--- title: Hospitality | Tess McGoldrick description: View the latest resources from Revenue Analytics. --- - [ Hospitality ](https://www.revenueanalytics.com/hospitality/n2pricing?hsLang=en) - [ Manufacturing & Distribution ](https://www.revenueanalytics.com/md/pricing-as-a-service?hsLang=en) - [ Private Equity ](https://www.revenueanalytics.com/md/pricing-as-a-service?hsLang=en) - [ Media ](https://www.revenueanalytics.com/media/rateoptics?hsLang=en) - [ Passenger Rail ](https://www.revenueanalytics.com/rail/farevantage?hsLang=en) [ #### N2Pricing™​ The above-property RMS. ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/n2pricing?hsLang=en) [ Hotelier Gets the Pricing Power it Needs to Beat the Competition ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hubfs/Case_Study_Hotelier_Gets_the_Pricing_Power_it_Needs_to_Beat_the_Competition.pdf?hsLang=en) [ #### Pricing-as-a-Service™ Profitable pricing decisions at scale. ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/md/pricing-as-a-service?hsLang=en) [ Packaging Giant Slashes Deal Cycle Time 69% & Boosts Margin 4% ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hubfs/Case%20Stories/PAPA/Packaging%20Giant%20Uses%20Price+%20to%20Slash%20Deal%20Cycle%20Time.pdf?hsLang=en) [ #### Pricing-as-a-Service™ Precision pricing for industrial portfolio companies. ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/md/pricing-as-a-service?hsLang=en) [ Does Your Portco Have a Pricing Problem? ](https://www.revenueanalytics.com/resources/pe/does-your-portco-have-a-pricing-problem?hsLang=en) [ #### RateOptics™​ Modern ad pricing and sales analytics. ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/media/rateoptics?hsLang=en) [ Sales Managers Get Their Valuable Time Back at Top Radio Broadcaster ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hubfs/Case_Study_Sales_Managers_Get_Their_Valuable_Time_Back_at_Top_Radio_Broadcaster.pdf?hsLang=en) [ #### FareVantage™​ Next-gen Revenue Management for Passenger Rail. ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/rail/farevantage?hsLang=en) [ Rail Operator Exceeds Revenue Goals and Lofty Customer Expectations ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hubfs/Case_Study_Rail_Operator_Exceeds_Revenue_Goals_and_Lofty_Customer_Expectations.pdf?hsLang=en) Fresh from HSMAI > *The New RMS: A Buying Guide.* [Download here](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/resources/hsmai-buying-guide-the-new-rms?utm_source=announcement_bar&utm_medium=product_page&utm_campaign=hospitality&hsLang=en) ## Tess McGoldrick ### Recent Posts ## [Welcoming Climber to the Revenue Analytics Family](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/revenue-analytics-acquires-climber-ceo-message?hsLang=en) Posted by [Tess McGoldrick](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick) on Jun 26, 2025 7:02:28 AM At Revenue Analytics, our mission has always been simple but bold: empower businesses with smarter tools that turn complexity into clarity. That mission just got a major boost. I’m thrilled to share that Climber, a Portugal-based Revenue Management Software (RMS) company with a strong presence across Europe and Latin America, is now part of the Revenue Analytics family. This partnership isn’t just about expanding our footprint — though it certainly does. Climber brings an intuitive, automated platform and deep market expertise that complement our own capabilities in powerful ways. By combining forces, we’re better positioned than ever to help hoteliers everywhere price with confidence, act with speed, and deliver measurable results. What drew us to Climber goes beyond product fit. Their team shares our passion for innovation, belief in AI as a driver of pricing precision, and commitment to putting actionable insights into the hands of every hotelier — not just the biggest brands. For our existing customers and Climber customers, this is great news. You’ll continue working with the same teams, tools, and support you know and trust, now backed by even more resources, reach, and innovation. We’re excited about what’s ahead — not just for our companies, but for the thousands of hoteliers we’re proud to serve around the world. Read the full press release to learn more about what’s to come: [Revenue Analytics Acquires Climber to Expand Global Hospitality Footprint and Strengthen European & Latin American Presence](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/revenue-analytics-acquires-climber-press-release?hsLang=en)   0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/revenue-analytics-acquires-climber-ceo-message?hsLang=en#comments-listing) ## [Why Optimized Inventory Controls Outperform Open Pricing](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/optimized-inventory-controls-outperform-open-pricing?hsLang=en) Posted by [Tess McGoldrick](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick) on Mar 12, 2025 2:38:39 PM # Why Optimized Inventory Controls Outperform Open Pricing In parts one and two of our Inventory Optimization series, we explored [the evolution of revenue management](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/revenue-management-strategies-for-the-future?hsLang=en) and the [unintended consequences of Open Pricing](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/price-optimization-versus-open-pricing?hsLang=en). In the conclusion of our series, we’ll examine how an Optimized Inventory Controls strategy drives more revenue, higher profitability, and a superior guest experience compared to Open Pricing. ## Maximizing Revenue Over an Entire Booking Window Open Pricing strategies prioritize rate flexibility, adjusting pricing dynamically to capture demand at any given moment. However, this approach often focuses on individual nights rather than maximizing revenue across an entire booking window. Let’s look at a simple example of a boutique hotel, the ATLien, during a five-day period where a major conference is driving peak demand on Tuesday and Wednesday. Demand for one-night stays is high for both nights, and the hotel will easily sell out those peak nights. ![ATLien Hotel-1](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ATLien%20Hotel-1.png?width=750&height=416&name=ATLien%20Hotel-1.png)With an Open Pricing strategy, the hotel would aggressively raise the Best Available Rate (BAR) and reduce discounts to zero, focusing on maximizing revenue for each individual night. As a result, the last available rooms for Tuesday and Wednesday would likely be booked by one-night guests, closing out availability for longer-stay guests. ![Open Pricing in High Demand