Talent

The Harvard Business Review Manager’s Handbook offers a practical and adaptable framework that equips hospitality managers with essential leadership, strategic thinking, decision-making, and people management skills. By applying its core principles—such as clear communication, effective problem-solving, team motivation, and continuous learning—hospitality leaders can navigate the fast-paced, guest-centric environment more effectively, foster high-performing teams, and consistently deliver exceptional service that drives long-term organizational success.

David Cottrell’s Monday Morning Leadership offers practical leadership lessons—centered on mentorship, communication, accountability, and a results-driven mindset—that are highly applicable to the hospitality industry; by fostering a culture of continuous learning, clear expectations, and positive team engagement, hospitality leaders can enhance employee performance, boost guest satisfaction, and build stronger, more resilient teams.

Richard Templar’s The Rules of Management provides a practical framework for hospitality managers, emphasizing clear communication, timely decision-making, team empowerment, proactive leadership, and continuous learning—all essential for fostering a motivated workforce, delivering consistent guest satisfaction, and achieving long-term organizational success in a dynamic and service-driven industry.

Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power offers strategic insights that, when ethically applied, can enhance leadership, influence, and operational success in the hospitality industry by helping managers build authority, motivate teams, personalize guest experiences, and navigate competitive challenges—all while balancing power dynamics with integrity to foster trust, improve service quality, and drive long-term success.

Dale Carnegie’s timeless principles from How to Win Friends and Influence People offer powerful guidance for the hospitality industry by emphasizing the importance of genuine human connection—through warm first impressions, active listening, personalized service, and sincere appreciation—to enhance guest satisfaction, build loyalty, and drive repeat business in a competitive market.

Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow provides hospitality professionals with a powerful lens to decode guest decision-making by recognizing the interplay between intuitive (System 1) and rational (System 2) thinking. By applying behavioral principles like framing, anchoring, loss aversion, and the endowment effect, hoteliers can subtly influence choices that enhance ancillary revenue—such as presenting bundled spa offers, using scarcity to trigger urgency, or personalizing upgrades. Ultimately, integrating these psychological insights allows hoteliers to align emotional and logical guest motivations, leading to smarter revenue strategies and more meaningful guest experiences.

Simon Sinek’s Start with Why offers hospitality leaders a compelling roadmap to go beyond transactional service by rooting every aspect of their brand in a clear, purpose-driven “why.” In today’s saturated market, true differentiation lies in forging emotional connections—whether through sustainable practices, cultural immersion, or creating lasting memories. By aligning staff, guest experiences, and marketing around a shared belief, hoteliers can build deeper trust, inspire loyalty, and cultivate brand advocates. In short, hotels that lead with purpose don’t just host guests—they create meaning, transforming a stay into a story worth sharing.

Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People provides a transformative framework for hoteliers aiming to deepen guest loyalty and elevate service quality. By proactively managing the guest experience, defining a clear guest journey, and prioritizing people over tasks, hotels can deliver consistently memorable stays. Embracing win-win thinking, active listening, cross-department collaboration, and continuous staff development fosters a culture that puts guests first. These timeless habits help build trust, exceed expectations, and convert guests into loyal advocates—crucial in a competitive landscape where personalized service and reputation drive repeat business and referrals.

Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion offers hoteliers a powerful framework to deepen guest loyalty by leveraging psychological triggers. By applying principles like reciprocity (offering thoughtful perks), scarcity (creating exclusive offers), authority (building trust through endorsements), liking (personalizing service), social proof (showcasing positive guest experiences), and commitment (designing reward programs), hotels can move beyond transactional relationships. These strategies help create emotionally resonant, persuasive experiences that nudge guests toward repeat visits and word-of-mouth advocacy—transforming loyal guests into enthusiastic brand ambassadors.

Manuel J. Smith’s When I Say No, I Feel Guilty offers practical tools for assertiveness that are especially valuable in the hospitality industry, where employees often face pressure to meet every guest demand. By teaching staff how to express themselves honestly, set boundaries, and handle criticism constructively, hotels and hospitality businesses can foster healthier communication, prevent burnout, and maintain service quality. Implementing assertiveness training empowers employees to protect their well-being while still delivering respectful, high-quality service—leading to a more resilient, confident workforce and a more sustainable guest experience.

Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers offers a compelling framework for innovation in hospitality by emphasizing deliberate practice, seizing opportunity, and leveraging networks. Hospitality leaders can cultivate “outlier” projects by fostering cross-departmental expertise, encouraging calculated risk-taking, and embracing adaptability. By creating innovation labs, forming strategic partnerships, using data to drive decisions, and inspiring a team culture that values experimentation and continuous learning, hotels can launch scalable, guest-centric innovations. Ultimately, this outlier mindset transforms hospitality companies into industry leaders, redefining the travel experience through breakthrough projects that set new standards.

The hospitality industry can reduce the risks of innovation by adopting the Lean Startup methodology—focusing on rapid experimentation, data-driven decision-making, and guest-centric development. By testing new concepts through Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), gathering feedback via the Build-Measure-Learn loop, and adapting offerings based on real guest insights, hotels can create meaningful, scalable innovations. This approach transforms experimentation into a strategic asset, enabling continuous improvement and positioning hospitality brands as agile, forward-thinking leaders in an ever-evolving market.

