Case Study: How The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte Transformed Hotel Upselling Performance with FPG

In the heart of Uptown, the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte is a luxury retreat known for impeccable service, experiences and the brand’s signature commitment to excellence. As guest expectations and operational demands continue to evolve, the leadership team sought a more structured, scalable way to enhance upselling, empower their front desk and increase ancillary revenue.

The hotel partnered with Frontline Performance Group (FPG), a Marriott approved partner, to implement the front desk program. This solution is designed to strengthen frontline communication, increase confidence and introduce a consistent, data-driven approach to upselling.

Key Results 

  1. Growth in Revenue

The hotel saw immediate financial improvement through structured, consistent upselling.

  1. Stronger Confident Team

Through real-time feedback, training and support, frontline associates became more empowered and effective.

  1. Improved Guest Satisfaction

Guests benefited from personalized, relevant upgrade options and more confident communication from the team.

  1. Clear Performance Visibility

Leadership gained the ability to track trends, identify opportunities and coach more effectively.

 “Having this data at our fingertips makes it easier to set goals and measure success,” says Rayka Estal, Director of Rooms at The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte

  1. High-Impact Coaching & Strategic Partnership

The proactive support from FPG played an important role.

“This level of support makes a big difference in maintaining momentum and accountability,” Rayka explains. 

Read more: The Best Hotel Upsell Training Programs (and why FPG leads the way)

The Challenge

Before FPG, The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte’s upsell process was manual and difficult to scale.

“Upsell offers were handled manually at check-in, which created operational inefficiencies and put additional pressure on front desk associates during peak times as well as the Champions due to the manual and tedious process,” Rayka says.

“Despite offering upgrades, the lack of a structured approach meant our conversion rates were minimal. Guests were rarely presented with personalized options, which reduced engagement.”

“The team was not as confident with their verbiage when offering the upgrades.”

Leadership knew there was strong potential but unlocking it required the right tools, training and support.

“We knew there was significant potential to increase ancillary revenue, but without a proven system, it was difficult to scale upselling in a way that was both guest-friendly and operationally smooth,” Rayka says.

The Solution

FPG provided:

  • Structured performance tools
  • Online training resources
  • Customized coaching
  • Robust dashboard with key metric visibility

 “The dashboard provides clear, real-time visibility into performance metrics, which helps us track progress and identify areas for improvement,” Rayka explains.

Employees were able to learn at their own pace and develop confidence through consistent reinforcement.

“The availability of online training resources is a huge advantage. It ensures that our team can continuously learn and refine their skills at their own pace. Our Customer Success Coach is incredibly engaged and proactive. They don’t just provide guidance, they challenge us to push beyond our comfort zone and strive for better results!” Rayka says.

Could your property be leaving money on the table? Let FPG help you find out. If you would like to find out more, you can request a free revenue assessment here.