Period-1](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Open%20Pricing%20in%20High%20Demand%20Period-1.png?width=750&height=611&name=Open%20Pricing%20in%20High%20Demand%20Period-1.png)The revenue in this scenario totals $658, but the hotel has now blocked itself from capturing multi-night bookings that would have filled shoulder nights. Now, let’s apply Optimized Inventory Controls instead. By strategically setting length-of-stay (LOS) restrictions, the hotel proactively blocks one-night stays for Tuesday and Wednesday, holding space for guests booking longer stays. ![Price & Inventory Opt in High Demand Period (1)-1](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Price%20%26%20Inventory%20Opt%20in%20High%20Demand%20Period%20(1)-1.png?width=750&height=934&name=Price%20%26%20Inventory%20Opt%20in%20High%20Demand%20Period%20(1)-1.png)Even with slightly lower BAR rates on peak nights, this approach leads to a three-night minimum stay requirement, increasing total revenue to $724—**a 10% revenue uplift over Open Pricing.** Taking it a step further, if demand exists for even longer stays, LOS controls can be applied more aggressively, requiring a four-night minimum. In this case, total revenue increases to $902, **a 37% revenue increase over Open Pricing.** **![Price & Inventory Opt in High Demand Period 2-1](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Price%20%26%20Inventory%20Opt%20in%20High%20Demand%20Period%202-1.png?width=628&height=790&name=Price%20%26%20Inventory%20Opt%20in%20High%20Demand%20Period%202-1.png)** ## Driving Profitability Through a Better Business Mix Beyond revenue, profitability is significantly impacted by how hotels manage inventory. Longer stays tend to be more profitable than shorter ones for several reasons: - **Lower operational costs:** Turning a room multiple times for one-night stays increases housekeeping and labor costs. Longer-stay guests reduce these expenses, making them inherently more profitable. Even if one-night stays could fill peak nights, the increased cost of servicing multiple shorter bookings diminishes overall profit margins. - **Higher ancillary revenue:** Guests who stay through shoulder nights are more likely to spend on food, beverage, and other amenities. According to STR, 32% of total hotel revenue comes from ancillary sources. If a room sits empty on Monday or Thursday due to a one-night Open Pricing booking on Tuesday, the hotel misses out on additional non-room revenue from those nights. - **Smarter channel management:** Modern RMS platforms, such as [Revenue Analytics’ N2Pricing](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/n2pricing?hsLang=en), factor in the cost of acquisition by channel. Open Pricing, by keeping all rate plans open at all times, accepts bookings as they come in without prioritizing more profitable channels. Optimized Inventory Controls ensure that high-cost third-party bookings don’t displace direct bookings that contribute more to the bottom line. ## Protecting the Guest Experience Another often-overlooked consequence of Open Pricing is its impact on guest perception. When hotels rely solely on price increases during peak demand, they risk creating what industry experts call “insult pricing”—rates so high that they erode guest trust and damage long-term loyalty. Let’s go back to our ATLien hotel example. Open Pricing proponents might argue that a one-night stay could be priced so high—say $600 or $800—that it generates the same revenue as a three-night stay at a lower rate. But that approach carries significant guest experience risks. A guest who normally pays $200 per night might accept a modest rate increase for a peak period, but seeing an extreme spike could feel like price gouging. Instead of booking, they may abandon the reservation, damaging brand perception in the process. Bill Marriott put it best: “You’ve got to do everything you can to be fair to the customer. As long as they know you’re being fair, you’ll be fine. They’ll come back, and they’ll feel good about you.” ## The Future of Revenue Management: A Balanced Approach For many hoteliers, the best way to unlock future revenue and profit opportunities is to return to the original principles of Revenue Management. My father, Robert G. Cross’s, book *Revenue Management* established the core concept of saving your products for your most valuable customers decades ago. That lesson is just as critical today, and is supported by an Optimized Inventory Controls strategy. Open Pricing strategies seek more flexibility in setting BAR rates and adjusting discounts. However, leaving everything open all the time leads to revenue leakage and a less profitable business mix. Optimized Inventory Controls ensure that hotels: - **Maximize revenue** by capturing longer, more profitable stays. - **Boost profit** by reducing turn costs and capturing more ancillary revenue. - **Drive a better guest experience** by avoiding extreme rate spikes that erode trust. With today’s advanced RMS technology, hoteliers are no longer required to choose between pricing flexibility and inventory optimization; they can have both. The right system will apply sophisticated analytics to yield the best revenue opportunities, ensuring both short-term gains and long-term profitability. For a more in-depth examination of the evolution of Optimized Inventory Controls and the pitfalls of Open pricing, download our white paper: [The Hidden Cost of Open Pricing.](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/resources/hidden-cost-of-open-pricing?hsLang=en) And to understand how an Optimized Inventory Controls strategy could benefit your properties, [set up an intro call](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/demo/n2pricing?hsLang=en) with an expert on our team. 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/optimized-inventory-controls-outperform-open-pricing?hsLang=en#comments-listing) ## [Commercial Strategy: Growth, Growing Pains, and Goals](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/commercial-strategy-growth-goals?hsLang=en) Posted by [Tess McGoldrick](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick) on Jan 28, 2025 5:15:16 PM If you’ve been working in the Hospitality industry for a while, then you’ve probably been watching the “commercial strategy” journey unfold. It’s a hot topic at every conference, across industry publications, and – I’d be willing to bet – in meetings at your own organization. I fully agree that it’s an important conversation to be engaged in (as evidenced by our [prior reflections](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/hoteliers-path-to-commercial-strategy?hsLang=en) on the topic), but I’d like to address a few new questions I’ve heard hoteliers raise in relation to the subject recently. 