Hotel upselling, all in one place. This hub gathers the latest news, strategies and technology to help hotels grow revenue per guest, curated by 10 Minutes News. Follow the smartest ways to upsell and cross-sell.
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Marriott’s Nine-Year Alibaba Partnership Gives AI Agent Superior Booking Capabilities, Boosting Chinese Market Success
9 October 2026💸 Marriott’s AI agent, developed over nine years with Alibaba, outpaces competitors on Fliggy by offering booking and upselling services, demonstrating a relationship gap. In China, AI-mediated hotel bookings grew 800% in September. A U.S. sample shows TRevPAR fell 8.8% while RevPAR rose 6.3%, indicating overestimated revenue health. Trust remains a non-replicable asset AI can’t replace. Signals show a 194% growth in searches for repurposed hotels, urging a marketing strategy audit by 2027.
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Canary Technologies Boosts Point Hotel Brisbane Efficiency with 300 Hours Saved and $60,000+ in Upsells
9 October 2026💻 Point Hotel in Brisbane adopted Canary Technologies over a year ago, enhancing operations and guest services. AI managed 120,000+ messages, saving almost 300 hours in six months. Mobile check-ins exceeded 40,000, and digital upsells generated over $60,000 AUD. Self-service kiosks improved checkouts and housekeeping efficiency. Guest satisfaction reached 5/5, and the platform is trusted by 20,000+ hotels globally, including Marriott and IHG. Canary’s AI platform significantly boosted guest interaction and operational efficiency.
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AI Voice Agent to Increase Direct Bookings: 2027 Guide
9 October 2026Nearly 90% of inbound hotel calls are repetitive, and up to 40% of voice reservations go unanswered. A caller who chose a property, dialed the number, and got a ring-out doesn’t wait around. They book the same room on an Online Travel Agencies (OTA) instead, and the hotel pays commission to re-acquire a guest it […] The post AI Voice Agent to Increase Direct Bookings: 2027 Guide appeared first on RateGain.
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TRevPAR Declines 8.8% in U.S. Hotels in 2025, Highlighting Broader Revenue Opportunities Beyond Room Sales
8 October 2026💵 HotelData’s 2025 report reveals a 6.3% decline in RevPAR and an 8.8% decrease in TRevPAR among U.S. hotels. In a CBRE analysis of 1,343 full-service U.S. hotels, 83% reported growth in non-room departments from 2019 to 2024. Plusgrade’s Guest Experience Study shows 87% of 2,000 respondents are willing to pay for extra services. Coordinated upselling increases total revenue by 2% to 5% across Plusgrade’s network.
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Duetto Acquires FLYR Hospitality, Integrating AI Revenue Intelligence Tools for Enhanced Hotel Commercial Team Operations
8 October 2026📈 Duetto acquired FLYR Hospitality, further consolidating the AI-powered revenue intelligence market. This merger enhances Duetto’s platform by integrating FLYR’s demand forecasting and data querying tools. A recent study showed 91% of hotel chains use AI, but only 28% have a strategy. GHA reported a $1.04 billion Q3 2026 revenue, with a 27% year-on-year increase. European hotel RevPAR grew 3% in H1 2026, with luxury assets making up 46% of investment volume.
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Liverton Group Expands Digital Wallet Hotel Key Technology to 20-30 New Properties After Successful Australian Launch
8 October 2026📱 At QT Sydney and Leura Gardens Resort, digital wallet keys have been adopted by 25% of guests for room access, with 30% opting for digital check-in. This tech, launched one month ago, is part of Liverton Group’s SmartStay platform. Liverton plans to expand to 20–30 more properties globally. The digital key system allows seamless check-in and room access, enhancing guest experience and operational efficiency in the hospitality industry.
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Incentive System at GRACE La Margna Balances Upselling Revenue with Guest Experience, Offering 5% Commission and Team Bonuses
8 October 2026🗺️ GRACE La Margna in St. Moritz, Switzerland, implemented an upselling incentive system during an internship. Employees earn a 5% commission on upsells and a 1% shared team bonus. Upselling can contribute 20-33% of hotel revenue. Effective strategies require emotional intelligence, product knowledge, and social intelligence. The system’s strengths include clarity and teamwork, but may lead to aggressive sales. Upselling should balance revenue with guest satisfaction for long-term value. (Bellboy Hospitality Insights, 2025; Prostay, 2026)
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Flanigan’s Resort Achieves 57% Increase in Ancillary Revenue Using Canary Technologies’ Guest Management System
7 October 2026🏖 Flanigan’s Resort & Spa, near Zion National Park, Utah, modernized with Canary Technologies, implementing a Guest Management System that led to a 57% increase in ancillary revenue. The resort’s 34 rooms, suites, and villas benefit from digital features like Mobile Check-In and Smart Checkout, which streamline operations and enhance guest experiences. The Digital Compendium has eliminated paper waste, aligning with eco-friendly values, and Digital Tipping improved staff morale with consistent gratuities and guest interactions.
