Greetings, hoteliers! Your pool, spa, and rooftop bar are sitting idle between check-ins, yet 73% of locals would pay to access them. The math is compelling: turn dead amenity hours into live revenue streams. Plus this week: ensure AI can find your hotel in search results, and watch Expedia transform Instagram videos into bookable trips.
Insights brought to you by Lights On.
Actionable Insights
1. Hotels Monetize Amenities Through Local Day Passes
Hotels nationwide are charging $40-60 for pool and spa access, with 73% of U.S. travelers willing to pay for non-guest access. This shift toward hotels as lifestyle hubs creates new à la carte revenue streams beyond overnight stays, with properties selling everything from co-working passes to spa memberships to poolside cabana rentals, turning once-exclusive amenities into community destinations that generate revenue seven days a week.
💡 Launch weekend pool passes at 30% above your F&B average check to test local demand.
2. Data Hygiene Becomes Critical for AI Visibility
Hotel leaders stressed at the 2025 Hotel Data Conference that "garbage in, garbage out" applies to AI. Properties must audit their digital content to ensure AI assistants like ChatGPT provide accurate information about them.
💡 Run a weekly audit of your OTA listings for outdated amenity descriptions.
3. Expedia Converts Instagram Reels to Bookable Trips
Expedia's new Trip Matching feature analyzes travel Instagram Reels to build complete itineraries. The AI identifies destinations and activities from videos, then suggests matching hotels and flights from Expedia's inventory.
💡Create a 30-second highlight reel showcasing your best suite and tag it #TravelGoals.
Everything else in hospitality this week
U.S. RevPAR rose 0.2%: the first increase after three weekly declines, with NYC and Orlando posting 9%+ jumps.
TSA screened 10.4 million: Labor Day travel hit records, yet hotel occupancy stayed flat year-over-year.
Guest satisfaction with F&B declined: J.D. Power found notable drops in food quality and facility maintenance ratings.
Holiday travel plans steady at 44%: Despite a 5% drop in overall holiday spending, travel intentions remain resilient.
Improve your AI skill today
AI chatbots are now a daily essential. Learn a few prompting techniques, and you’ll get better results for work and life.
Key takeaway: Most users struggle to articulate exactly what they need from AI. The real breakthrough comes from prompt refinement—turning vague ideas into precise instructions. Instead of guessing at the perfect prompt, you can have ChatGPT coach you through crafting it.
This meta-prompting technique transforms ChatGPT into a collaborative consultant that iteratively refines your request. By having the AI confirm and clarify requirements (like a human consultant would), you end up with a crystal-clear prompt that delivers exactly what you need.
You are my AI prompt coach.
Goal: I want to create a staff schedule that minimizes labor costs. First, restate my goal in your own words and ask me any questions to clarify hotel specifics. We'll refine the request together. Only after you fully understand the hotel's needs will you produce the final optimized prompt to accomplish my goal.That’s it for this week.
Stop leaving money on the table: book your Revenue Growth Blueprint session and identify the 3 fastest ways to boost your RevPAR.