12 Ways to Increase Hotel Revenue Without Doing More Work

The key to maximizing revenue for your hotel doesn’t always lie in working harder. You can make some simple changes that will greatly impact your bottom line without putting in any extra hours.

Finding the right balance between maximizing revenue and minimizing costs can be a tough tightrope to walk, but it’s crucial to the success of your business. When immersed in day-to-day operations, like marketing, distribution, and pricing, it can feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.

While there’s no magic formula for boosting revenue, we have compiled some actionable tips so you can increase your hotel’s revenue without putting in extra hours.

Table of contents: 

1. List on vacation rental sites 
2. Upgrade your guest screening process
3. Charge more for better rooms
4. Offer early check-in and late check-out
5. Offer room upgrades pre-arrival 
6. Create (and promote) an enticing menu 
7. Reward guests with discounts for direct bookings
8. Charge a fee for last-minute cancellations
9. Start upselling extra services
10. Implement a dynamic pricing strategy
11. Outsource guest communications
12. Automate processes (and reduce staffing)
13. Maximize hotel revenue with Jetstream
14. Frequently asked questions about how to increase hotel revenue 

Scale your hotel revenue without lifting a finger.
Let Jetstream take care of everything so you can focus on what you do best—running your hotel.

Book a Demo

1. List on vacation rental sites 

Increased number of websites = increased visibility for your hotel + increased bookings.

You can advertise your hotel rooms on popular vacation rental sites to different demographics and markets. Not only will this give you increased visibility, but it will also help you reach new markets that you might not have considered before.

Airbnb isn’t the only game in town. There are plenty of other vacation rental sites you can list your hotel on. But this also comes with challenges—the most notable being that you have to manage double bookings and calendars across more platforms. You need a channel manager to sync and optimize your listings on every platform.

Jetstream’s channel distribution increases your rental’s visibility

With an efficient service like Jetstream, you can list rooms on all major booking platforms, including Airbnb, VRBO, Leavetown.com, Hopper, and more, with a few clicks and automatically optimize your listings, saving you the manual effort of managing individual listings on every platform.

2. Upgrade your guest screening process

Guest screening is a crucial process for any hotel, but it’s often overlooked. Traditional hotels usually run a background check (photo IDs, credit card details, home addresses, etc.) when a guest checks in. But this process is time-consuming and doesn’t always give you the full picture of who your hotel guests are.

Additionally, there is always a risk of human error—if your staff is tired or overworked; they might not catch red flags that could be deal-breakers.

Jetstream integrates with Autohost for reliable guest screening 

An AI-powered solution like Autohost enables an in-depth, scalable background screening process for each guest. From ID verification to financial history and criminal records, Autohost gives you all the information you need.

Jetstream’s partnership with Autohost ensures that your hotel operates with the highest safety and security standards, so you can focus on providing an amazing guest experience.

3. Rooms and pricing optimization

A common mistake that hotels make is charging similar pricing for all room types, regardless of size, location, or amenities. If you have rooms that are in high demand (larger suites with city views, for example), you should be charging a premium price.

The goal is to find the sweet spot—a balance between occupancy and resort revenue management. You don’t want your hotel to be empty, but you also don’t want to leave money on the table by undercharging for your best rooms. 

Here’s our checklist for finding the right price for each room type:

• Location: if your hotel is in a prime location, you can charge more for your rooms.
• Room type: luxury suites always command a higher price than standard rooms.
• Amenities: if your hotel offers unique or high-demand amenities (e.g., a rooftop pool), you can charge a premium for these rooms.
• Seasonality: prices fluctuate depending on the time of year. During peak season, you can charge more for your rooms because there is more demand.
• Use data to inform your decisions: track occupancy and average daily rates (ADRs) over time to see what’s working and what’s not.

4. Offer early check-in and late check-out

Early check-in and late check-out are two of the most requested amenities by guests. And for a good reason—it gives them flexibility and more time to enjoy their stay. 

Generating an extra revenue stream by charging for these services is a no-brainer. But it’s important to price these services correctly. You don’t want to charge too much and deter guests from using them.

There are a few ways to do this: 

• Charging a flat fee for early check-in, and late check-out is the simplest option, and it’s easy to communicate to guests. 
• Tiered pricing is another option—you can charge a lower fee for early check-in and a higher fee for late check-out.
• The dynamic pricing approach is the most sophisticated (and complicated) option. With this method, you change the price of early check-in and late check-out based on demand.

Whichever pricing strategy you choose, communicate the fees upfront, so there are no surprises when guests check out.

5. Offer room upgrades pre-arrival 

Making your guests feel special is a great way to increase customer loyalty and repeat business. Upgrades are a great way to increase revenue, but they’re often offered haphazardly (or not at all). The key is to be strategic about it.

The most common method is to offer an upgrade at check-in, but this isn’t always the best approach. If guests have already settled into their room, they might be less likely to want to move.

The goal is to increase revenue without sacrificing the guest experience. Upgrades should be offered in a way that’s convenient for guests and doesn’t cause disruptions during their stay.

Automated guest communication is a great way to offer room upgrades. Jetstream integrates with Operto Guest to stay connected with your guests through direct messaging, automated event triggers, and alert notifications.

6. Create (and promote) an enticing menu 

Your food and beverage offerings are a great way to drive revenue. But for this to work, you need to have a menu appealing to guests.

Creating a crave-worthy menu starts with understanding your guests. Once you know what your guests want, you can create a menu that will tantalize their taste buds. But your work doesn’t stop there—you also need to promote your menu.

Ensure your menus are easily accessible—place them in guest rooms, common areas, or even the lobby. And don’t forget about online menus! Ensure your website and social media channels are updated with your latest offerings.

