Free guide: Prijsstrategieën voor hotels
Unlock the secrets to maximizing revenue for your hotel with our comprehensive guide on hotel pricing strategies. Whether you’re a seasoned hotelier or just stepping into the hospitality industry, understanding the intricacies of pricing can significantly impact your bottom line. Our free guide is designed to equip you with actionable insights and proven strategies to optimize your pricing structure, attract more guests, and boost profitability.
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Hotel Pricing
Strategies
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Inhoud
Section One
De juiste prijs vinden voor hotelkamers
Section Two
Setting Pricing Objectives
Section Three
Factors to Consider When Pricing Rooms
Section Four
Pricing Tips & Strategies
Section Five
How Do You Know If You’re Priced Right
Section Six
Automated Pricing: Taking the Guesswork Out of Rate Decisions?
Section Seven
Realiseer uw inkomstenpotentieel
Section Eight
Now Is the Time to Embrace Automated Pricing
Section One:
Find the Sweet Spot in Hotel Room Pricing
There’s a saying: “You know you’re priced right when your customers complain – but buy anyway.” While giving guests reasons to complain is not an ideal way to run a hospitality business, there is some truth to this sentiment.
Hoteliers hebben over het algemeen de neiging om kamers lager te prijzen dan nodig is, uit angst om potentiële boekingen te verliezen of slechte beoordelingen te krijgen.
Research shows that when shoppers perceive a price as unfair, it activates the part of the brain that registers pain, which can reduce the likelihood of purchase and lead to complaints and bad reviews. On the other hand, when shoppers perceive a price as fair, it activates the part of the brain linked with pleasure. [1]
So, you want your pricing to be perceived as fair, but travelers aren’t as rate sensitive as you might think. Over the past two years, even though hotel room rates have increased substantially, guest ratings have actually improved. [2]
Travelers understand that hotel rates can fluctuate, and they expect to pay higher prices during busier times. For hotels, the goal is to find the optimal balance between average rate and occupancy that maximizes revenue – while also keeping guests happy.
Dat is de sweet spot in de prijsstrategie van hotels.
Section Two:
Setting Revenue Objectives
Whether you operate a boutique hotel, inn, hostel, vacation rentals, serviced apartments, or another type of independent lodging business, smart pricing starts with setting clear objectives. What do you wish to achieve through your pricing strategies?
Here we discuss four primary revenue objectives, along with the key performance metrics (KPIs) used to track and measure success.
1. Bezettingsgraad verhogen
Het opbouwen van bezettingsgraad is belangrijk omdat boekingen inkomsten opleveren en de kosten helpen dekken. Het is ook belangrijk omdat hotelkamerinventaris aan bederf onderhevig is. Elke nacht dat een kamer leegstaat, gaat de kans verloren om de kamer die nacht te verkopen.
Sometimes increasing occupancy is a top priority. For example, a new hotel might offer special introductory rates to entice travelers to try the property for the first time. This will generate awareness and online reviews, helping to put the hotel on the map.
Bezettingsformule
Het bezettingspercentage van een hotel op een bepaalde datum of over een periode zoals een maand of jaar wordt berekend door het aantal bezette kamers te delen door het aantal beschikbare kamers en vervolgens te vermenigvuldigen met 100.
Occupancy % = Number of Occupied Rooms/Number of Available Rooms X 100
2. Gemiddelde koers verhogen
Hotels often place too much emphasis on filling rooms and not enough on building average rate. As a result, they charge lower rates than they need to and capture less revenue. On the other hand, if hotels set prices too high, they risk losing potential bookings to competitors.
Industry experts agree that when a hotel realises revenue growth through rate, 95% flows to the bottom line, and if the growth comes through occupancy, approximately 50% flows to the bottom line. [1]
Het is een delicaat evenwicht. Als de vraag naar kamers hoog is, heeft een hotel meer prijszettingsvermogen. Als de vraag laag is, kan het nodig zijn om de tarieven te verlagen om de bezettingsgraad te halen.
ADR-formule
De gemiddelde dagprijs (ADR) van een hotel op een bepaalde datum of reeks data wordt berekend door de totale kameropbrengsten te delen door het aantal verkochte kamers.
Average Daily Rate = Room Revenue/Number of Rooms Sold
3. Inkomsten verhogen
A key objective of revenue management is to find the balance between occupancy and rate that generates the most revenue. But it’s not just about room revenue. If a property has a restaurant, bar, function space, spa, or other revenue outlets, maximizing total revenue might be more important.