1. We can agree we should all be working towards it, but how do you know when you’ve achieved commercial strategy within your organization? 2. What roadblocks should we be looking out for, and how do we navigate them? ## Are We There Yet? There’s no X marked on a map that will let you know when you’ve reached your commercial strategy destination. Realistically, it’s a moving target, but there are signs that your organization has successfully moved into this new way of working. First, let’s take a second to define commercial strategy. At its core, commercial strategy is a shift away from marketing, sales, and revenue management operating as siloed functions, and instead intentionally working as one collaborative team with the goal of maximizing profitability for the hotel. Yes, each group still has its areas of expertise and ownership, but overall goals and strategic initiatives are aligned. Lori Kiel, Senior VP of Revenue Management of Pyramid Global Hospitality and a leading commercial strategy expert, wrote a [great article](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/evolving-commercial-strategy-lori-kiel/) that delves into this definition even further and helps you visualize the sales and marketing funnel through a commercial strategy lens. More tactically, here are a couple of clues that would suggest you’ve achieved at least some level of commercial strategy within your organization: - You or your boss have “Commercial” somewhere in the title - Your organization has a Commercial Executive team that includes leadership from key functional areas; they meet regularly and make decisions together - Revenue managers are no longer expected to just bring data to revenue meetings and report out performance, but instead collaborate on forward looking strategies and tactics at recurring cross-functional meetings that include marketing, sales, and distribution If this feels reflective of your current way of working – congrats! That’s a huge step, and one that many organizations are still working to achieve. But now that you’ve made it there, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re wondering: *what comes next?* ## Growing Pains Industry leaders have been touting the benefits of achieving this level of cross-functional strategic alignment for years. The potential upside is undeniable, but that doesn’t mean that this new way of working is without its challenges. The feedback I consistently hear from hoteliers is that, yes, teams are working more collaboratively than ever, and that’s great! The revenue management, sales, and marketing teams are increasingly seeing more overlap in their jobs – and while that’s theoretically what we all wanted, it also feels a little muddy and uncomfortable. The question of ownership often arises, and it can be difficult to navigate without feeling like we’re trying to go back to a more siloed way of working. Take, for example, the idea of Total Hotel Revenue Management. This approach to revenue management, which is widely growing in popularity, focuses on maximizing *all* streams of revenue as opposed to just room revenue. And while the approach is labeled as “revenue management,” it really requires the entire commercial team’s combined efforts to work. The decisions the revenue team makes will influence marketing campaigns. Those marketing efforts affect the deals the sales team is working. And all these decisions will impact the guest experience team on the ground. So, again, we return to the question of ownership. How do we work collaboratively while still effectively making decisions and not playing too much in one another’s sandboxes, as it were? This may seem like an over-simplified solution, but I really believe that something akin to a RACI matrix could help here. If you’re unfamiliar, a RACI matrix breaks down who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for any given task. A RACI – or really any framework that helps establish who is ultimately responsible for any given task – can help guide internal conversations within your organization. The goal is to find cross-functional alignment, particularly in those areas where jobs naturally overlap. ![RACI Matrix](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/RACI%20Matrix.png?width=1000&height=600&name=RACI%20Matrix.png) Ultimately, collaboration can’t mean that every team has 100% ownership over every decision that’s being made. Working together while clarifying swim lanes could go a long way to ease tension and provide clarity while your organization adjusts to this new normal. ## Looking Ahead Our industry is still in the thick of this commercial strategy evolution. Wherever you are on this journey – just starting to explore the idea, in the midst of establishing your commercial team, or starting to settle into a new way of working – *keep going.* Continue to encourage collaboration between your revenue management, marketing, and sales teams. Adapt your strategies as you learn from your counterparts. It is naturally going to feel messy, and all growth comes with a healthy dose of discomfort. But this shift to commercial strategy is what will help make things like Total Hotel Revenue Management a reality, and your organization – and your bottom line – will thank you. *Tess McGoldrick is the Senior Vice President of the Travel & Hospitality vertical at Revenue Analytics. In this role, she leads cross-functional project teams to develop high-impact products that provide organic revenue growth for her clients. Having started her career at Revenue Analytics, Tess developed an expertise in Revenue Management from the best in the business. Tess's experience includes ensuring client satisfaction is achieved with all product implementations, from business process improvements to forecast predictions to actionable pricing recommendations. * 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/commercial-strategy-growth-goals?hsLang=en#comments-listing) ## [Talent Retention: Is it a problem we brought on ourselves?](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/talent-retention-roundtable?hsLang=en) Posted by [Tess McGoldrick](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick) on Aug 1, 2024 12:33:27 PM The hospitality industry remained resilient the past five years amidst labor challenges, including finding and retaining qualified talent. Sure, good talent can be difficult to find, but is this more of a problem we brought on ourselves? To answer this question, we must first evaluate the current