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Your Club, under your control: manage your members in real time
7 October 2026This article was written by Mirai (English Insights). Click here to read the original article En español, en français, em português. Until now, if you wanted to change a member’s tier, apply a credit, or correct their details, you needed Mirai to make the change. When it comes to customer loyalty, the time between a guest’s action and the hotel’s response matters. Starting today, you can handle this yourself, directly from the extranet, in real time. All operational control via…
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Glasgow Marriott Hotel Boosts Room Service Revenue by 24% with IRIS Mobile Ordering and Digital Guest Directory
6 October 2026📱 Glasgow Marriott Hotel, part of Kingfisher Hospitality Group, uses IRIS Mobile Ordering and Digital Guest Directory to enhance guest experiences. With 303 rooms and high occupancy, the hotel increased room service revenue by 24% and order volume by 23% year-over-year. IRIS integration with Micros POS has led to operational efficiencies, reducing the need for manual order-taking. Digital solutions have replaced printed directories, promoting sustainability and improving guest satisfaction through convenient access to hotel services.
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Understanding Average Daily Rate (ADR): Key Metric for Hotel Revenue and Performance Optimization
6 October 2026💸 ADR, or average daily rate, is a crucial metric for hotels, indicating the average revenue earned per occupied room. It’s calculated by dividing total room revenue by rooms sold, excluding complimentary and staff use. For example, a hotel with $20,000 revenue and 100 rooms sold has a $200 ADR. Factors like market demand, location, and amenities influence ADR. Tools like Lighthouse’s AI-driven pricing can optimize rates up to 365 days in advance, helping hoteliers boost their ADR.
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91% of Hotel Chains Use AI, Primarily to Improve Efficiency and Allow Staff Focus on Higher-Value Tasks
6 October 2026💻 91% of hotel chains are using AI, with 8% planning adoption within 2 years. Staff reduction is not the primary goal, with only 9% prioritizing it. Instead, 61% aim to boost operational efficiency, while 42% focus on higher-value tasks. AI has improved operational efficiency in 67% of hotels, and 59% say it refocuses employees on valuable tasks. Integration challenges affect 38% of hoteliers, and 69% still use manual processes for guest data. AI knowledge rates at 3.4/10.
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91% of Hotel Chains Already Using AI, Focusing on Efficiency and Guest Interaction, Not Staff Reduction
5 October 2026💻 By 2026, 91% of hotel chains are using AI, with 8% planning adoption. Only 9% aim to cut staff, while 61% invest in AI for efficiency, and 42% to free staff for higher-value tasks. 67% report improved efficiency, and 59% say AI helps staff focus on valuable work. Challenges include integration (38%) and data governance (28%). 70% of leaders see AI agents and AI booking platforms as key innovations, but AI knowledge rates only 3.4/10.
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AI and OTAs Like Booking.com Are Taking Control of Hotel Upselling and Pricing Decisions, Industry Warns
5 October 2026📱 Three days before arrival, hotels send emails with offers like sea-view rooms at $45 extra. Booking Holdings’ August 2023 call revealed that over 50% of Booking.com bookings involve Level 2 and 3 members, pre-deciding upgrades. Delta, despite denying, aims for individual pricing by November 2024. Revolut, with over 70 million users, advances in AI bookings. On August 4, a Senate hearing discussed surveillance pricing, raising concerns about dynamic, personalized pricing strategies in the travel industry.
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LED Video Walls Enhance Hotel Guest Experience, Boost Revenue, and Reduce Costs with Strategic Installations
2 October 2026📺 In hotels, LED video walls boost guest experience and revenue. Pixel pitch (2-2.5 mm for close viewing) and brightness (600-1,500 nits) are key. They’re ideal for lobbies, ballrooms, and restaurants. Benefits include fewer printing costs and quick content updates. Planning involves checking wall strength, power, and data access. Avoid mistakes like choosing the finest pixel pitch everywhere. Content should match the time of day and be easily readable.
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Exely Advises Hotels to Boost Profitability During High-Demand Periods with Strategic Revenue and Channel Management
2 October 2026🏨 Hotels must analyze historical data before peak seasons, adjusting rates and channel allocation to prevent weak margins. Focus on net revenue over booking volume and optimize channel strategies by reserving inventory for direct sales. Regularly test booking paths to ensure competitive pricing. Encourage repeat guests through direct offers and promote upselling with targeted communications. Use automated loyalty and referral programs to convert OTA guests into direct bookers. Exely offers a checklist for preparations 90 to 7 days before peak…
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Mews Launches AI-Powered Guest Messaging and Automation Tools to Handle 80% of Routine Hotel Queries
2 October 2026💻 Hotel technology provider Mews launched AI-powered Guest Messaging and Automations tools on Oct 2nd, 2026, in Amsterdam. These features address unanswered guest messages, with 80% of routine queries handled instantly by AI. Automations enable no-code workflows for personalized guest interactions and operational tasks. Mews aims to improve communication efficiency and reduce administrative workloads, as guests currently wait eight hours for responses. During the beta phase, 47,000 workflows were run, emphasizing a shift towards streamlined hotel operations.
