Upselling is a proven way to drive incremental revenue in hotels, but when it comes to Pre-Arrival vs. On-Arrival: Which upsell wins?It's a question that continues to divide opinions. Is it better to offer guests upgrades before they arrive via emails, or with more of a personal touch during check-in? FPG’s Mark Norfolk and Tom Diaz recently sat down to talk through both approaches and share their insights from years of experience in the industry.
Pre-Arrival: Convenience Meets Limitations
Pre-arrival hotel upselling strategies typically rely on email blasts offering upgrades, premium services, or add-ons before guests set foot on the property. This method gives hotels the ability to reach guests when they’re still in the planning mindset. Hotels can personalize offers based on booking data, stay history, or guest preferences, increasing both relevance and conversion rates. Beyond revenue generation, offering room upgrades before hotel check-in can help streamline operations, allowing front desk teams to better prepare for guest needs in advance.
However, Diaz explains how this digital convenience can have a downside.
“The guest’s decision is usually based on a number, ‘is it cheap enough?’” explains Diaz. “With this pre-arrival method, we leave a lot of the thinking to the guest but there is no emotion there. There is nothing there to help the guest feel the difference that this experience will make in their stay. That’s what you call value and that’s what most guests care about, even more than the price.”
In addition, by sending emails out in advance, there’s a risk of price conditioning.
“Front desk agents have told me,” Diaz shares, “‘Those pre-arrival prices can be so low that returning guests expect the same price.’”
On-Arrival: Where Hospitality Comes Alive
In contrast, on-arrival hotel upsell techniques tap into human connection and real-time context.
“When you walk into the lobby, smell the scent, see other guests enjoying their time, it puts you in a whole different mindset. You have the eye contact, you have the tone of voice, you have the sincerity of a front desk associate that has helped so many other guests experience the best their property has to offer. This is where confidence comes from and when you think about it, sales really is nothing more than a transfer of confidence.” explains Diaz.
On-arrival upselling, such as FPG’s program, relies on face-to-face interaction, predominantly during check-in, to offer upgrades or enhancements. It taps into the emotional side of hospitality, giving front desk staff the opportunity to gauge guest mood and tailor recommendations in real time. Diaz emphasizes this “human moment” as a critical value-driver, especially in creating memorable experiences. While it requires staff training and confidence, hotel upselling at the front desk can often yield higher acceptance rates, as guests are physically present, emotionally invested, and more likely to indulge in the moment.
Norfolk agrees: “That agent is developing a relationship, not just guest to agent, but guest to the property and the brand.”
Live interaction also enables real-time inventory management and spontaneous decision-making.
“As an Operator, if I’m doing my upsells on the day-of,” Diaz explains, “I have better control over my inventory,” says Diaz.
The Power of Human Connection
Diaz quotes author Will Guirdara when speaking of on-arrival upselling: “Service is black and white. Hospitality is color.”
It’s about building trust and understanding guests’ needs, not pushing products.
“You are the expert,” Diaz tells front desk teams. “Think of it as a matching game. Match them with the room they should have booked. You could see it as solving a mystery where you only get one clue. That clue is what occasion brings your guest to town. Base your offer on that and you’re off to the races.”
If you'd like to learn more about how to upsell at the front desk, read more on the blog: Hotel Front Desk Training How Role Play Boosts Confidence And Sales.
Tools, Training and Team Buy-In
To make in-person hotel upsell strategies truly effective, tools and training are essential.
“With an on-arrival program like ours at FPG,” says Norfolk, “you get access to all the right tools, like IN-Gauge for KPI visibility and training, so staff are doing the right things at the right times.”
It’s also about team involvement.
“On-arrival brings everyone into the revenue mission,” Norfolk notes. “Pre-arrival tends to be controlled by one or two people.”
But if you’ve got pre-arrival upselling at your property, and you still expect the front desk team to upsell, without a real on-arrival program, there’s often a huge disconnect.
A guest may walk in thinking, ‘I got an email offering this for ten dollars or ten pounds, and now you're telling me it's fifty?’
That kind of situation can be handled with the right approach, but ideally, you don't want to be there in the first place. To avoid that disconnect, you need strong communication across the team, whether you're running both pre-arrival and on arrival upselling program or even just one of them,” explains Norfolk.
Consumer Trends: The Desire for Human Touch
Recent data reinforces their insights. “Travelers prefer human interaction at check-in,” Norfolk points out. “With pre-arrival, you’re missing out on that emotional connection.”
According to Phocuswright’s Travelers and Tech 2024: Attitudes and Usage report, many travelers are still reluctant to forgo human interaction, particularly when it involves customer service. Despite the growing presence of AI chatbots, travel companies should recognize the enduring demand for human-based hotel customer service. Source: Hospitality Today.
Diaz adds: “People want that, especially now. Even with the incredible breakthroughs in AI that will propel our industry, there’s still a thirst for live interaction that builds trust through relationships. Machines and emails can help, but they can’t match that.”
Better Experience, Better Results
Ultimately, on-arrival upselling enhances guest experience and revenue. “It’s not just about a picture and a price,” Norfolk says. “It’s about how that room will enhance the guest’s experience.”
Diaz agrees: “A highly trained and developed front desk agent can bring you so much more in revenue but also service scores. And when people experience a higher level of product, they tend to leave higher guest service scores.
“It's about empathy. It's about understanding. It's about professionalism. It's about product knowledge and conveying that to the guest so the guest feels secure and, again, coming back to value.
“I have a sales mentor who once told me people don't mind spending money. They just want to feel good about the money they're spending. And that comes through when you have a one to one interaction,” Diaz concludes.
How FPG’s On-Arrival Solution Brings Value
With a vast e-learning library and on-going virtual support by a dedicated Customer Success Consultant, FPG teaches hotel teams how to build rapport and spot buying signals during guest interactions at check-in.
Selling Benefits, Not Just Features
With FPG, frontline teams go beyond technical room descriptions and focus on the emotional value for each guest segment. Using structured techniques like the “Confident Opening,” “Two Features + Benefits,” and the “Assumptive Close,” FPG helps front desk staff make personalized upsell offers during check-in, increasing conversion while elevating guest satisfaction.
Room Tours: Upsell Through Experience
Another key FPG method, "Room Tours," boosts front desk confidence and knowledge by encouraging them to tour the hotel’s rooms and study the USPs. This means staff can match the right room to the right guest, whether it’s adjoining rooms for families or work spaces for business travelers, making the upsell both relevant and valuable. “Room tours empower frontline staff by reinforcing their expertise and instilling a sense of professionalism,” explains Diaz
Conclusion: Striking the Balance
The verdict?
“Pre-arrival puts the guest in control, whereas on-arrival really helps to create that that emotional connection and gets more results because of your people, it allows the hotel to guide the experience. With on-arrival upsells, you can really reach your true potential because you're getting your team involved even more.”
And in hospitality, that emotional connection is everything.
“Guests aren’t just buying rooms,” Norfolk concludes. “They're paying to have a great experience at property.”
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