Located at the gateway to the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Airport Complex is home to two prominent hospitality brands: DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport
and the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center, offer expansive meeting space. The hotels are located less than one mile from the airport, with a free shuttle service.
Despite the perception that airport hotels, often hosting short-stay travelers, have limited upsell potential, the teams at both properties have consistently challenged and overturned that assumption, achieving extraordinary success through FPG’s performance enhancement platform IN-Gauge.
The Challenge: Rising Labor Costs
Like many in the hospitality sector, both properties faced challenges related to labor expenses. “Our primary goal was to increase revenue. We have experienced a 16% increase in labor costs year-over-year. I was looking for ways to overcome that,” explains Jon McFarland, General Manager.
Rather than reduce service or cut costs, leadership looked inward for performance gains, unlocking new revenue streams at the front desk through structured upsell initiatives.
Solution: FPG’s Platform and Onsite Training
The hotels partnered with FPG’s IN-Gauge, a centralized performance platform designed to elevate front desk operations through service-focused upselling, real-time tracking and incentive transparency. After a brief pause, the team reinstated FPG’s 6-month on-site training sessions, recognizing their proven impact and the immediate uplift in engagement and revenue they consistently deliver.
“I asked to move back to a 6-month on-site training plan as our Customer Success Consultant, Alfredo Fuentes generates a lot of excitement, and we see immediate uptick in upsell revenues after a visit.” By combining FPG’s on-the-ground training with its digital platform for scoring, goal setting and auditing, both properties equipped staff with the tools to succeed, and built a sustainable upsell culture.
Results: Triple-Digit Revenue Growth Year Over Year
The results speak for themselves:
· In 2024, the DoubleTree saw a 44% revenue increase, while the Hilton achieved a 46% increase compared to the previous year.
· Year-to-date 2025, the DoubleTree outperformed 2024 by 189%, and the Hilton by 79%.
“It has been a huge improvement. Proof is in the results. Recapping our year-over-year growth certainly shows FPG has helped drive a more engaged upsell program.”
These gains were achieved without any additional CapEx, demonstrating the power of performance-led culture.
Impact Beyond Revenue: Culture, Retention and Engagement
For McFarland, the transformation impacted both the bottom line and the team. “Incentivizing front desk staff and showing them the impact on their weekly wages creates staff retention. I know our team is engaged and also uses IN-Gauge to keep scoring visible in the back of house.”
FPG’s transparency and automation, especially around incentive tracking and audit trails boosted both employee trust and leadership confidence. Managers no longer need to track upsells manually eg., in Excel and team members can clearly see their earnings potential and performance metrics.
Advice to Peers: Invest in People and Presence
A dedicated FPG Customer Success Consultant conducts monthly calls to guide performance and strategy at each hotel. The IN-Gauge platform supports this with hundreds of e-learning videos (available on desktop or smartphone) to sharpen skills, such as how to build genuine rapport, spot buying signals and use assumptive language. The platform also offers real-time performance visibility and instant recognition tools that help top talent stay motivated.
“We have found spending the travel costs and on-property costs of in-person visits shows ROI in increased engagement by our team,” says McFarland.
McFarland places high value on FPG’s in-person training, pointing to the impact of face-to-face engagement in energizing and aligning the front desk team. While on-site visits are a clear driver, FPG’s ongoing support through the IN-Gauge platform delivers real-time performance tracking, instant recognition, and hundreds of e-learning videos that reinforce skills long after the visit ends.
It’s this blend of hands-on training, technology and virtual coaching that McFarland sees as key to the property's long-term success. From check-in to check-out, the Seattle Airport Complex is proving that upselling at airport hotels is possible, profitable and empowering.
Further reading:Pre-Arrival vs On-Arrival: Which Upsell Wins
Case Study: How New World Hoiana Beach Resort Achieved a 60% Upsell Revenue Increase
Hotel Front Desk Training: How Role Play Boosts Confidence and Sales
Discover how FPG can help your property unlock its full potential:👉 Request a Demo 👉 Download Our Hotel Upsell Playbook.