Een hotel met functieruimte kan bijvoorbeeld gereduceerde kamerprijzen aanbieden om vergaderingen en evenementen aan te trekken die meer geld uitgeven aan property dan onafhankelijke reizigers.
RevPAR & TRevPAR Formulas
Een primaire maatstaf voor de opbrengstprestaties is de opbrengst per beschikbare kamer (RevPAR). Deze wordt berekend voor een bepaalde datum of reeks data door de inkomsten uit kamers te delen door het aantal beschikbare kamers. RevPAR is een maatstaf voor de totale omzet per beschikbare kamer.
RevPAR = Room Revenue/Number of Available Rooms
TRevPAR = Total Revenue/Number of Available Rooms
4. Winstgevendheid verhogen
Het uiteindelijke doel van elke property is het maximaliseren van de winstgevendheid. Om dit te bereiken moeten hoteliers manieren vinden om maximale inkomsten te genereren en tegelijkertijd de kosten onder controle te houden.
Part of that means recognizing that some types of business bring in more revenue than others, some have higher costs of acquisition and servicing, and room revenue is generally more profitable than other types of revenue (though not always).
Als twee gasten bijvoorbeeld dezelfde prijs betalen voor hetzelfde kamertype, maar de ene gast boekt via Expedia en de andere via de website van het hotel, zal de laatste gast over het algemeen winstgevender zijn omdat het hotel geen commissie betaalt op de kamerprijs.
Formule winstmarge
De winstmarge van een hotel wordt berekend voor een bepaalde datum of reeks data door de totale omzet te nemen en de bedrijfskosten af te trekken, dit bedrag te delen door de totale omzet en vervolgens te vermenigvuldigen met 100.
Profit Margin = (Total Revenue – Operating Costs)/Total Revenue x 100
Annual Planning: Combining the Four Objectives
When preparing the annual budget, hoteliers use the above KPIs to set objectives for the coming year, breaking them down by month and day. Then they plan the strategies required to achieve the objectives, adjusting them as needed throughout the year.
1
Source: Evolving Dynamics: From Revenue Management to Revenue Strategy by D. Skodol and T. Wiersma
Section Three:
Factors to Consider When Pricing Rooms
When deciding how to price rooms, hoteliers must consider the many factors that influence demand for rooms and how much travelers are willing to pay. Here we summarize the key factors.
Uw Property
When pricing rooms, it’s vital to take a realistic look at your property and its positioning. What are its strengths and weaknesses relative to similar properties in the area? The type of hotel you operate, the class or segment, star rating, location, and quality of service, rooms, and facilities – all of these characteristics play a role in determining who wants to stay at your hotel and how much they will pay for rooms.
Tijd van het jaar
Most destinations are seasonal. During high season, demand is typically strong, and hotels can charge more for rooms. During low season, demand tends to be softer, and hotels generally offer lower rates to attract business. During the shoulder seasons in between, demand tends to fluctuate up and down. Throughout the year, demand may also be affected by holidays and special events.
Dag van de week
De vraag kan ook schommelen per dag van de week. Vrijetijdshotels zijn bijvoorbeeld het drukst op vrijdag en zaterdag, wanneer ze hogere tarieven kunnen vragen, maar rustiger tijdens de week. Voor zakenhotels is het vaak het tegenovergestelde scenario.
Interne vraag
Internal demand is the number of guests who want to stay at a hotel on a given date. It can be measured in three key ways:
Kamers in de boeken (OTB)
How many rooms are sold vs. how many are still available to sell.
Booking pace
De snelheid waarmee boekingen binnenkomen, minus annuleringen en datumwijzigingen.
Pickup
Het aantal nieuwe boekingen in een recente periode zoals de afgelopen week, minus annuleringen en datumwijzigingen.
Hotels vergelijken de interne vraag vaak met eerdere data zoals dezelfde tijd vorig jaar. Als de vraag groter is, kan dit een indicatie zijn dat het hotel de tarieven kan verhogen. Als de vraag minder groot is, moet het hotel misschien de tarieven verlagen om de bezettingsdoelstellingen te halen.
Marktvraag
De marktvraag is het aantal gasten dat op een bepaalde datum collectief in een hotel in een regio wil verblijven. Net als de interne vraag kan deze fluctueren per seizoen en dag van de week en tijdens vakanties en speciale evenementen.
