's AI-powered CRM has led to a 70% email engagement rate and a 40% revenue increase. AI ensures consistent experiences across properties, with examples like standardized housekeeping and fast support through virtual concierges.

📈 The Economist's digital subscription pricing varies over 300% based on the subscriber's nationality. Two years after an initial review, the pricing inconsistency persists in 2024. Subscribers from poorer nations like Pakistan and Burundi pay double compared to richer ones like Canada and South Korea. Australia and New Zealand continue to face high rates despite currency weaknesses. Canada's subscription increased by 28%, while North and South America (excluding Canada) saw a 21% rise. The "Economad Index" contrasts The Economist's pricing with the Big Mac Index, revealing that most world currencies appear overvalued in the Economad Index. Disparities are evident, as a Cook Islander pays 31% more than a Brit for the same digital content, leading the author, Hal, to cancel his subscription costing over A$500.

🏨 U.S. RevPAR declined by 2.1% YOY in Q1, with some hotel C-corporations seeing a decrease of up to 5%. CBRE's study on U.S. hotel loyalty programs—Choice, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Wyndham—found loyalty member occupancy contribution surged despite a lower per-member contribution. Average loyalty members per room increased to 128 in 2023 from 120. Loyalty member contribution to occupancy rose by 2.5 percentage points to 51%, and the balance sheet liabilities for loyalty points grew by 9.3%. However, average liability per member decreased by 1.7% YOY to $18.86. Room nights per member returned to 1.1, the pre-pandemic level, in 2023. Loyalty point redemption revenues jumped by 11% to $1.1 billion. Loyalty point expenses on P&L statements rose by 14.3% in 2023, surpassing room revenue growth of 8.3% and total revenue growth of 9.4%.

📈 The Travel and Mobility Sector Attractiveness Report spans 2018-2023, analyzing investment priorities in aviation, ground transport, hospitality, and online travel. Highlighting startups that secured funding, it's a tool for industry professionals to strategize for future developments. Full report available for download.

🏨 Wyndham inaugurated ECHO Suites Spartanburg in Spartanburg, S.C., marking its first ECHO Suites location with a 124-room prototype. Announced in 2022, the brand aims at the extended-stay market with around 270 hotels and over 33,000 rooms in development across the U.S. and Canada. The new hotel offers suites with kitchens, free WiFi, smart TVs, EV charging, and amenities like a fitness center and laundry facilities. Driftwood Hospitality entered Kentucky with the $75 million Canopy by Hilton Downtown Louisville, boasting 168 rooms, a historic district location, and completion expected in Q4. It offers 5,100 square feet of meeting space and multiple dining options. Protea Hotels celebrated its 40th anniversary by opening in Angola and South Africa, with locations in Luanda (84 rooms) and Pretoria Hatfield (203 rooms), each offering various dining and leisure facilities. Rotana added the Palma Bay Rotana Resort in New Alamein, Egypt, to its portfolio, now totaling 702 keys within the country, featuring 176 rooms and numerous amenities, as part of a broader 77-hotel operation across regions with a pipeline of 9,830 keys.

📈 The Consumer Price Index dropped 0.1% in June, first decline since 2020, with an annual increase of 3%, nearing the Fed’s 2% target. Food index rose 0.2% in June; food-at-home up 0.1%, food-away-from-home climbed 0.4%. Over 12 months, food-at-home prices increased 1.1%, while restaurant prices jumped 4.1%. Full-service restaurant menu prices rose 0.6% versus limited-service at 0.2% in June. Kalinowski Equity Research predicts full-year 2024 same-store sales growth to be significantly lower than 2023.

💸 Michael McCartan, area VP EMEA at IDeaS, examines revenue management in boutique vs. branded hotels. Boutique hotels have traditionally been hesitant to adopt advanced revenue management solutions. These hotels face a greater impact from revenue strategy errors, with a 20% discount on room rates resulting in a 10% revenue decrease for a 20-room hotel versus a 1% decrease for a 200-room hotel. Advanced revenue management systems (RMS) can help smaller hotels optimize pricing, minimize gap nights, and employ flexible pricing strategies. Larger hotels already benefit from automation in pricing adjustments and inventory management. Embracing RMS can enable boutique hotels to compete effectively, even during off-peak seasons or local demand spikes.

💸 Mission Mars, operator of 32 sites, reported a group revenue of £71.1m in FY23, up from £47.1m in 2022. Albert’s Schloss brand contributed £32.3m, up from £21.6m, while Rudy’s reported £29.3m, up from £16.1m. Albert’s Schloss saw a 6% like-for-like growth; Rudy’s experienced a 24% increase. Both brands outperformed their market segments by 15%. Adjusted EBITDA for FY23 was £8.7m, compared to £5.2m in FY22. Nine new Rudy’s sites and several potential Albert’s Schloss locations are planned. The largest Albert’s Schloss opened in London following an £8m investment.

🏅 In Paris, for the 2024 Summer Olympics, hoteliers and Airbnb hosts slashed rates due to lower-than-expected demand. Hotel rates, although still above average for July/August, decreased significantly with three-star hotels dropping from €523 to €282 and four-star from €738 to €430 over nine months. Bookings during the Olympics are up, but occupancy rates linger below 70%, only exceeding that for four days of the Games.