In years past, data management has been black and white – a narrow focus on what qualifies under a data management practice. It usually boiled down to the simple collection and storing of data, not the actual management part.
NB: This is an article from Revinate
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And that kind of black-and-white thinking won’t serve hoteliers in 2025. With more channels of information feeding into a healthy hotel data management practice, it will be crucial to understand the trends that you can action to keep your hotel a responsible and effective steward of your guest data and drive the most revenue possible.
It’s time for hoteliers to be that giant with those big arms and take control of their hotel data management with these trends:
Data management trend #1: Ending the silo game
Chasing data that’s stuck in silos isn’t the result of effective hotel data management – quite the opposite. Data silos contribute to increased operational costs, decreased staff productivity, and a diminished guest experience. In 2025, hoteliers will end the constant battle with inconsistent data across departments and leave the “big data” problems behind.
Tip: Find a solution that can “centralize” your guest data and eliminate the silos. Inconsistency means you can’t get a holistic view of your operations or guest preferences. Technology, like a Customer Data Platform, provides that much-needed consistency by bringing guest data out of silos across multiple touchpoints and channels in real-time.
Data management trend #2: Planning for revenue beyond the room
“Heads in beds” – a phrase we hope disappears in 2025. Getting “heads in beds” or concentrating on room revenue alone is an archaic approach to drive hotel profitability. Sure, you can use your guest data to get heads in beds, but what’s great about a thriving data management practice is that you can use that data to support other revenue streams.
Tip: Enter ancillary revenue. Hoteliers need to go beyond the room and leverage their technology to upsell guests at the spa, the restaurant, the golf course, or any other amenity. Constant shifts in the economy and fluctuations in demand make it difficult to power profits on occupancy alone.
Data management trend #3: A case of mistaken identity
In 2025, guests will expect hoteliers to stop mistaking their identity. What we mean is that repeat guests want their favorite hotel brand to say “Welcome back” instead of “Welcome to.” In other words, guests want to be recognized for who they are. Your data management efforts should proudly produce profiles with the right data, so that you can use past stay information to greet loyal guests at the right time.
Tip: To prevent a case of mistaken identity of your guests, seek out an identity resolution tool. This tool merges and de-duplicates guest profiles so that you can feel confident in recognizing repeat guests, and recognizing the right guest with the right data.
Data management trend #4: Using data to ditch point-less loyalty
Traditionally, guest loyalty has been point-based, with travelers competing for maximum loyalty points and the highest program tier, only to be served with a generic reward that every other member gets. Not anymore, because points are pointless.
Tip: Points don’t drive guest loyalty; personalization drives guest loyalty. That split decision of when a guest chooses to book direct with your hotel again or hop to an OTA is determined by whether or not you made them feel special. Focus on personalization this year.