state. Are you promoting from within? Are you losing good talent to competitors? Or are people simply leaving the industry? While each of these factors could play a role, the reality is that today’s above-property revenue managers are pulled in multiple directions. They're managing more properties than before but operating with the same working hours and the tools from decades ago. By elevating the expectations but not the employee experience, revenue managers across the globe are experiencing burnout. Think about it, take a single property Director of Revenue Management (DORM) makes more than 100,000 pricing and inventory decisions each year. Then, add ten more properties as an above-property DORM, and that could lead to *over a million decisions for just one person*. Sticking to the status-quo of the hotel by hotel, day by day, and rate by rate mindset leaves above-property DORMS drowning in data and exhaustingly running on the hamster wheel of manual tasks. To solve the talent retention problem, leaders could look down three paths: more people, process improvement, or scalable technology. Let’s explore these proposed solutions and imagine each change within your organization. - **More people:** This is the most intuitive answer but is it the right one? Hiring more and more people to combat the high turnover could work in the short-term, but the doom loop continues to spiral in the long-term as those newer employees experience burnout like the others before. - **Process Improvement:** Rethinking your current workflow and agenda during strategy meetings can never hurt. Instead of inquiring about manual override decisions, you can reshape your questions to be more high-level, results-driven, and strategic. This could save some prep time by not having to pull the data behind every single pricing decision in the past 90 days. - **Scalable Technology:** The right tech should scale cost effectively across people and process. What does this look like? Your people can use the tool without getting stuck in analysis paralysis. The process for changing rates and inventory is intuitive by prioritizing the big decisions and automating the miniscule ones. Your people are freed from manual tasks and can allocate more time to strategy and cross-functional alignment. No matter which paths you choose, the goal remains the same – bring talented individuals to your team and keep them happy.  Adding people and improving processes will take you so far, but [N2Pricing™ RMS](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/n2pricing?hsLang=en)  can help you live the dream. [To learn more about N2Pricing, schedule some time with an expert from our team.](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/demo/n2pricing?hsLang=en)   0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/talent-retention-roundtable?hsLang=en#comments-listing) ## [Making Commercial Strategy a Reality at Your Organization](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/hoteliers-path-to-commercial-strategy?hsLang=en) Posted by [Tess McGoldrick](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick) on Jul 26, 2024 11:59:50 AM *Commercial strategy*. A short phrase that packs a big punch. It’s a hot topic in our industry, but it can feel a little ambiguous, too. What does it really mean? What would it look like at your organization? And most importantly… how do you get there? There are many factors needed to make true commercial strategy a reality, but the one that really makes or breaks its success at most organizations is simply *having the time to focus on it.* You have to make space – in your schedules, in your workload, and in your mind – to start having these conversations. Cross-functional alignment is only feasible if cross-functional teams are available to connect. This is easier said than done – how do you find the time? There’s no silver bullet, but having the right technology and the right vendor partners is a huge piece of the puzzle. Why? Because technology that focuses on reducing manual tasks and boosting efficiency is a huge unlock for teams that are pressed for time. [N2Pricing™ RMS](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/n2pricing?hsLang=en) was built for this purpose: to free above-property revenue management teams from repetitive, manual work, so they can focus on strategic initiatives – and have the time to take their well-deserved seat at the commercial strategy table. These quotes from well-known industry leaders emphasize the importance of supporting these distinct areas of the business (such as revenue management and marketing) while encouraging cross-functional collaboration: ![Fernando Vives Quote](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Fernando%20Vives%20Quote.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&name=Fernando%20Vives%20Quote.jpg)![Wendy Norris Quote](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wendy%20Norris%20Quote.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&name=Wendy%20Norris%20Quote.jpg)Investing in the right technology and empowering your teams to take back their time is an important first step on the path to achieving true, scalable commercial strategy. To learn how N2Pricing uniquely supports above-property revenue management teams – giving them back up to 50 hours each month! – [connect with an expert on the N2 team today](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/demo/n2pricing?hsLang=en).    0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/hoteliers-path-to-commercial-strategy?hsLang=en#comments-listing) ## [The Importance (and Challenge) of Budget Season for Revenue Teams](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/revenue-management-budget-season?hsLang=en) Posted by [Tess McGoldrick](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick) on Jul 23, 2024 5:07:14 PM It’s that time of year again: budget season is upon us. If the thought of budget season elicits a collective groan from you and your team, you’re not alone. After 20+ years of working with hospitality organizations of all shapes and sizes, we’ve learned two things about this annual activity: 1. It can be painful, for a variety of reasons. 