De marktvraag wordt ook beïnvloed door economische omstandigheden, reistrends, beschikbaarheid van vluchten en ander vervoer naar de regio en het aanbod van beschikbare kamers. Als het aanbod van kamers laag is en de vraag hoog, neemt het prijszettingsvermogen van hotels toe. Als het aanbod hoog is en de vraag laag, neemt het prijszettingsvermogen van hotels af.
Prijsgevoeligheid
Hotel rates are also affected by the price sensitivity of travelers. Price sensitivity, or elasticity, may vary depending on a variety of factors, including the nature of travel, time of year, and how much travelers desire to stay at a particular hotel.
Als de prijsgevoeligheid hoog is, zal een prijswijziging een aanzienlijke impact hebben op de vraag. Als de prijsgevoeligheid laag is, zal een prijswijziging een lage impact hebben op de vraag. Om prijsgevoeligheid te begrijpen, moet je kijken hoe veranderingen in je prijzen de interne vraag beïnvloeden.
Tarieven van concurrenten
De tarieven die de concurrenten van een hotel hanteren, geven ook een goede indicatie van de prijzen die reizigers bereid zijn te betalen. Reizigers vergelijken vaak de tarieven van verschillende accommodatietypes wanneer ze op zoek zijn naar een kamer. Als de tarieven van een hotel veel hoger zijn dan die van vergelijkbare hotels in de omgeving, zal het hotel boekingskansen mislopen. Als de tarieven van het hotel veel lager zijn, zal het kamers vullen met laag gewaardeerde boekingen terwijl andere hotels hoger gewaardeerde boekingen zullen ontvangen.
Online reputatie
Travelers also consult guest reviews and ratings on platforms like Google, Tripadvisor, and OTAs when deciding where to stay. Tripadvisor research has found that 79 percent of the site’s users are more likely to book a hotel with a higher bubble rating when choosing between comparable properties. [1]
Moreover, travelers are 72 percent more likely to pay more for a hotel with higher guest ratings, according to Expedia. [2]
Section Four:
Pricing Strategies & Tips
Different travelers will pay different prices for the same room under different circumstances. Rather than offer the same price to everyone, hotels should strive to charge the right price to the right guest at the right time. Here we share key pricing strategies.
Dynamische prijzen
Een grote uitdaging bij hotelprijzen is dat de factoren die de vraag beïnvloeden vaak kunnen veranderen, tot meerdere keren per dag. In het verleden waren de hotelprijzen relatief statisch. De kamerprijzen werden jaarlijks vastgesteld en veranderden zelden gedurende het jaar. Tegenwoordig passen de meeste hotels een vorm van dynamische prijsstelling toe, waarbij de prijzen regelmatig worden aangepast als reactie op veranderingen in de interne vraag, de marktvraag en de prijzen van concurrenten.
Concurrerende prijzen
Veel hotels prijzen kamers ten opzichte van hun concurrenten, waarbij ze een vast bedrag of percentage verschil bepalen dat ze boven of onder een concurrent willen houden. Als de tarieven van de concurrent veranderen, past het hotel zijn eigen tarieven aan om het verschil te behouden.
While it’s important to price competitively, to blindly follow competitors is not an ideal strategy. Your competitors may not be following smart strategies, and their pricing objectives and internal demand may differ from yours. You therefore risk mispricing your rooms and missing out on booking opportunities.
Houd de prijzen van de concurrentie in de gaten, maar volg uw eigen strategieën op basis van uw doelstellingen, property sterke punten en interne vraag. Als uw hotel bijvoorbeeld bijna is uitverkocht en uw concurrent verlaagt de tarieven, kunt u besluiten het tegenovergestelde te doen.
Prijzen per kamertype
De meeste hotels bieden meerdere kamercategorieën aan met verschillende prijzen, zodat gasten een ruime keuze hebben. Sommige gasten willen misschien de goedkoopste kamer, anderen zijn misschien bereid meer te betalen voor een grotere kamer of een beter uitzicht, en af en toe wil een gast de beste kamer van het huis.
Tips voor de prijsstelling
• If your inventory allows, create several room categories – but not too many, or you may confuse guests and create operational challenges.
• In addition to charging premiums for extra space and better views, charge for other popular features like a preferred bed configuration, fireplace, sitting area, balcony, large workspace, or kitchen.
• When demand is low or price sensitivity is high, oversell entry-level rooms to capture more bookings and then upgrade guests to balance out the inventory.
• When demand is high or price sensitivity is low, close out entry-level rooms once they are sold out to boost sales of premium rooms.
• If your entry-level room often sells out but premium rooms sit empty or are upgraded, try reducing pricing differentials between categories.
