The majority of travelers book their summer stays 1 to 3 months in advance. Now is the perfect time to ensure your accommodation is fully prepared, so you can get the most out of this influx of guests.

The hotel industry is evolving fast and so are guest expectations. Keeping up with the latest trends is crucial to running a successful hotel, whether you’re aiming to boost occupancy rates, increase direct bookings, simplify hotel management or enhance guest satisfaction.

To help you adapt, this blog covers 15 actionable tips to strategically position your accommodation for a successful high season in 2025 and beyond.

Tips to boost hotel revenue and profits

Leverage popular rate plans by creating new variations

An effective rate plan structure is one of the cornerstones for maximizing hotel revenue. Now is an excellent time to review your rate plan performance of 2024. If a specific rate plan performed exceptionally well, create similar versions to convince even more guests and boost revenue. If your breakfast-included plan is a hit, consider offering variations featuring breakfast and other popular extras like late check-out to further boost appeal.

Address occupancy gaps with strategic pricing and promotions

Identify slower periods early and proactively launch special promotions or discounted rates. For instance, offer attractive midweek deals or free perks like spa access to encourage hotel guests to book during quieter times.

Automate your pricing decisions to stay competitive

You never want to underprice or overprice your rooms, especially during high season, when there’s a lot of revenue on the line. Keep your prices sharp without constant manual monitoring and adjusting by using an automated dynamic pricing tool. These tools instantly adapt rates based on demand, competitor pricing, booking trends and your performance, keeping you one step ahead effortlessly.

Prioritize OTAs that deliver the highest net revenue

Not all OTAs contribute equally to your bottom line. Evaluate your 2024 OTA performance and focus on platforms delivering the highest net revenue after commission. Scale back on lower-yield channels during high-demand periods, for example when they’re mostly used by budget-conscious travelers that book your cheapest rate. This way, you can fill your rooms with higher-value guests that spend more per night or book longer stays.

Reduce reliance on high-commission OTAs

Large OTAs can charge hefty commissions (15-30%). Encourage direct bookings through your own website, for example by offering exclusive deals or incentives, and consider leveraging niche or local OTAs with lower commission rates. Read our previous blog for a complete guide to increasing direct bookings and cutting OTA commissions.

Adjust your offering to capitalize on local events

Concerts, festivals, sports games … Local events significantly boost hotel demand and – consequently – room prices. Stay informed about upcoming events in your area and proactively adjust your rates or create event-themed packages (e.g., including lunch to go or shuttle services) to drive additional revenue and attract more bookings.

Tips to increase hotel bookingsMinimize booking abandonment on your website

Enhance the booking process on your website to prevent guests from abandoning reservations mid-way. The key to higher conversion rates? A frictionless, user-friendly and fully responsive booking engine with a clear availability overview. Make sure it offers easy and diverse payment methods to avoid losing guests at the final step.

Offer more value rather than lowering prices

In 2025, a large proportion of travelers are seeking experience-rich stays and are willing to pay a bit more for them. Highlight unique local activities or exclusive amenities at your property such as cooking classes, guided tours or delicacy tasting events to justify premium pricing and enrich guest stays.

Stay in touch with guests to foster loyalty

Did you know around 24% of travelers return to hotels they’ve enjoyed previously? This offers a big opportunity to drive direct bookings at lower acquisition costs. Strengthen guest loyalty and encourage repeat bookings through attractive reward programs and personalized post-stay e-mails with special offers. Don’t forget to update your bookable-until date and prices in time. Many travelers want to rebook the same hotel for the following year.

Harness social media influence on travel decisions

Social media increasingly influences travelers’ destination and accommodation choices. Beyond merely providing inspiration, these platforms are rapidly evolving into important booking channels in their own right. Encourage your guests to share their experiences online, perhaps through giveaways or incentives for tagging your hotel. These authentic posts – called user-generated content – amplify your reach and inspire peers (potential guests) to discover your property.

Tips to streamline hotel operations and save timePrevent overbooking with real-time availability updates

A bigger influx of reservations means a bigger risk of double bookings. Do you have an effective channel management solution in place yet? Avoid frustrating guests with overbooking mishaps by working with a reliable Channel Manager. This tool automatically syncs availability across all booking channels in real-time, ensuring smooth guest check-ins and stress-free operations for your team.

Embrace AI tools to gain a competitive edge

AI isn’t just for big chains anymore – independent accommodations can now easily access AI-powered tools to streamline hotel operations, analyze data, identify trends and personalize stays. Since busy times are ahead, leverage AI to automate mundane tasks, freeing your team to deliver exceptional guest service.

Use chatbots to automate routine communication

Let AI-powered chatbots handle frequent guest inquiries about Wi-Fi passwords, breakfast hours or front desk opening hours. This allows your staff to focus on more complex requests and personal interactions.

Tips to enhance the hotel guest experienceWoo guests by offering 24-hour check-in

Modern travelers crave flexibility, so offering a 24-hour check-in option can significantly enhance your property’s appeal. If needed, you can introduce online check-in, self-service kiosks or mobile keys to effortlessly welcome guests clock-round.

Curate personalized experiences to delight your guests

Personalized service drives guest satisfaction and positive reviews, now more than ever. It’s what can set your accommodation apart in this competitive market. Make your guests feel like you know them by collecting personal preferences and special requests. With the help of AI tools, you can leverage guest data to tailor communications and upselling offers, such as add-ons room service and upgrades.

Stay on top of your game with Lighthouse

In the fast-paced hospitality industry, preparation is key – especially when gearing up for peak seasons. By implementing smart pricing strategies, elevating guest experience, leveraging technology and continuously adapting to guest preferences, your accommodation can thrive not only during high season but year-round.

Lighthouse empowers independent hotel owners and general managers to capture every revenue opportunity, streamline operations and maximize guest satisfaction. Whether it’s optimizing your profitability, distribution strategy or overall efficiency, Lighthouse ensures you’re always one step ahead.

Ready to unlock maximum success for your independent hotel with the help of Lighthouse? Discover our AI-powered platform for independents:

About Lighthouse

Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight) is the leading commercial platform for the travel & hospitality industry. We transform complexity into confidence by providing actionable market insights, business intelligence, and pricing tools that maximize revenue growth. We continually innovate to deliver the best platform for hospitality professionals to price more effectively, measure performance more efficiently, and understand the market in new ways.

Trusted by over 65,000 hotels in 185 countries, Lighthouse is the only solution that provides real-time hotel and short-term rental data in a single platform. We strive to deliver the best possible experience with unmatched customer service. We consider our clients as true partners – their success is our success.

This article originally appeared on Lighthouse.