It’s no secret that hotels are in a race to diversify revenue streams. But while we obsess over dynamic pricing models, upsell automations, and personalized guest journeys, there’s one variable we rarely optimize: focus.
Inspired by Nir Eyal’s work on how to “stay focused and beat distraction,” I’ve started thinking differently about how distraction sabotages not just productivity—but profitability. Especially when it comes to ancillary revenue, a field that thrives on intentionality and execution.
Here’s a provocative thought: What if your spa’s SRevPOR is underperforming not because of poor demand—but because your spa manager is constantly distracted by non-strategic tasks? What if your F&B outlets are failing to innovate not due to lack of ideas, but because your head chef hasn’t had 30 uninterrupted minutes all month?
In a hospitality landscape where success is increasingly measured by total revenue per guest (TRevPAR), staying focused has quietly become a competitive advantage.
Let’s unpack how. Why focus matters for Ancillary Revenue
Ancillary revenue doesn’t grow on its own. It needs cross-departmental collaboration, creativity, and relentless execution. All of which require undivided attention—what Nir Eyal calls “traction,” actions that pull us toward our goals.
But today’s hotel teams are drowning in distractions:
Constant Slack and WhatsApp messages
Impromptu walkie-talkie calls
Ad hoc guest requests
Unprioritized team meetings
According to Eyal, the real enemy isn’t the ping or the ding—it’s the internal triggers we try to escape: stress, boredom, uncertainty. Distraction is our coping mechanism. But here’s the catch: those fleeting distractions rob us of the strategic time needed to drive real revenue.You can’t optimize treatment menus or build a local wellness membership model while toggling between five browser tabs and two WhatsApp groups.
Applying the “Indistractable” model to Hotel Ancillaries
Here’s how Eyal’s framework translates into the hotel ancillary reality:
1. Turn strategic Revenue goals into time-boxed tasks Every department head should dedicate time each week exclusively for revenue-driving activities. That might mean:
30 minutes to analyze SRevPOR by guest nationality
45 minutes to brainstorm cross-selling opportunities with the concierge team
1 hour to review treatment room occupancy and improve RevPATH
If it’s not on the calendar, it’s not real.
2. Eliminate reactive work culture Reactive work is the silent killer of hotel innovation. Leaders must empower their teams to “time block” periods for focused work, free from email and radio interruptions. That includes spa therapists reviewing guest feedback, or the gym manager drafting a partnership proposal with a local fitness influencer.
3. Identify the real triggers of procrastination Most distractions are emotional. “It’s easier to clean my inbox than to pitch a new F&B experience.” “It’s safer to update a report than to propose a bold pricing strategy.” These hesitations are internal. Training your team to recognize and sit with discomfort (instead of avoiding it) is a mental game changer.
4. Make intent the foundation of all task management Distraction isn’t just Candy Crush on shift. It’s booking a last-minute vendor meeting that wasn’t critical. It’s rescheduling your brainstorming time three times in one week. Being indistractable means doing what you said you were going to do. Intentionality builds credibility…and revenue.
5. Sync strategy with shared calendars Schedule synchronization isn’t about micromanagement. It’s about alignment. When the spa manager’s calendar reflects 2 hours per week of strategic planning and no one else sees it, it’s invisible. When it’s public, it becomes cultural. And when team goals align with shared time, execution scales faster.
The ROI of Attention
Distraction is expensive. It delays innovation. It erodes execution. It lowers team morale. But most importantly for hoteliers; it prevents the full monetization of the guest journey.
The best ancillary revenue isn’t just built on creativity or tech. It’s built on mental bandwidth. On space. On clarity.
Want to drive more upsells at the front desk? Give your team time to role-play, review guest profiles, and recalibrate scripts. Want to optimize SRevPOR in your spa? Make space for the manager to analyze booking patterns and create a new promo. Want to increase guest capture in F&B? Stop overloading the chef with non-revenue reports and let them lead.
You don’t need a new system. You need a distraction-free culture.
Ancillary revenue is about doing more with the same resources. But if our people are mentally scattered, their output will be too. Becoming an indistractable hotel doesn’t just improve productivity—it unleashes revenue that was always within reach.
Ready to focus?
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