• When inventory allows, offer guests the opportunity to upgrade their room at a special reduced rate prior to arrival or upon check-in.
• When pricing rooms relative to competitors, be sure to compare similar categories.
Prijzen per boekingspatroon
Prijs- en verblijfsbeperkingen kunnen een effectieve manier zijn om gewenste boekingspatronen aan te moedigen en ongewenste boekingspatronen te ontmoedigen.
Boekingspatronen zijn onder andere:
• Stay patterns – The days of week guests arrive, stay, and depart.
• Booking windows or lead time – How far in advance guests book.
• Length of stay (LOS) – How many nights guests stay.
• Changes – How often guests change dates or cancel rooms.
Tips voor de prijsstelling
• Offer discounts for non-refundable rates year-round to bring in guaranteed revenue and cut down on cancellations.
• Offer early-bird discounts to encourage advanced bookings on low-demand dates.
• Offer last-minute discounts to fill empty rooms – but not too often because guests may learn to wait until the last minute to book.
• Target long-stay guests with promotions such as “Stay four nights, pay for three.” Offer deeper discounts for extended stays such as seven days or 30 days.
• On busy nights, implement a minimum length of stay or closed to arrival restriction to boost occupancy on shoulder nights.
• Monitor changes in booking behavior, adjusting pricing and stay controls as needed to capture more revenue.
Kortingen en Promoties
Promoties kunnen een geweldige manier zijn om boekingen te stimuleren in tijden van lage vraag. Als je property echter altijd in de uitverkoop is, zullen gasten lage tarieven verwachten en zal het moeilijker zijn om hogere tarieven te vragen als het weer beter gaat. Het kan ook leiden tot prijsoorlogen met concurrenten. Het is daarom het beste om alleen kortingen aan te bieden wanneer dat nodig is.
Tips voor de prijsstelling
• According to Expedia, the most appealing deals for travelers are complimentary add-ons and discounts for booking in advance, last-minute, a package, or a longer stay. [1]
• Rather than give set discounts, offer a percentage off the base rate so that rates can flex up or down depending how busy you are.
• Don’t feel the need to discount all room categories; only discount the room types that need a boost.
• Offer value-adds instead of discounts to protect average rate. According to a survey from STR, traveler booking decisions are most influenced by free Wi-fi and free breakfast. [2]
• Bundle services to encourage guests to spend more on property, such as a bed & breakfast package, dinner package, romance package, or spa package.
• Recognize loyalty and entice guests to stay more frequently with special discounts or perks such as a free upgrade, welcome amenity, early check-in, or late checkout.
• Display special offers as slashed-through pricing to show travelers how much they are saving.
• Be transparent. Don’t surprise guests with hidden fees.
• Keep in mind that lowering rates isn’t a fail-safe way to stimulate demand. If price sensitivity is low, you may be better off holding rates.
• Monitor pickup carefully and close promotions as soon as they are no longer needed.
Pricing by Market Segment
To be more targeted in pricing, hotels divide guests into market segments based on shared characteristics. The main market segments are leisure, business, and group. Larger hotels may divide these segments further.
Tips voor de prijsstelling
• Determine which segments are the most valuable to your property, and at which time of year, and prioritize efforts on attracting them.
• Target leisure travelers through promotions on online travel agencies (OTAs) and direct channels.
• Offer special rates to attract subsegments of travelers such as seniors, local residents, and members of clubs and associations.
• Target business travelers by approaching local companies with offers of special rates and perks in return for a minimal annual room night commitment.
• Rather than offer set corporate rates, offer dynamic rates that can flex up and down depending on how busy you are.
• Research companies, travel agencies, and planners that book meetings and events in your region and contact them to offer group rates.
• Partner with your local destination marketing organization (DMO) and visitors bureau to participate in promotions and bids for citywide conferences and events.
• Target blended or “bleisure” travelers who combine business and leisure on the same trip and often stay longer.
Pricing by Distribution Channel
Another pricing strategy is to offer different rates and booking conditions on different distribution channels. For smaller hotels, the main booking channels are:
• Direct (hotel website, phone, email, walkins)
• OTAs
• Wholesalers
• GDS (Global Distribution System)
Tips voor de prijsstelling
• Strive for a balance of bookings across distribution channels, prioritizing the channels that are the most valuable and profitable to your property.
• If contractually required, strive to maintain rate parity with OTAs, while ensuring that they never undercut your direct rates.
• If rate parity is not required (regulations may vary by region), offer the best deals on your direct channels and advertise a “best rate guarantee” on your website.