As the hospitality industry faces rising costs and evolving guest expectations, relying solely on traditional revenue sources like room sales is no longer sustainable. Ancillary revenue—generated through personalised services, tech-driven offerings, and strategic partnerships—has become essential for improving profitability, enhancing guest satisfaction, and driving long-term success. By leveraging guest data, embracing mobile technology, and creating tailored experiences, hotels can unlock new revenue streams, differentiate themselves in the market, and build a more resilient business model.

As home technology surpasses what most hotels can offer, the future of hospitality lies not in trying to outdo gadgets, but in delivering exceptional, personalized experiences. Hotels that focus on tailored service, meaningful interactions, and unique local offerings—rather than competing on tech—can create unforgettable stays that truly differentiate them from the convenience of home.

Coliving has evolved into a mainstream housing solution in Spain, driven by rising housing costs, remote work, and a growing demand for community-oriented living. Offering private rooms with shared communal spaces, coliving appeals to young professionals, digital nomads, and single-person households seeking affordability and flexibility. Major cities like Madrid and Barcelona have become hotspots for coliving developments, supported by increasing investment and a focus on well-being and sustainability. Despite regulatory challenges, coliving continues to grow, redefining urban living by blending economic practicality with social connection.

Mastering Hospitality Ancillary Revenue is a practical guide designed to help hospitality professionals unlock new revenue streams beyond room sales. Drawing from over 20 years of industry experience, the book offers actionable strategies across 10 chapters—covering technology, personalization, staff training, marketing, and guest experience—to help hotels, restaurants, spas, and bars optimize profitability through effective ancillary revenue management.

The belief that maximizing occupancy is the key to hotel success is outdated; instead, revenue managers should focus on strategic pricing to optimize revenue per available room (RevPAR) and overall profitability. By leveraging data-driven insights and modern revenue management systems, hotels can confidently increase average daily rates (ADR) without relying on full occupancy, attracting higher-value guests who spend more on ancillary services. This shift from occupancy-centric thinking to profit-oriented strategy is essential for long-term success in a competitive hospitality market.

Maximizing ancillary revenue in hospitality involves more than offering additional services—it requires a strategic, guest-centric approach that enhances the overall experience while increasing profitability. By leveraging data, personalization, innovative marketing, staff empowerment, and emerging trends like wellness and sustainability, hotels can unlock hidden revenue streams beyond room sales, strengthen guest loyalty, and gain a competitive edge in an evolving industry.

To maximize ancillary revenue, hotels must adopt strategic and personalized marketing approaches that go beyond traditional tactics. By leveraging social media, influencer partnerships, user-generated content, email marketing, and tailored promotions, hotels can effectively showcase unique experiences like spa treatments, local tours, and exclusive dining. These creative efforts not only enhance guest engagement and satisfaction but also drive meaningful revenue growth by positioning the hotel as a destination for more than just a place to stay.

As the hospitality industry evolves, optimizing ancillary revenue—through both traditional services like spa treatments and in-room dining, and emerging streams like wellness programs, sustainable tourism, and retail—has become vital for profitability and guest satisfaction. By embracing personalization, leveraging guest data, adopting creative marketing, and continually refining offers based on performance and trends, hotels can deliver memorable guest experiences while unlocking significant revenue growth.

In hospitality, a guest-centric approach—driven by personalization, proactive engagement, emotional connection, and data insights—unlocks significant ancillary revenue potential. By anticipating guest needs and seamlessly integrating tailored offerings throughout the entire guest journey, hotels can enhance satisfaction, increase spend, and foster long-term loyalty, turning exceptional service into lasting profitability.

Effectively marketing ancillary services in hospitality requires a proactive, multi-channel approach that combines digital visibility, in-house engagement, strategic partnerships, and psychological pricing. By leveraging tools like social media, email segmentation, influencer collaborations, and real-time guest feedback, hotels can turn overlooked offerings into key revenue drivers—enhancing guest experience while maximizing profitability.

Maximizing ancillary revenue in hospitality depends on empowering staff—not just through training, but by fostering a guest-centric culture built on empathy, product knowledge, motivation, and technology. By equipping employees to recognize and act on personalized upselling opportunities with confidence and authenticity, hotels can enhance guest satisfaction while driving revenue. Investing in continuous learning, cross-department collaboration, and meaningful incentives turns team members into engaged brand ambassadors and key revenue contributors.

Hyper-personalization, powered by real-time data and AI, is set to transform hospitality in 2025 by enabling tailored guest experiences that boost satisfaction, loyalty, and revenue. By leveraging guest insights to deliver customized services, targeted upsells, and dynamic pricing, hotels can drive ancillary income and operational efficiency. Embracing this trend is essential for staying competitive and unlocking long-term growth—something that will be at the heart of discussions during the upcoming Global Revenue Forum – Madrid, on June 4, 2025.