2. Having the right systems in place – specifically, the right revenue management system (RMS) to support your team – makes a world of difference. Budget season shouldn’t just feel like a box you have to check – it should hopefully be an informative, strategic, and collaborative exercise that can set your team, and your organization, up for success the following year. ## Budget season: what it is (and why you might be dreading it) Budget season is typically comprised of two distinct parts: 1. **Forecasting**. This is the nitty-gritty, digging into the numbers part of the exercise. It involves taking a deep dive into how you performed this year, understanding the various factors that contributed to that performance, and using that information to try to forecast what you will do next year. Revenue management teams really have to roll up their sleeves and dig into the data, which is no small feat. Not only do you have to interpret the prior year’s worth of performance data, but you also have to anticipate external market factors that will impact next year’s growth. ***The added challenge:*** when it comes down to it, the final forecast is influenced by more than just the numbers. Leadership often has their own ideas, goals, and pressures to navigate, and revenue management teams might face the frustration of being told to “just increase everything by 3%.” 2. **Strategic planning.** This is less about the numbers, and more about the “how.” You’ve established your performance goals – now how are you going to achieve them? Cross-functional alignment and commercial strategy are king here. These decisions can’t be made in a vacuum, and making sure all the right stakeholders have a seat at the table is critically important for organizational buy-in and success. Balancing the reality of the numbers with the needs and opinions of stakeholders is undeniably challenging. And while we can acknowledge that budget season isn’t quite as fun as the other seasonal activities that come with this time of year, we also must accept that it’s not going anywhere. ## How your RMS can help The forecasting part of the budgeting process is where the technology you have in place – particularly your RMS – plays a key role. Revenue management teams often feel like they are having to start from scratch at the start of budget season, which is understandably overwhelming. *But your RMS should at least provide you with a place to start.* It’s easier to edit than to write a first draft, and revenue management teams should have access to systems that will generate that first draft for them, even if it’s not perfect. For example, [N2Pricing™ RMS](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/n2pricing?hsLang=en) generates a Forecast Deep Dive report, and this is exactly where we recommend our customers start when approaching budgeting and forecasting exercises. Instead of hunting for data across disparate systems and scrambling to consolidate the prior year’s numbers, this report provides all the key statistics revenue managers need to build a solid foundation for next year’s projected forecast. At the end of the day, if you have an RMS, that RMS has a forecast – which means you shouldn’t feel like you’re starting from scratch. If you DO feel that way, or your forecast requires so much re-working that it does more harm than good during budget season, then maybe you should be considering a new RMS as part of next year’s strategic investments. ## Same time, next year The good (and potentially bad) news about budget season: *it’s just a season.* It comes around every year, and it feels challenging while we’re in it, but it inevitably ends, and you and your team can move on to the next initiative. But while it does thankfully end, its influence is felt throughout the year. Key stakeholders, such as owners and the executive team, are going to want to know how you’re performing against your budget and any re-forecasting. This is another place where your RMS should be making your life easier, not harder. If you have to pull a million reports or feel that you and your team are living and dying in Excel in order to answer questions and guide conversations with leadership, then your RMS might not be the best fit for your business. Budgeting and forecasting, while challenging, are critically important activities that aren’t going anywhere. Having the right supporting technology in place and a mindset focused on commercial strategy and cross-functional alignment can make the season a little less painful and a lot more productive. To learn more about what we’ve learned from years of working with hoteliers navigating budget season, or to see how N2Pricing provides a clear jumping-off point for this exercise, [connect with an expert on our team. ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/demo/n2pricing?hsLang=en)   0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/revenue-management-budget-season?hsLang=en#comments-listing) ## [N2Pricing™ RMS: Behind the “Why”](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-behind-the-why?hsLang=en) Posted by [Tess McGoldrick](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick) on Jun 17, 2024 3:28:05 PM In the finale of our Day in the Life with N2Pricing series, we want to take a step back. In [parts 1](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-rms-day-in-the-life?hsLang=en) and [2](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-beyond-day-to-day?hsLang=en), we walked you through the tangible, tactical realities of working with this unique solution. From starting at the very top and tackling your biggest revenue opportunities, to zooming out and looking at monthly and quarterly trends, N2 is there to support you and your team. In part 3, we want to look at why. At the end of the day, yes: N2 is a revenue management system. It exists to streamline revenue management across your portfolio, and to help your business achieve success by capturing more demand, increasing RevPAR, and boosting profit and efficiency. But the real driving force behind our why? The above-property revenue managers themselves. With the shifting trends in hospitality and revenue management, we saw that above-property revenue management was becoming more prevalent, but that this new style of team was expected to use legacy tools. The result? Frustration. Inefficiency. Endless manual tasks. Burnout. And when revenue managers – such a critical component of a successful hospitality organization – aren't getting the support they need or aren’t being empowered to do their job to the best of their ability, the effects are felt across the organization. That’s what drove us to create N2Pricing RMS. ## Our top 3 is all about YOU and YOUR TEAM So, in addition to boosting efficiency and profit at your organization, here’s what’s in it for the revenue managers: 1. **Know exactly where to start. Every day.** No, every day isn’t the same, but with the clear guidance provided by N2Pricing, you’ll always know where to begin. By focusing your efforts on the biggest revenue opportunities across your entire portfolio, you can feel confident that you’re working efficiently and having a direct impact on your business’s bottom line – no guesswork required. 