• Participate in OTA promotions to boost bookings on low-demand dates. But don’t overdo it – commissions can erode your average rate and drive up distribution costs.
• Contact wholesalers and bed banks that book rooms in your region to offer net rates.
• If you’re not already listed on the GDS, consider doing so to gain access to travel agents and corporate travel managers around the world.
• When demand is high, close out OTAs, wholesalers, and other low-rate, high-cost distribution channels.
Section Five:
How Do You Know If You're Priced Right?
With so many factors and strategies to consider, it’s not always easy to know if you’re making the right pricing decisions. To understand if your rates are too high, too low, or just right, look for these signs.
Te laag geprijsd
• Your booking pace is above normal.
• You’re selling out more quickly than competitors.
• Guests are raving about what a good deal your hotel is.
• Recent review ratings are higher than normal.
Te hoog geprijsd
• Your booking pace is below normal.
• Your competitors are selling out before you.
• Guests are complaining about prices or value.
• Recent review ratings are lower than normal.
Boosting Value Perception
Pay attention to the signals, but try not to overreact. If guests occasionally complain about pricing but your booking pace remains strong, it’s not enough reason to change your entire pricing strategy. Look for ongoing patterns.
And remember, do not only look at price as an isolated number but as a value proposition, focusing on what makes you unique to your target audience to reduce exposure to price-sensitivity buyers.
There are ways to boost value perception for your guests without lowering rates.
• Provide consistently high standards of service and quality commensurate with pricing.
• Set realistic expectations of the guest experience and strive to exceed them.
• Provide value-added amenities and services such as an upgrade, welcome gift, or free breakfast, Wi-Fi, or parking.
Section Six:
Automated Pricing: Taking the Guesswork Out of Rate Decisions
With so many moving parts, managing pricing effectively is virtually impossible to do alone. Fortunately, there’s a solution designed especially for independent hoteliers with limited time.
Automated pricing software takes the guesswork and emotion out of pricing decisions, freeing up busy hoteliers to focus on other tasks. Here are just a few of the benefits.
Gebruiksvriendelijk
Unlike revenue management systems, the software is quick to learn and simple to operate, requiring only a few hours of time each week.
Optimized pricing
De oplossing verzamelt gegevens over de marktvraag, tarieven van concurrenten en interne vraaggegevens en verwerkt deze in haar krachtige algoritmen om het optimale tarief voor elke gast te produceren.
Automated pricing decisions
Pricing is customized by room category, lead time, and length of stay, capturing maximum value from every booking.
24/7 dynamic pricing
Pricing is automatically updated in the PMS several times a day, every day including weekends, for up to 18 months in advance.
Flexibility
Choose between full automation and recommendation mode, which allows the user to review rates and make adjustments before uploading them to the PMS.
Control
The hotel retains full control over pricing objectives and strategies, minimum and maximum rates, fixed pricing, and the preferred level of aggressiveness.
More revenue
With automated pricing, hotels have the data and tools they need to exceed revenue objectives, earning 22 percent more revenue on average year over year. [1]
1
RoomPriceGenie – Case Study – Exactly How Much Extra Revenue Does a Revenue Management System Make? May 2022.
Section Seven:
Realiseer uw inkomstenpotentieel
A hotel is a big investment. With smart pricing strategies, operators can have more confidence they aren’t underpricing rooms and leaving money on the table or overpricing rooms and losing bookings. They are optimizing performance every day.
Today, automation is transforming hotel operations. Hotels have a PMS to automate check-in, accounting software to automate bookkeeping, and a channel manager to automate distribution. Yet many hoteliers still manage pricing manually, leaving the property vulnerable to wasted time, pricing errors, and missed opportunities.
Why struggle to manage pricing when software can do it better and faster? Let a pricing solution handle the day-to-day tasks so you can focus on what you do best: taking care of guests, supporting your team, and running a successful property.
Section Eight:
Now Is the Time to Embrace Automated Pricing
Automation is changing the accommodation business. It’s helping hoteliers make smarter decisions and freeing them up to take better care of guests and support their team. This is especially crucial for small properties with limited resources.
Today, hotels that use automated pricing software are at a distinct advantage over hotels that don’t. They have more time, less stress, and more revenue. However, adoption of these tools is happening so fast it won’t be long before they become mainstream, and properties without pricing software will be at a serious disadvantage. Now is the time to put automated pricing into place. Not only will you make more revenue while you sleep, you will sleep more peacefully.
