Revenue Management

🍺 Chidensee Watthanawongwat, Kitiya Mokkarat, and Supatta Banklouy formed Sawasdee Hospitality Management in April to introduce less familiar Thai dishes to the U.S. They operate Soothr in East Village and Sappe in West Village, New York City. Sawasdee plans to expand across the country, including Los Angeles and Miami. They aim for an upscale Thai dining experience, diverging from typical takeout menus. Sappe offers skewers from $20, dook fu salad at $29, and Crying Tiger for $22, while Soothr features dishes from $14 to $28, including dry Sukhothai noodles for $18 and massaman curry at $28. Sawasdee's next venture is introducing Thai barbecue hot pot in Manhattan.

🍹 Chefs Zachary Engel of Galit in Chicago and Satinder Vij of Ilili in Washington, D.C. reinterpret Kibbeh nayeh using tuna, mixing global flavors. Roman Andres presents a scallop tostada at Siempre J.B. in Las Vegas, while Gladstone’s in Pacific Palisades, Calif., serves scallops over green risotto. Balcón Rooftop in Midtown Manhattan introduces a purple gin cocktail with blueberries, passion fruit, and Champagne.

🍴 Spaghetti House, operating eight restaurants in London, saw turnover rise to £10m from £9.8m despite a challenging year. Profit margin increased from 75% to 77% due to efficient wastage control and a central distribution process. However, the group swung to a loss, contrasting with last year's profit of £334,681, which included £1m of one-off income. Adjusted EBITDA improved from -£545,321 to £52,483. A new brand, A Braccetto, launched earlier the year in Earl's Court, featuring a menu with classic regional dishes.

🏠 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 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.

📌 Hotels face challenges with manual OTA reconciliation, risking revenue loss through billing discrepancies, which are tedious to correct and could impact profitability. Automation offers cost savings by minimizing errors, enhancing revenue with accurate commission tracking, and improving productivity by streamlining processes. The shift to automated reconciliation can save hotels thousands of dollars, increasing operational efficiency and financial performance. Vimal Patel, the article's author, is a hospitality industry expert and founder of INNRLY.

📌 Belgium-based Otamiser, the first online travel agency (OTA) ranking management platform, secures $3 million in its inaugural funding round led by Pitchdrive VC. The investment fuels expansion to 1,000 hotels and 100,000 short-term rentals globally. Otamiser, founded in 2022, boasts €1.8 million in annual recurring revenue and a team of 32, all achieved without prior external funding. The platform aids clients in elevating OTA rankings, driving an average occupancy increase of 11% and profit surge of 24%. The raise will also spawn new AI tools and grow the commercial team.

📌 Otamiser, the world's first OTA ranking management platform, raised $3 million USD in its first funding round, led by Pitchdrive VC. The capital will help expand their services to 1,000 hotels and 100,000 short-term rentals globally. 76 hoteliers and PMCs with over 10,000 units in nine countries already use Otamiser which, since 2022, reached an ARR of €1.8 million ($1.9 million USD) and grew to 32 employees. Otamiser's clients see an 11% increase in occupancy and a 24% rise in profits on average. Key figures include CEO Bart-Jan Leyts and other co-founders. The raise will enhance data-driven tools and launch a new AI product for Airbnb operators.