2. **Easily manage conversations with owners and other key stakeholders. **N2’s intuitive interface makes it easy to understand how your properties are performing at both the portfolio and individual property level. Want to zoom out and have a big picture conversation? You got it. Need to dive in and talk about the demand forecast for Property A over the next two weeks? No problem. Equipped with the data you need available at your fingertips and backed by powerful, reliable analytics, you’re prepared to handle any questions or changes that may arise. 3. **Take back your time to focus on strategy and other big-picture items.** N2’s powerful analytics and smart automation controls free revenue managers from endless manual, repetitive tasks. The result? More time to layer in strategic activities, to complete research and analysis, and to work cross-functionally for a more aligned organization. Making a revenue manager’s day-to-day easier and more efficient does give us warm and fuzzy feelings, but it’s about even more than that. Our #1 goal is to support your business, from top to bottom. We’ve found that empowering revenue management teams in this way creates a waterfall effect with far reaching implications: - Greater efficiency and fewer manual tasks = more time back for your employees (up to 50 hours a month!). - More time back = better work/life balance and less burnout. - Less burnout and more balance = more time to focus on commercial strategy and cross-functional alignment. - A greater emphasis on strategic work = more employee fulfillment and less turnover. - Better organizational alignment and a focus on commercial strategy = ***greater success for your business.*** Investing in the right technology and finding the right vendor partner impacts everything – from each individual employee to the holistic functioning of your organization. Yes, N2Pricing will boost profit and RevPAR while increasing your team’s efficiency. But it will do all that while also improving employee morale and fostering an environment of strategy and collaboration, and the importance of that can’t be overemphasized. ## Taking the first step While this all sounds good on paper, it may be hard to picture how a single piece of technology can really create this kind of change. So instead of just telling you, [we’d love to show you.](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/above-property?hsLang=en) Our team of experts can give you a guided tour of N2Pricing and the way real revenue managers use it every day. We can share data on its impacts across organizations just like yours (from efficiency boosts to RevPAR gains and more), and testimonials from current users on how N2 has positively impacted their teams.  Ready to see it for yourself? [Set up some time with an expert today.](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/above-property?hsLang=en)   *Did you miss part 1 or 2 of our Day in the Life with N2 series? Catch up here!* Part 1: [A Day in the Life with N2Pricing RMS](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-rms-day-in-the-life?hsLang=en) Part 2: [N2Pricing RMS: Beyond the Day-to-Day](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-beyond-day-to-day?hsLang=en)   0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-behind-the-why?hsLang=en#comments-listing) ## [N2Pricing™ RMS: Beyond the Day-to-Day](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-beyond-day-to-day?hsLang=en) Posted by [Tess McGoldrick](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick) on Jun 11, 2024 10:51:29 AM In[ part one](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-rms-day-in-the-life?hsLang=en) of our A Day in the Life with N2Pricing series, we walked you through a revenue manager’s typical day using this anything-but-typical revenue management system. Starting with that first sip of coffee and working through your entire portfolio of properties, we explored how easy it can be to work efficiently and profitably – if you are equipped with the right technology. While a large part of our focus is transforming your day-to-day so that you can free yourself from manual activities, reclaim your time, and focus on more fulfilling, strategic work, we understand that a revenue manager’s job is larger than those daily activities. In part two of our series, we’ll dig into how N2Pricing equips revenue managers to tackle the other, equally important parts of their jobs. ## Beyond the day-to-day Your job is about more than setting pricing and inventory restrictions day-to-day. A revenue manager’s expertise is key for influencing overall pricing and promotion strategy, reporting out to key stakeholders, understanding the local market and competitive set, and collaborating with cross-functional teams on strategic initiatives. Let’s take a look at life with N2Pricing beyond the typical daily to-do’s. ## Weekly and monthly activities - Review your automation settings. As we mentioned in [part one of this series](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-rms-day-in-the-life?hsLang=en), N2 puts you in complete control of the level of automation at play. We suggest reviewing your automation settings periodically to ensure they’re at a level you’re comfortable with. The higher the threshold, the more pricing changes will be automatically executed, reducing the number of exceptions you must manage. This is completely up to the user’s discretion, but we find that this threshold is often increased over time as trust in the system grows. - Prep for important calls, including business updates, reporting to owners, strategic initiatives, and organizational alignment. By streamlining daily revenue management processes, you’ll have the free time you need to layer in other strategic activities. Take this time to dive into BI for actionable insights; pull data that you know your stakeholders will want to see, identify recent trends, see if there are areas for improvement, and communicate those findings across the organization. ## Quarterly activities - Take a look at your competitive set. Ensure you’re looking at the right competitors in each local market and that the weightings in the system are accurate. This will influence recommended price changes as they relate to your comp set. - Review your rate plan settings. N2’s Dynamic Differentials feature enables you to seamlessly execute your unique pricing strategy – but ensuring that strategy is set up correctly is key. Review your rate plans