Opening a Hotel: The 90-Day Commercial Readiness Checklist
Opening a hotel is exhilarating.
It’s also a commercial minefield, where even experienced operators make costly mistakes.
The difference between a successful launch and a struggling property often comes down to what happens in the 90 days before you welcome your first guest.
Yet, most pre-opening teams don’t have a commercial roadmap. They focus on furniture delivery and staff training—which are important—but neglect the revenue engine that ultimately determines success.
This is your 90-day commercial readiness checklist.
Days 90–75: Foundation & Strategy
Finalise Your Commercial Strategy
Before tactical execution begins, you need strategic clarity.
This isn’t about an investor pitch—it’s an operational commercial strategy that guides daily decisions.
Define these elements precisely:
- Primary and secondary guest segments (not “everyone”)
- Competitive positioning (where exactly do you fit?)
- Rate philosophy (premium, parity, or value?)
- Channel strategy (how guests will find and book you)
- Revenue targets by segment and channel (specific numbers, not wishes)
Most pre-opening hotels are vague here.
“We’ll target business and leisure travellers” isn’t a strategy—it’s what all hotels say.
Establish Your Rate Structure
You can’t sell rooms if you haven’t decided what to charge—yet many hotels are still debating rates two weeks before opening.
Build your complete rate structure now:
- Base rates by room category
- Seasonal rate calendar
- Length-of-stay pricing
- Advance purchase rates
- Corporate negotiated rates
- Group rates
- Package inclusions and pricing
⚠️ Price too low and you lock in weak market perception.
⚠️ Price too high without value and you launch with empty rooms.
Get this right before revenue pressure forces reactive decisions.
At Revstad Hospitality Consulting, we’ve seen a clear pattern:
Hotels with structured commercial readiness generate 40–60% more revenue in their first year than those focused only on construction and operations.
Set Up Your Technology Infrastructure
Your commercial success depends on systems many teams treat as afterthoughts.
They must be operational, tested, and staff-ready before opening-week chaos hits.
Critical systems:
- Property Management System (fully configured)
- Booking Engine (tested across devices)
- Channel Manager (connected to all partners)
- CRM system (guest data structure ready)
- Email marketing platform (templates & automation)
- Revenue management system or dashboards
Don’t assume systems “just work.”
Plan two weeks for testing, fixes, and staff training.
Days 75–60: Demand Generation Begins
Launch Your Website
Your website must be live 60–75 days before opening. This is non-negotiable.
Every day it isn’t live is a day you’re not:
- Generating direct bookings
- Building SEO authority
- Capturing guest interest
Essential pre-opening website elements:
- Compelling property story & imagery
- Complete room descriptions & rates
- Functional booking engine
- Contact & inquiry forms
- Location & area guide
- Opening date visibility
- Email capture mechanism
A pre-opening website doesn’t need to be perfect—it needs to be functional.
Activate Distribution Channels
OTAs, corporate tools, and GDS require time to onboard and verify.
Recommended activation sequence:
- Direct channel (your website)
- Major OTAs (45–60 days)
- Google Hotel Ads
- Corporate booking platforms
- Metasearch engines
Each channel has its own approval timeline.
Start early. Expect delays.
Begin Sales Outreach
Corporate sales needs lead time. Companies don’t add hotels overnight.
Start outreach 60–75 days before opening:
- Identify 30–50 target companies
- Develop pre-opening offers
- Schedule site tours (even during construction)
- Negotiate launch-quarter rates
- Secure platform listings
Wait until opening, and mid-week occupancy already suffers.
Days 60–30: Building Momentum
Execute PR & Marketing Campaigns
Your opening isn’t news—unless you make it news.
Marketing execution plan:
- Media outreach
- Social media launch & content calendar
- Email campaigns
- Opening offers & packages
- Influencer collaborations
- Local partnerships
- Grand opening planning
Marketing builds anticipation and advance bookings, not just buzz.
Soft Opening Strategy
Most hotels misuse soft openings by offering deep discounts to friends and family—creating terrible price anchors.
A better approach:
- Limited inventory release
- Selective channel activation
- Strategic rate positioning
- Non-public friends & family rates
- Clear “soft opening” messaging
- Aggressive review generation
Your soft opening is your first market impression.
Don’t position yourself as the discount option.
Staff Sales Training
Every guest-facing employee is part of your sales team.
Pre-opening sales training should cover:
- Property features & selling points
- Room upselling techniques
- Packages & ancillary services
- Local area recommendations
- Rate objection handling
- Service recovery
Most hotels train systems—not selling.
Your opening weeks are when confidence matters most.
Days 30–0: Final Preparations
Booking Pace Monitoring
By 30 days out, monitor booking pace actively.
Key metrics:
- Opening month occupancy
- Lead time patterns
- ADR trends
- Channel mix
- Guest segments
Don’t hope bookings materialise—drive them.
Soft Opening Execution
Use your soft opening strategically:
- Test systems in real conditions
- Fix operational issues
- Generate early reviews
- Capture marketing content
- Refine service delivery
Hotels that do this well enter opening day with momentum and confidence.
Grand Opening Planning
Your grand opening is a commercial event, not just a celebration.
Key components:
- Media & influencer attendance
- Corporate partner invites
- Local business networking
- Limited-time offers
- Review generation strategy
- Content capture
The Pre-Opening Advantage
Hotels that follow this roadmap launch with:
- Active distribution
- Advance booking pipelines
- Corporate relationships
- Functional technology
- Trained teams
- Market awareness
Those who don’t launch with:
- Empty rooms
- Discount pressure
- Reactive systems
- Scrambling relationships
The difference isn’t capability—it’s preparation.
From Checklist to Execution
We’ve guided dozens of hotel openings.
We don’t just share checklists—we execute alongside your team.
From rate structure and system setup to channel activation, sales outreach, and staff readiness—we bridge the gap between construction and commercial success.
Opening in the next 90 days?
Let’s ensure your revenue engine is ready from day one.
Revstad Hospitality Consulting
Driving hotel growth through audit, strategy, digital tools, and fractional leadership.
