Having progressed through front office, hotel operations, sales, revenue management and ultimately into general management, Anna Sirba FIH brings first-hand experience of the commercial and operational challenges hotels face. Anna now works with hotels as a Customer Success Consultant at Frontline Performance Group, a leading provider of hotel upsell technology and front desk training solutions. Anna helps front desk teams develop the skills and confidence to personalise the guest experience while driving incremental revenue through effective hotel upselling. Every week, she hears common challenges from hotel leaders, many of which are rooted in misconceptions.
In this article, Anna explores five of the most common revenue challenges she encounters and shares the practical strategies and proven tactics that leading hotels use to overcome them and achieve stronger commercial performance.
Hotel Revenue Challenge #1: "We're fully booked. There's nothing left to sell."
High occupancy doesn't mean revenue opportunities disappear. Premium room upgrades, sea views, corner rooms, suites, late check-out, parking, spa treatments and F&B all provide opportunities to enhance the guest experience while increasing ancillary revenue.
As Anna explains, "Being full doesn't mean you've sold everything, it simply means you've sold your standard inventory. The guest experience still offers countless opportunities to create additional value."
Anna notes, it's also worth remembering that although hotels often need to balance the house and provide complimentary upgrades for operational reasons, this shouldn't mean overlooking remaining revenue opportunities. “With effective planning and room allocation management, it's often still possible to recommend and sell premium room types while balancing operational requirements,” she says.
A memorable check-in sets the tone for the entire stay. Read our guide, Greeting a Guest: How Hotels Can Create a Memorable First Impression.
A Missed Revenue Opportunity: "Most of our guests are loyalty members anyway."
Another recurring hotel revenue challenge is assuming loyalty members have little interest in paid enhancements to their stay. It's easy to assume top loyalty members won't spend more because they already receive complimentary upgrades. In reality, they're often your most valuable guests. By positioning complimentary upgrades as a starting point (not the final destination) and recommending personalised premium experiences, hotels can increase incremental revenue while delivering an even more memorable stay.
For example:
"Because of your status, we can offer you a complimentary one-room category upgrade at no cost. Or, since you're a Gold member, I can move you up three room categories for what many guests pay for a one-room category upgrade."
Anna frequently reminds teams that, "We should never simply assume a loyalty member is only interested in their complimentary entitlement. Recognition is incredibly important. Guests appreciate hearing, 'Thank you for your loyalty. As a valued member, we’d like to offer you this complimentary upgrade.' However, many loyalty members also want to enhance their stay even further. They often understand that additional spend contributes towards future stays, earning points and progressing through membership tiers. If an even better room or experience is available, every guest deserves to know about it. Presenting those options allows the guest to make an informed choice rather than making the decision on their behalf. Guests can't choose an experience they were never offered. Our role is to make sure they know what's available "
Want more front desk upselling tips? Read our guide: Hotel Front Desk Upselling: Turning Small Moments Into Big Wins
Overcoming Hotel Revenue Challenges During Peak Check-In Periods: "We're too busy."
Many hotel revenue challenges aren't caused by a lack of opportunity, but by missed opportunities during everyday guest interactions. Even during conferences, weddings, group arrivals and peak check-in periods, busy hotels often have the greatest potential to increase revenue.
As Anna puts it, "Being busy doesn't remove opportunity. When front desk teams are trained to spot buying signals, those opportunities become much easier to recognise. Some of the busiest days can offer the greatest revenue opportunities. Guests travelling for conferences, weddings or special occasions are often more willing to invest in convenience, flexibility and premium experiences that make their stay even better. "
The difference lies in having simple, repeatable processes that help teams identify opportunities naturally within the guest conversation, even when operations are at their busiest. Rather than adding extra work, the right approach enables teams to make the most of the conversations they're already having with guests.
Coaching for Commercial Success: "Our team doesn't have the time or confidence."
High staff turnover, seasonal recruitment and new starters can make commercial conversations feel daunting. The highest-performing hotels don't expect confidence to appear overnight. They build it through coaching, recognition and relevant recommendations, so upselling feels like exceptional service rather than selling. Recognition and incentive programmes, such as those built into Frontline Performance Group's platform, also play an important role by rewarding success, celebrating great performance, and giving team members the confidence to continue making personalised recommendations to guests.
Find Your Revenue Leaks: "We know there's opportunity...we just don't know where."
Many managers know revenue is being left on the table but lack the visibility to understand why. Without clear performance data, coaching becomes generic and opportunities are missed.
For example, if a team member hasn't sold a suite or adjoining room all month, Frontline Performance Group enables managers to identify the gap and direct that employee to the relevant e-learning module, providing targeted coaching where it's needed most.
Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, the most successful hotels use individual performance insights to tailor coaching, helping every team member develop the skills that will have the greatest commercial impact.
Across thousands of hotels, FPG has learned that sustainable revenue growth doesn't come from asking teams to sell more, it comes from empowering them to serve guests better. When front desk teams have the confidence, coaching, and technology to recognise opportunities that add genuine value to a guest's stay, commercial results naturally follow.
“At Frontline Performance Group, we help hotels transform these everyday front desk interactions into real revenue through performance insights, coaching, and recognition that drive lasting behavioural change and stronger commercial outcomes. The most successful hotels I've worked with all have one thing in common. They view upselling as helping guests make the most out of their stay. When teams are supported with the right coaching, confidence and insights, better guest experiences and stronger commercial performance naturally go hand-in-hand,” Anna concludes.
If you’d like to discuss a complimentary revenue assessment and find out how FPG's solutions can help your property click here to book a demo..