quarterly, determine if any changes should be made, and watch N2 run the playbook you’ve defined automatically. - Manage your promotion plan. How did your promotions perform last quarter? Would you be better served by increasing or decreasing any of them? How would that impact your bottom line? N2 makes it easy to review results and change your promotion settings to maximize performance. ## Impactful, scalable change Revenue managers are an absolutely critical part of any successful hospitality organization. But in order to perform to the best of their ability, they need the right tools – including technology that is built to support the way their business and team is structured. Our goal is to empower above-property revenue managers to efficiently and confidently manage their portfolio of properties with ease. But beyond that, *we want to make their day-to-day better*. We want to free them up from manual, repetitive tasks, elevate their seat at the commercial strategy table, and enable them to have improved work/life balance. These daily improvements ladder up to larger, more systematic changes; they have a positive influence on weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual activities, both at the individual and organizational levels. Don’t underestimate the impact that the right technology partner can make when it impacts the daily life of your most important resource: your people.  Ready to [take N2Pricing for a spin](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/above-property?hsLang=en) and see how it could work for your unique portfolio of properties? We’d love to walk you through it, and to share the success that other above-property teams have found using this one-of-a-kind tool.  You deserve to use technology that is built specifically for you and the way you work. Take the first step towards something better by [grabbing some time on our team’s calendar today.  ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/above-property?hsLang=en) Read part 3 (the grand finale!) of our Day in the Life with N2Pricing series here: [N2Pricing RMS: Behind the “Why”](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-behind-the-why?hsLang=en)   0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-beyond-day-to-day?hsLang=en#comments-listing) ## [N2Pricing RMS + SPI Software: Partnering to Empower Timeshare Companies](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-spi-timeshare-partnership?hsLang=en) Posted by [Tess McGoldrick](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick) on May 22, 2024 4:43:13 PM We are thrilled to announce a strategic alliance with SPI Software, the global leader in providing software and technology solutions to the vacation ownership industry! This collaboration brings together SPI's industry-leading vacation ownership platform with Revenue Analytics’ [N2Pricing™ RMS](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/n2pricing?hsLang=en), empowering resorts to achieve unprecedented levels of revenue optimization through advanced pricing and forecasting capabilities. "SPI Software has always been at the forefront of innovation in the vacation ownership industry," said Gordon McClendon, CEO of SPI Software. "By integrating Revenue Analytics' cutting-edge technology into our platform, we are equipping our clients with the most powerful tools available to maximize their revenue potential." Resorts utilizing N2Pricing have seen significant increases in revenue, with reported gains exceeding 20%. The solution leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze vast amounts of data, including historical booking trends, market conditions, and competitor pricing. This deep understanding allows resorts to dynamically adjust pricing strategies in real-time, ensuring they capture optimal revenue for every unit, every day. The integration between SPI's platform and N2Pricing will be seamless and intuitive for resort operators. N2Pricing’s capabilities will leverage a two-way data integration with the SPI platform, streamlining the revenue management process. This new feature is in addition to several significant new features added to SPI Software over the last year and builds on the company's relentless commitment to innovate and enhance its products and services. - **Increased Revenue:** Dynamic pricing strategies based on real-time data analysis lead to maximized revenue capture. - **Improved Efficiency:** Streamlined workflows and automated tasks save time and resources. - **Enhanced Guest Experience**: Optimized pricing ensures fair and competitive rates, leading to guest satisfaction. - **Data-Driven Decisions:** insights empower informed decision-making across the organization. "We are thrilled to partner with SPI Software, a renowned leader in the vacation ownership space," said James Harris, Vice President of Business Development with Revenue Analytics. "By combining our expertise, we are confident that we can deliver transformative results for resorts and elevate the industry as a whole." To learn more about this one-of-a-kind integration and how it could benefit your Timeshare properties, [grab some time with a member of the N2Pricing team.](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/n2pricing-timeshare-resources?hsLang=en) To view the original press release in full, [click here.](https://tech.einnews.com/amp/pr_news/688953364/spi-software-announces-strategic-alliance-with-revenue-analytics-to-revolutionize-vacation-ownership-revenue-management?utm_campaign=hosp_timeshare&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--psrSs0aU0cROB4u7b_B-TwTqCvcPdN959H-8kYKjbtsRRj952B1Y6OL7uEBpDRGr4sZ90)     0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-spi-timeshare-partnership?hsLang=en#comments-listing) ## [A Day in the Life with N2Pricing™ RMS: Prioritize Revenue Opportunities with Ease](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-rms-day-in-the-life?hsLang=en) Posted by [Tess McGoldrick](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick) on May 13, 2024 7:45:14 PM Are you one of the many revenue management teams that have shifted to an above-property approach? Above-property revenue management describes teams that work from a centralized office (or perhaps remotely) and support multiple properties, rather than working from and supporting one designated hotel. If you answered yes – this is for you. At Revenue Analytics, we pride ourselves on having created the first revenue management system built specifically for above-property revenue management: [N2Pricing RMS](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/n2pricing?hsLang=en). Instead of a legacy