Make sure your staff is trained on the menu and can make recommendations to guests. You want your guests to feel confident that they’re ordering the right dish. 

Finally, don’t forget to upsell! Suggest pairings or add-ons that complement the dish or drink your guest is ordering.

7. Reward guests with discounts for direct bookings

Rewarding guests for direct booking can increase revenue and builds customer loyalty

Major booking sites usually commission fees between 15% and 30% of the value of the reservation. For hoteliers, this can take a big chunk out of their revenue.

While you can’t eliminate these fees, you can offset them by encouraging guests to book directly with your website. You can do this by offering discounts or other incentives for guests who book through your hotel website.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Offer a free upgrade or complimentary breakfast for guests who book through your website.
• Give a percentage discount on the room rate.
• Offer a free night’s stay after a certain number of nights booked.

Make sure your website is easy to navigate and doesn’t require too many steps to book. Creating a seamless booking experience will make guests more likely to book directly with you. 

This is a great way to increase and monitor luxury resort management and build customer loyalty. But it’s important to ensure the discounts you’re offering are worth it to guests. You don’t want to devalue your brand or lose money in the process!

8. Charge a fee for last-minute cancellations

Last-minute cancellations can be a big headache for hoteliers. They can disrupt your occupancy rate and make it difficult to fill the room. For example, if you have a room booked for two nights, but the guest cancels the second night, you only have one night to fill that room.

Cancellation fees are a great way to offset these losses. They also encourage guests to be more thoughtful about their reservations. You can charge a ‘cancel by a certain date’ policy that gives guests a deadline to cancel their reservation without being charged a fee. Once the date passes, you can charge a standard fee or request full payment for the stay.

Adding a non-refundable deposit is another way to discourage last-minute cancellations. This deposit will be applied to the total cost of the stay and is non-refundable if the guest cancels.

Remember, your cancellation policy can also deter guests from booking with you. Be sure to strike the right balance to avoid losing business.

9. Start upselling extra services

The key to successful upselling is providing guests with options that complement their stay. From airport pickups to spa packages, there are various ways to add value to your guests. The best way to upsell is to provide guests with options that are relevant to their stay.

Here are a few common upsell opportunities:

• Before the stay. Offering airport transportation or parking packages, upgrading room type, adding a meal plan.
• During the stay. Renting a bike or car, spa services, tickets to local attractions, babysitting services.
• After the stay. Complimentary breakfast, late check-out, and housekeeping services.

You can promote your upsells in a variety of ways. Many hotels use in-room TV channels for marketing their services. You can also include information about upsells in your welcome packet or post it in common areas around the hotel.

10. Implement a dynamic pricing strategy

Dynamic pricing is a pricing strategy that fluctuates based on demand. You can maximize revenue when occupancy is high and still fill rooms when occupancy is low. Machine learning algorithms help determine the demand for your rooms and adjust prices accordingly.

Jetstream integrates with Wheelhouse to bring you over 10 billion data points to produce the most accurate pricing insights.

So if there is a big event in town, a dynamic pricing tool like Wheelhouse will list your rooms at a higher price to make the most of the peak demand. Wheelhouse integrates with Jetstream and offers several customization options, and powerful insights, providing you control over your pricing.

11. Outsource guest communications

Being quick and responsive to guest inquiries = improved guest experience = great reviews = more bookings.

While offering guests a personal touch is important, managing guest communications can be time-consuming. From pre-arrival to post-departure, there are a lot of touchpoints where you can engage with guests.

If you don’t have the time or resources to manage these communications, consider outsourcing them. Jetstream’s guest-facing team can take care of all your guest communications—from emails and texts to phone calls.

Their multi-lingual, guest-facing team ensures that every guest feels valued and special. This way, you can focus on running your hotel while they take care of your guests.

12. Automate processes (and reduce staffing)

Automating day-to-day operations can help you reduce costs and increase efficiency. From self-check-ins, guest communication, and even housekeeping, there are a variety of tasks that can be automated.

Jetstream does all the legwork to distribute and manage your listings on multiple platforms

With Jetstream, you can automate all your hotel processes to focus on the bigger picture while Jetstream takes care of all the details:

• Channel distribution, management, and optimized listings
• Dynamic pricing with Wheelhouse integration
• Fast and reliable guest screening with Autohost integration
• Automate cleaning and maintenance schedule with Operto Teams integration
• 24/7 guest support with a multilingual guest facing team

Armed with this powerful technology stack, Jetstream can help you increase revenue without putting in more work.

Maximize hotel revenue with Jetstream

The success of your hotel revenue strategy depends on your ability to distribute, market, list, and fill your rooms while providing an amazing guest experience.

While this might seem like a lot of work, automation can help you manage all these moving parts without breaking a sweat. Jetstream’s integrated revenue-generating tools can help you increase your hotel’s revenue and streamline operations without doing more work. 

Scale your hotel revenue without lifting a finger.
Let Jetstream take care of everything so you can focus on what you do best – running your hotel.

Book a Demo

Frequently asked questions about how to increase hotel revenue 

What is a hotel’s biggest source of revenue?

A hotel’s biggest source of revenue is room rentals and occupancy. This is possible through visibility on major distribution channels. Choose a partner like Jetstream to manage your listings and get in front of millions of potential guests. 

What are the challenges for a hotel to increase revenue?

The challenges that a hotel faces when trying to increase revenue include

• Communication with all stakeholders—guests, employees, vendors, etc.
• Managing different distribution channels
• Determining the optimal price
• Ensuring a great guest experience

What are the top 3 things that will increase hotel revenue?

The top three things that will increase hotel revenue are:

• Customer satisfaction
• Room occupancy
• Better booking experience