Hoteliers know revenue management matters. What’s harder is making it work every single day.
That’s the story behind our State of Revenue Management in Hospitality 2026 report. RoomPriceGenie commissioned Sapio Research to survey 450 senior revenue decision-makers across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific, from independent hotels and hotel groups to hostels, serviced apartments, and holiday parks.
The results show a clear gap between what hoteliers believe and what they have the time, tools, and team to do. The good news: it’s a gap that can be closed, and you can start from wherever you are today. Here are four findings that stood out.
Key takeaways
- Most hoteliers say revenue management is essential, but few run it strategically.
- Confidence is high, yet pricing and forecasting reviews are infrequent.
- More than half of hoteliers use AI for revenue recommendations, but only 1 in 10 fully trusts it.
- Having someone own revenue management matters more than having a big team.
1. 85% of hoteliers say revenue management is essential to profitability – but only 21% operate it at a strategic level
Almost everyone agrees revenue management drives profitability. Far fewer have the time or structure to steer it with a plan.
Without strategic direction, revenue management can become a series of tactical responses to changing demand: raising rates here, launching a promotion there, reacting to a competitor somewhere else. Individual decisions may make sense, but they don’t necessarily add up to a coordinated commercial strategy.
Strategic revenue management means looking at the bigger picture. Pricing, forecasting, distribution, marketing, sales, and brand positioning all influence one another and should work toward shared business objectives.
You don’t need a big team to do this. Properties of any size can capture more revenue and protect margins with a little more structure and long-term thinking.
2. 79% believe they’re maximizing their revenue potential – but only 36% review their pricing strategy at least monthly
Confidence is a good thing. It just needs fresh data behind it.
Nearly four in five hoteliers believe they’re maximizing their revenue potential. Yet only 36% review their pricing strategy at least monthly, and just 40% forecast demand that often.
Demand moves faster than it used to. Booking pace, local events, competitor behavior, and market conditions can shift in days, not seasons. Pricing automation can handle the frequent rate adjustments, but the bigger questions still deserve a regular human look. Are your pricing parameters right? Are your forecasts still realistic? Are you reaching the right guests and channels?
To get the most from revenue management, you should treat pricing strategy and forecasting as part of your routines rather than occasional tasks.
3. 53% of hoteliers already use AI for pricing recommendations, but only 10% fully trust it
AI is already part of how many hotels set rates. More than half of the hoteliers we surveyed use it for revenue management recommendations. But only 10% of all respondents fully trust AI and rely on it for most of their pricing decisions.
That gap makes sense. A recommendation is hard to act on when you can’t see the reasoning behind it, especially when it’s your revenue on the line. Trust tends to grow when you understand why a price changed and know you’re still in control of the parameters behind it.
The good news is that you don’t have to hand over everything on day one. Start where the repetitive work is, keep your judgment where it matters most, and let confidence build as you see the results.
4. 85% believe a dedicated revenue management role is essential – but only 30% have a revenue manager or revenue team
Here’s the people side of the gap. At 45% of properties, the general manager is mainly responsible for pricing, and at 18% it falls to the owner. Both have plenty of other priorities competing for their attention. It’s no surprise that 45% of respondents say their operational teams lack confidence in interpreting revenue data.
Ask hoteliers what makes revenue management hardest, and the answers are all hands-on, day-to-day work:
- Keeping up with technology and automation: 31%
- Forecast accuracy: 30%
- Managing pricing across channels: 27%
- Responding quickly to competitor pricing changes: 27%
These are exactly the tasks that get easier when someone has the time, skills, and authority to own them. Not every hotel needs a full-time revenue manager. What every hotel needs is someone who owns the function, with the authority, skills, and time to set direction, watch performance, and adjust when conditions change. When that role is clear, and teams have reliable data and systems they understand, confident decisions follow.
Where revenue management is heading
The survey also found that as revenue management matures, teams become more strategic, more collaborative, and more confident with their data. That holds for every type and size of property, which means the next step is within reach from wherever you are today.
Our full report State of Revenue Management in Hospitality, goes deeper into these findings, the role of technology and AI, and practical resources to help you build revenue management maturity.
Read the full 2026 State of Revenue Management in Hospitality report.
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