The Warm Prospecting Playbook for Hospitality Vendors Who Hate Cold Calling
I was knee-deep in my spam folder … again.
I was knee-deep in my spam folder … again.
When heads of state come to visit your hotel they usually make a bit of a show. The Russians are no exception; they even bring their own warship, the KGB and a wad of cash!
It’s often said that there are three main markets that will always exist: health, wealth and relationships. Luckily, this is exactly what hospitality does! But what does it mean to actually care for our guests’ health?
There is a distinct magic in stepping outside and being instantly immersed in nature. For many travelers, the draw of the outdoors isn’t just about escaping the city or disconnecting from screens; it’s about a deeper sense of freedom, possibility, and connection.
The travel and tourism sector is predicted to grow 5.8% every year until 2032 (World Travel & Tourism Council). This should bode well for hotels.
The next wave of upselling will be smarter, quieter, more contextual, and more effective. Instead of static menus or one-off emails, AI-powered upselling will coordinate offers across channels and moments to meet the guest’s true goal: reducing friction, enhancing comfort, and creating delightful moments.
Spafinder isn’t just a directory—it’s a discovery engine for wellness travelers. With over 700,000 engaged users and unique distribution through Capital One and other partners, it’s a powerful tool in your spa marketing mix. But like any channel, you get out what you put in.
I once sat in a sales meeting where everyone was celebrating.
Black Friday is coming, a global sales event that every traveler notices. For many regions, it coincides with the low season, creating both a challenge and an opportunity.
Upselling should be a seamless part of the guest journey, elevating the experience for guests, while strengthening the bottom line. Yet many properties invest heavily in offers, scripts, and campaigns — only to see limited return. The root cause is rarely the quality of the upgrade itself, but the disconnect between digital browsing behavior and voice-channel conversations.
There’s something paradoxical about our times. We are entering an era of unlimited content. AI is generating articles, videos, music, animations (Sora and others are opening up new visual glut/slop - let’s just call it streams). But despite this tidal wave of creativity, we’re seeing a steady rise in boredom. [link]
So... should the Revenue Manager report to the Director of Sales & Marketing?
The concept of personalization is gaining increased attention. My annual customer experience research found that nearly eight out of 10 customers (79%) in the U.S. feel a personalized experience is important. So, what is a personalized experience?
With AI at the gates, 2025 is already shaping up to be the ‘Year of Data’; it’s all about getting your data rivers flowing into a lake, cleaned up and curated for machine learning (ML) applications. One of many lucrative prospects pertains to segmentation and answering a question that in the past we’ve treated with more an ounce of human-bias-driven hunch: how can you tell the difference between recurring guests and truly loyal customers?
In an era where customer expectations are higher than ever, the hospitality industry is undergoing a quiet revolution. It’s no longer just about fluffy pillows, complimentary breakfast, or check-in mints. The new gold standard in hospitality? Emotionally resonant, hyper-personalized guest experiences that make people feel seen, valued, and connected.
A few days ago, walking along a beach in Zanzibar - Yes, I was on a little vacation! - I stumbled into a living, breathing masterclass in revenue management. No spreadsheets. No dashboards. Just sun, sand, and a dozen hustlers with better pricing instincts than most systems I’ve seen.
Recently, I heard from one of our subscribers, a sales and finance consultant at a luxury automobile dealership. He shared a story about how a customer was almost mistreated.
There was a time when booking on a hotel brand’s website truly meant something. It meant trust. It meant consistency. It meant a promise delivered. If you chose Hilton, you knew what Hilton stood for. If you picked Marriott, you knew exactly what kind of experience awaited you before you even set foot in the lobby. These brands were not just logos—they were a signal to travelers of a clear, dependable standard of hospitality.
Blanket-sending discount codes only target low-spending guests. High-spending guests respond to offers that resonate, incentivize, and make them feel noticed. Hotels that take promotional offers one step further to hone in on strategic discounts for high-value guests see their Find, Book, and Grow strategies flourish with revenue.
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from buzzword to business essential. From revenue management to guest communication, AI is already reshaping how hotels operate. But one area where its impact is truly transformative — and still vastly underused — is digital advertising.