The role of the hotel asset manager is changing. So is the role of revenue management. By 2026, revenue management is no longer a function that hotel asset managers simply “monitor”. It is a core lever of asset performance, risk control, and long-term value creation.
NB: This is an article from Catala Consulting
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For hotel asset managers, this requires a reset of expectations. For operators and revenue teams, it raises the bar.
If revenue management is still focused on daily rate changes and backward-looking reports, it is failing the asset.
This article outlines what a hotel asset manager should realistically expect from revenue management in 2026.
Revenue Management Through the Lens of a Hotel Asset Manager
A hotel asset manager does not optimise for RevPAR in isolation.
They optimise for value, stability, and downside protection.
In 2026, revenue management must reflect this reality.
Hotel asset managers should expect revenue management to:
- Explain how pricing decisions impact NOI, not just occupancy.
- Identify demand that increases revenue but erodes profitability.
- Protect long-term rate positioning.
- Reduce earnings volatility, not amplify it.
RevPAR remains a diagnostic metric. It is no longer the objective.
From an asset management perspective, revenue management exists to support sustainable cash flow and asset value.
Revenue Management Must Actively Protect the Asset from Sales Pressure
One of the most important expectations a hotel asset manager should have is economic discipline.
In 2026, revenue management should:
- Quantify displacement clearly for groups and contracts.
- Push back on volume-driven sales strategies.
- Challenge incentives that prioritise occupancy over profit.
- Say “no” when deals damage the asset.
Healthy tension between revenue management and sales is normal. The absence of tension is often a warning sign.
From an asset management standpoint, revenue management exists to protect value, not internal alignment.
Distribution Strategy Is an Asset-Level Decision
Distribution is no longer an operational detail. It is a margin lever.
A hotel asset manager should expect revenue management to:
- Clearly articulate cost of acquisition by channel.
- Actively manage channel mix.
- Protect contribution, not just visibility.
- Avoid dependency on discount-driven demand.
Key questions revenue management should answer:
- Which channels create profitable demand?
- Where is the asset overexposed?
- What demand disappears when discounts are removed?
Growth without contribution destroys value.