system designed to support a single property and retrofitted to manage a portfolio of properties, it was built top-to-bottom with the unique needs of above-property revenue managers in mind. You may be thinking: that’s easy to say, but what does it really mean in practice? How would it tangibly impact your team’s day-to-day, or your company’s bottom line? Our ultimate goal – beyond boosting profit and efficiency for your business – is to take your day from:![A Day in the Life Calendar V2](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/A%20Day%20in%20the%20Life%20Calendar%20V2.png?width=761&height=480&name=A%20Day%20in%20the%20Life%20Calendar%20V2.png) Less time spent working pricing for each hotel in your portfolio every day, and more time spent focusing on strategic activities – the fun, important stuff where you can really make an impact. But don’t just take our word for it – let us walk you through a day in the life with N2Pricing. ## A Day in the Life Take it from the top (literally) Picture this: it’s a Monday morning. You sit down at your desk with a freshly brewed cup of coffee (or maybe a hot tea, or a Red Bull – pick your poison), and you log on to your computer. After doing a cursory check through your emails and sending those “Good morning!” messages on Teams, you fire up your RMS. And… then what? As a revenue manager tasked with overseeing a portfolio of properties, knowing where to start can be a daunting task. Do you select one hotel from your portfolio of properties, and start working pricing changes sequentially? When you’ve made it through a certain stretch of days there, do you move on to the next hotel? If you’re working with a legacy RMS built to support on-property Directors of Revenue Management (DORMs), that’s likely exactly what you’re doing. And if you only had one hotel to manage – like those on-property DORMs – that would be just fine. But in today’s environment, the average revenue manager has 11 properties in their portfolio, and this way of working is both unscalable and unsustainable. So, let’s try this again. You sit down at your desk. You take a fortifying sip of coffee. You open up N2Pricing. And then, quite simply, you take it from the top. N2Pricing’s core workspace is a prioritized list of revenue opportunities that encompasses every hotel in your portfolio for the next 365 days. This list is both location and date-agnostic and is instead sorted by the* size* of the revenue opportunity. You guessed it: the biggest ones are at the top, so that’s where you should start, working your way down. What exactly do we mean by “revenue opportunity?” A revenue opportunity is the gap between how much money you would make if you did what the system is suggesting versus if you kept the price where it’s currently set. It’s a monetary value attached to the optimal recommendation provided by the system, and, in short, is where you can have the biggest revenue impact. ![N2Pricing Dashboard](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hs-fs/hubfs/N2Pricing%20Dashboard.png?width=1000&height=750&name=N2Pricing%20Dashboard.png) So, you’ll start at the top of the list, reviewing the recommendations N2 has put forth, knowing that these are a valuable place for you to spend your time because they will directly impact your bottom line. You can review each recommended change as well as the context around it, and then choose whether or not to accept it. This dashboard is designed to show you exactly where to spend your energy – on intuitive, quick, and impactful work – so you can move on with your day. Managing by Exception N2Pricing allows each user to set automation thresholds at levels they are comfortable with – plus or minus 10%, for example. This means that if you set a price for a given property and day, and then N2 works its magic and realizes that you’d capture more revenue if you increased that price, that update will run automatically if it is within the 10% increase threshold. You will only be asked to review a suggested price change if it falls outside the bounds of the threshold you’ve set. If N2 is suggesting a price increase of 13%, it will show up in the dashboard shown above for your review. This is exceptions management: where manually reviewing a price change becomes the* exception*, not the *rule*, thanks to automation. While N2 relies heavily on automation, it’s automation that is built to enhance the user’s abilities, not replace them. Users are fully in control of their own automation levels, and they can change them over time as they become more comfortable – no all-or-nothing automation here. N2’s goal is to free the user up from certain manual, repetitive tasks so that they are free to use their expertise to focus on more strategic activities. ### Not to be dramatic, but we want to change your life Revenue managers are an absolutely critical part of any successful hospitality organization. But in order to perform to the best of their ability, they need the right tools – including technology that is built to support the way their business and team is structured. Our goal is to empower above-property revenue managers to efficiently and confidently manage their portfolio of properties with ease. But beyond that, we want to make their day-to-day better. We want to free them up from manual, repetitive tasks, give them a seat at the commercial strategy table, and enable them to have improved work/life balance. Ready to** **take N2Pricing for a spin and see how it could work for your unique portfolio of properties? We’d love to walk you through it, and to share the success that other above-property teams have found using this one-of-a-kind tool. [Set up a 1:1 with an N2Pricing expert today.](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/above-property?hsLang=en)  We covered the day-to-day here, but we know a revenue team’s job is even bigger than that. To see how N2 supports revenue managers in bigger-picture activities beyond the daily to-do’s, check out part 2 in this series – [N2Pricing™ RMS: Beyond the Day-to-Day.](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-beyond-day-to-day?hsLang=en) Or, for a better understanding of our driving principles – and what’s really in it for you and your team – skip to part 3: [N2Pricing RMS: Behind the “Why” ](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-behind-the-why?hsLang=en) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/n2pricing-rms-day-in-the-life?hsLang=en#comments-listing) [All posts](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/all) [Next](https://4864103.hs-sites.com/hospitality/blog/author/tess-mcgoldrick/page/2)