Sales Strategy Has Changed.
Most Independent Hotels Haven’t.
Sales strategy for independent hotels has fundamentally changed over the past five years.
Yet most properties are still operating with outdated playbooks.
The result?
- Lost bookings
- Eroding market share
- Revenue that should be yours ending up with competitors
Below are the five most costly sales strategy mistakes we see — and what to do about them.
Mistake #1: Treating All Channels Equally
Not all distribution channels deserve equal attention.
Yet most hotels spread effort uniformly across every booking source.
That’s like fishing with the same bait everywhere — inefficient and ineffective.
The Reality
Different channels deliver radically different results:
- Direct bookings may convert at 8–12%
- OTAs often convert at 3–4%
- Corporate bookings may have lower volume but 40% higher value
The Cost
- Sales time wasted on low-impact channels
- Marketing budgets misallocated
- Overinvestment where returns are weakest
The Fix
Conduct a channel profitability analysis:
- True acquisition cost
- Conversion rate
- Booking value
- Guest lifetime value
Then reallocate effort ruthlessly toward high-value channels.
This isn’t about abandoning others — it’s about right-sizing investment.
Mistake #2: No Defined Sales Process
Many hotel sales teams operate reactively:
- An inquiry arrives
- Someone responds
- Follow-up happens… maybe
There’s no consistent system.
The Reality
Sales is a process, not an event.
Hotels with defined sales processes convert 25–40% more inquiries — yet most independent hotels have never mapped theirs.
The Cost
- Inconsistent guest experience
- Slow response times
- Lost opportunities
- No visibility into where leads drop off
The Fix
Document your full sales journey:
- Inquiry → response → follow-up → close
- Response time standards (target: under 2 hours)
- Proposal templates
- Follow-up sequences
- Decision checkpoints
This isn’t robotic selling — it’s professional execution.
At Revstad Hospitality Consulting, our sales audits consistently reveal capable teams executing ineffective strategies. Once identified, these gaps are highly fixable.
Mistake #3: Ignoring the Corporate Segment
Leisure bookings matter — but corporate travellers are the most valuable segment:
- Consistent mid-week demand
- Higher ADR acceptance
- Lower seasonality impact
- Predictable booking behaviour
Yet many independent hotels neglect corporate sales because it requires sustained effort with delayed payoff.
The Reality
Once established, corporate accounts generate year-after-year revenue at minimal acquisition cost.
A single mid-size company can deliver 200–400 room nights annually.
The Cost
- Empty rooms Monday–Thursday
- Overdependence on weekend leisure
- Revenue volatility and poor forecasting
The Fix
- Identify 20–30 target companies
- Build a structured outreach program (one meaningful touchpoint per month)
- Track relationships in a CRM
- Set realistic timelines: 6–12 months to activate new accounts
Corporate sales isn’t fast — but it’s durable.
Mistake #4: Pricing Without Strategy
Price is your most powerful sales lever — yet many hotels price based on instinct or competitor checks.
There’s no framework linking price to:
- Demand
- Lead time
- Guest segment
- Length of stay
The Reality
Strategic pricing alone can increase revenue 10–20% without changing your product.
The Cost
- Training guests to book late
- No incentive for longer stays
- Leaving premium demand under-monetised
The Fix
Build a pricing framework based on:
- Lead time (reward advance bookings)
- Length of stay
- Segment (corporate, leisure, group)
- Day of week & season
Use rate fences:
- Non-refundable advance rates
- Premium pricing for flexibility
Automate wherever possible through your PMS or booking engine.
Mistake #5: No Sales Performance Metrics
You can’t improve what you don’t measure — yet many hotels track only total bookings.
The Reality
Hotels with strong sales dashboards outperform others by 15–25%.
The Cost
- Underperformance goes unnoticed
- Slow responses become normal
- Channel shifts detected too late
- No data to justify sales investment
The Fix
Track a simple sales dashboard:
- Inquiry volume by source
- Response time (target: under 2 hours)
- Conversion rate by channel
- Average booking value
- Pipeline value
- Won / lost analysis
Review weekly.
Most of this data already exists — it just isn’t being used.
The Compounding Effect
These mistakes don’t operate in isolation — they compound.
Poor channel strategy →
No time for corporate sales →
OTA dependence →
Margin erosion →
No investment in tools or training
The reverse compounds too:
- Better channels free up time
- Corporate mix reduces OTA reliance
- Margins improve
- Systems and skills get funded
From Diagnosis to Execution
Our sales audits evaluate:
- Channel strategy
- Sales processes
- Corporate programs
- Pricing frameworks
- Performance metrics
But unlike traditional consulting, we don’t stop at diagnosis.
Through fractional sales leadership, we:
- Work alongside your team
- Implement processes
- Train staff
- Track results
It’s the bridge from insight to impact.
Your Next Move
If you recognise your hotel in these mistakes, you’re not behind —
you’re ahead simply by acknowledging them.
At Revstad Hospitality Consulting, we see these issues repeatedly because they’re structural, not personnel failures.
Hotels that win today aren’t just better properties —
they execute better strategies, consistently.
Ready to Fix What’s Costing You Bookings?
Schedule a complimentary sales strategy consultation.
Revstad Hospitality Consulting
Bridging diagnosis with execution for measurable hotel performance.