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91% of Hotel Chains Use AI, Yet Only 28% Have Enterprise-Wide Strategies, Reports h2c Study
1 October 2026💻 October 1, 2026, Berlin—91% of 113 hotel chains globally use AI, with 8% planning adoption soon, as per h2c’s AI Opportunity Study 2026. Despite widespread use, only 28% have a company-wide strategy. Predominantly, AI is used in pilots or departmental initiatives. Operational efficiency improved for 70% of respondents, while only 13% reported measurable ROI. Key adoption barriers include lack of AI expertise (56%) and integration issues (38%). AI tools from external vendors account for 60% of usage.
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91% of Global Hotel Chains Use AI, But Only 28% Have Enterprise-Wide Strategy, h2c Study Reveals.
1 October 2026📊 Ratingen, Germany – October 1, 2026, h2c’s AI Opportunity Study 2026 reveals that 91% of hotel chains use AI, with 8% planning adoption within 24 months. Only 28% have enterprise-wide strategies. The study, covering 8,200 properties, finds predominant AI benefits in productivity; however, only 13% see measurable ROI. Major barriers include AI expertise (56%) and integration challenges (38%). Meanwhile, 70% expect AI to boost direct bookings within two years, yet only 22% systematically monitor AI visibility.
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Sirma and h2c Study Reveals 91% of Hotel Chains Use AI, Yet Only 28% Have a Comprehensive Strategy
1 October 2026💻 Sirma sponsors h2c’s AI Opportunity Study 2026, revealing that 91% of 113 surveyed hotel chains use AI, but just 28% have a company-wide AI strategy. Proactive AI agents, viewed as key by 70%, show promise in upselling (64%) and booking (60%), yet face skills gaps (56%) and integration issues (38%). With Sirma.AI Enterprise, hotels can integrate 500+ AI models securely. Over 12 months, 91% expect increased AI investment.
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The article explains how hotel reservation systems work, their components, benefits, types, and compares top systems like RateGain, Cloudbeds, and Mews.
29 September 2026📅 In 2026, hotel reservation systems, including RateGain, Cloudbeds, and Oracle OPERA Cloud, are evaluated for their integration capabilities, pricing models, and suitability for different hotel types. Cloud-based systems are typically implemented within 3-4 weeks, whereas data migration from legacy systems can take 3-6 months. These systems enhance booking efficiency and guest data management, with pricing based on room count or revenue. Advanced features include AI-driven pricing and chatbots, improving dynamic pricing and guest interaction.
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Podcast Episode Explores Impact of Flash Sales on Hotel Revenue and Strategies to Maintain Rate Integrity
28 September 2026💸 Jon Siberry, a Revenue Consultant for Z Hotels and Sarova Hotels, discusses the impact of flash sales and impulse buying on hotels. Flash campaigns can drive results or harm Average Daily Rate (ADR), depending on conditions. Strategies for deep discounts that maintain rate integrity are explored. The profile of “impulse” guests, their booking behavior, and the influence on Ancillary Spend and RevPAR are analyzed. Key metrics beyond occupancy assess campaign effectiveness.
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Hotel Sales Efforts Hampered by Lack of Leadership, Despite Promising Outbound Prospecting by Individual Salespeople
28 September 2026📞 In Miami, a hotel salesperson, “Anna,” reached out to Doug Kennedy, president of Kennedy Training Network, showcasing proactive outbound sales skills. Despite her efforts, Anna’s approach missed key research and personalization details, such as identifying Kennedy Training Network’s location in Metro Atlanta and their lack of need for conference spaces. Anna’s pitch highlighted 350 rooms and 170,000 square feet of meeting space, but could benefit from AI-enhanced research and storytelling techniques for better engagement.
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Hotel Chains Must Establish Cloud-Based Infrastructure for Successful AI Integration, Emphasizes Hotelogix CEO
28 September 2026💻 In Southeast Asia, APAC, the Middle East, and Africa, hotel groups are eager to adopt AI. Early adopters report enhanced revenue, bookings, productivity, and cost control. However, many lack the infrastructure to fully implement AI across multiple properties. The key lies in having robust data integrity and a unified cloud-based management system. Hotelogix, serving 12,000+ hotels worldwide, emphasizes API-first platforms to ensure seamless data flow, scalability, and compliance. Notably, Hotelogix supported 50,000+ rooms during FIFA 2022 in Qatar.
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Effective Restaurant Staff Scheduling Begins with Demand Forecasting and Skills Deployment, Not Just Availability
24 September 2026📊 In 2024, full-service restaurants with losses reported median labor costs of 42.9% of sales, while profitable ones had 34.2%. Hourly turnover reached 96% for full-service and 135% for limited-service restaurants. Replacing an hourly employee costs $2,305, a non-GM manager $10,518, and a general manager $16,770. Alain Berruex emphasizes distinguishing between scheduling issues and labor cost increases before acting. Scheduling should focus on demand and skills, not just availability, to avoid understaffing and maintain employee engagement.
