Unsure how to maximize your hotel revenue? FPG’s President - International, Paul McLoughlin can help.
“What brings you to the area?” It’s a simple question and one that might seem nothing more than a polite formality. But for the guest standing at the front desk of a hotel, the answer and more importantly, how it’s handled, could make or break their stay.
“When frontline teams learn how to build genuine rapport, use assumptive language and ask the right questions, it can transform the guest experience,” Paul McLoughlin explains. “The result leads to higher customer satisfaction and the ability to command 15-20% higher prices. For hotels that haven’t embraced FPG’s program, this untapped revenue is often just ‘money left on the table.’
When guests check into a hotel, emotions often lead them to spend more, regardless of how they booked. The key is to create an environment that encourages staff to ask the right questions. And FPG’s expert training, does exactly that.
But it’s not an upsell program. “I don’t see it that way,” McLoughlin insists. It's a service enhancement program. And I think that's key.” He says FPG’s program is not about being pushy, “It’s about offering valuable services and products to every guest checking in.”
McLoughlin, who brings decades of experience in leading and scaling tech-enabled, SaaS-focused businesses in the hospitality, car-sharing and consulting sectors, says the goal of FPG’s program is to enhance the guest experience and the revenue will follow.
And he knows what he’s talking about. “Years ago, I was at a golf resort for a training session. One of the front desk managers had studied at the best Swiss hotel school, was very professional but completely against selling. She said, “I don’t believe in selling. It feels bad. Guests are already spending $500 a night to play golf here—I’m all about service.”
“So, I said, ‘Well, thanks for sharing. But honestly, I don’t think you’re very good at it. I’m a golfer. If I came here on my bucket-list trip and there was a chance to pay a bit more for a room overlooking the 18th hole, and no one told me, I’d be pretty annoyed. I might say no, but what if I said yes? That’s not selling, that’s great service.”
“And from that moment, the whole hotel embraced FPG’s concept. It became the brand’s best-performing hotel in the UK.”
FPG was founded 30 years ago and started life as a small boutique consulting firm with a handful of clients in the car rental business. FPG later branched out into the hospitality world and acquired its biggest competitors, Drake Beil Associates in the US and TSA Solutions in Asia. Fast forward to today and it’s a global leader. FPG now partners with over 2,500 hotels, generating millions in incremental revenue in 100+ countries.
So there’s clearly demand for FPG's technology and training. McLoughlin explains when a guest arrives at a hotel, they may have booked a standard room without knowing all their options. By offering recommendations for upgrades—like interconnecting rooms or a suite—it can enhance their stay and generate additional revenue. He says it's important to shift the focus from the sales skills of staff to the benefits for the guests. “High-performing luxury properties understand that prioritizing guest experience leads to higher customer satisfaction.”
FPG’s program is designed to elevate front desk performance through technology and targeted training. “It’s about creating moments where guests feel genuinely cared for, whether that’s suggesting a spa treatment after a long journey, offering an adjoining room for a family needing extra space, or proposing a late check-out to ease their travel schedule." Training staff to meet guest needs, unlocks hidden revenue opportunities.
It all starts with simple, thoughtful questions. A trained employee might ask, ‘What time is your flight?’ If a guest says 10 pm, the staff may suggest keeping the room for an extra night. It’s a win-win: the guest avoids the stress of checking out early, and the hotel secures an additional booking. “Guests appreciate that level of attention, it makes them feel valued,” McLoughlin says. And from the hotel’s perspective? It’s an easy ‘sell’ that doesn’t feel like selling, which enhances the overall guest experience. “It’s about turning everyday interactions into opportunities,” he says.
FPG is game changer for both guests and hotels. "When you combine the right tools with the right training, you create a culture of hospitality that drives both satisfaction and revenue,” he explains. “It’s not just about selling, it’s about understanding and anticipating what guests truly need. But too often, front desk teams see their job as just assigning rooms, not thinking about the extra 4% in revenue that could come from personalized recommendations. They assume that's the revenue team’s job,” he says.
The effectiveness of the program is evident in those who fully implement it. McLoughlin highlights how successful hotels conduct mid-month performance reviews with their agents, place underperforming staff in additional training, and create a high-performing culture with clear targets. He says they understand that having a balanced team—where everyone performs at a similar level—is important; ‘heros and zeros’ can create issues.
“And guess what? The hotels that implement our blueprint, get better results. That's the beauty of this. It's tried and tested. I say, if you create the right environment, both an incentive and accountability, and you train people to follow, to say the right things, to use assumptive language, and you get the right fit on board—we’ve seen when you focus on enhancing service, sales naturally follow.”
All hotels need to do is implement FPG’s program and follow it. But unlike traditional SaaS approaches that leave clients to fend for themselves, FPG is committed to ensuring client success. "We're there to support. Our program IN-Gauge integrates seamlessly with hotel property management systems, so frontline teams can log their upsells, track performance metrics and view leaderboards via a desktop or smartphone app.
“We offer support virtually and can host on-site boot camps. It’s like a gym membership: if you don’t put in the effort, you won’t see results. But not everyone has to hit their full potential. If someone wants a small boost—a 1% RevPAR increase and a 10:1 ROI—that’s fine. But for those who go all in, using every tool, the ROI could be 50:1 or more.”
The program impacts staff in a positive way too. One of the challenges in the hospitality industry is that many frontline employees, despite being the ones who spend the most time with customers, are undervalued, undertrained and often underpaid. However, they're also the ones who can make or break the guest experience—they're rarely given the recognition or tools to help them succeed.
“We focus on helping frontline staff shift from simply delivering services to becoming brand ambassadors. Our philosophy centers on believing in people and recognizing their potential to make a difference,” McLoughlin says. FPG’s approach is all about believing in people and unlocking their potential.
“Our training helps staff feel confident to recommend services and products from a position of authority, whether they're working in a hotel, a theme park or a call center. It's also about life skills for the for frontline team who could be the next generation of management.”
The program can also change lives. “If suddenly someone’s making an extra $2,000 in commission, that’s a game changer. It’s huge—$5,000 could mean putting their kids through school. It's the difference between struggling with basic expenses and having a bit more stability. Some of the stories we've heard over the years show just how much of an impact our program can have and we care about that.”
He recounts a final story from a conference, where one of his colleagues was talking to a hotel executive generating $100 million in revenue. He mentioned the program could generate an extra $1 million, and the hotel executive shrugged it off, saying, “I don’t need a million dollars.”
So his colleague broke it down. “That million includes about $100,000 going directly to your frontline team. Are you saying they don’t need it?” Another lightbulb moment, the executive paused. “That $100,000 could save you from spending twice as much on staff turnover and training. It’s not about you—it’s about them.” Suddenly, the conversation wasn’t just about revenue—it was about people. While the numbers hadn’t changed, their perspective had. When your team is engaged, service stands out, guests keep coming back and the extra revenue follows.
To receive a FREE assessment, simply email discover@frontlinepg.com
If you'd like to hear more from Paul McLoughlin and how FPG is transforming revenue at hotels around the world, you can read an interview with Paul in Hotelier Middle East magazine.
