In the golf tourism industry, management is no longer just about selling rooms or booking tee times separately. The real challenge—and the biggest opportunity—lies in the convergence of both worlds. While traditional Hotel revenue management focuses on maximizing Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR), the manager of a golf resort must go a step further: optimizing the total value of the player-guest.
If you manage a hotel with a golf course, you know that a customer who stays and plays is worth double (or triple) that of one who only sleeps. But are your management systems aligned with this reality?
Beyond the Room: From RMS to “Total Revenue”
According to academic standards from institutions like Les Roches, a Revenue Management System (RMS) is indispensable today for predicting demand and adjusting prices dynamically. They leverage artificial intelligence and data analytics to sell “the right room, to the right guest, at the right time.”
However, in our sector, this definition falls short. For a golf resort, Hotel revenue management must evolve into Total Revenue Management (TRM).
It is not enough to look at the room’s ADR (Average Daily Rate). You must ask yourself:
- How does hotel occupancy affect my Tee Sheet availability?
- Am I displacing local players (members) for golf tourists who spend less in the Pro Shop?
- Can I use room pricing as a lever to fill off-peak hours on the course?
The Problem of Data “Silos”
The main obstacle for many resorts is using one PMS for the hotel and different software for golf, which often do not “speak” to each other. This creates information silos: the hotel receptionist doesn’t know that the guest who just arrived is a VIP player who usually spends €200 in the shop, and the Caddie Master doesn’t know that the player on the 1st tee is staying in the Presidential Suite.
This is where Golfmanager technology changes the game. By offering unified management (or seamless bi-directional integrations with giants like Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud and SiteMinder), we break down those walls.
Unique Strategies for the Golf Resort
To apply advanced Hotel revenue management in your resort, consider these strategies that go beyond classical theory:
1. “Room Charge” as a Revenue Tool
Convenience skyrockets spending. When a player can charge their green fees, club rentals, range balls, and dinner directly to their room, payment friction disappears.
The Golfmanager Advantage: Our module allows any expense from club facilities (restaurant, pro shop, academy) to be automatically charged to the guest’s hotel account. This not only improves the customer experience but centralizes spending data so you can analyze the real TrevPAR (Total Revenue Per Available Room).
2. Inventory Synchronization (Rooms and Tees)
Using tools like SiteMinder integrated into your ecosystem allows for real-time updates of availability and rates across multiple sales channels (OTAs). But the key point here is the cross-strategy:
- Scenario: Your hotel has low occupancy for the upcoming weekend, but the golf course has high local demand.
- Action: Create packages where the room has an aggressive price (using dynamic pricing) but is conditional on booking green fees during specific off-peak hours, thus balancing both inventories.
3. Operational Efficiency at Check-in
Revenue management is also about reducing operational costs. A slow check-in process consumes staff time that could be dedicated to upselling services.
With Golfmanager’s integration of passport and ID scanners, the registration of players and guests is drastically streamlined. Less time typing data means more time offering a room upgrade or a golf lesson package.
4. Housekeeping Connected to the Tee Time
A point often overlooked is the coordination between housekeeping and golf. If you know what time a guest is checking out that day (late check-out) or one arriving has their tee time, you can prioritize cleaning those rooms.
Golfmanager’s hotel management module allows you to know the room status in real-time. If a group of golfers arrives early to play before checking in, you can ensure their rooms are ready just as they finish their round, improving satisfaction and the likelihood of return.
Conclusion: A Single Brain for Your Entire Business
Implementing effective Hotel revenue management requires stopping seeing the hotel and the golf course as separate businesses. By using a 100% cloud-based platform that connects operations, payments, and customer data, you are not just managing reservations; you are designing a complete experience that maximizes profit for every minute the guest spends at your resort.
Technology has advanced to give you total control, from the opening drive to room service. Is your software up to your ambition?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the difference between traditional Hotel Revenue Management and Total Revenue Management (TRM) in golf resorts?
A: Traditional Hotel Revenue Management focuses on maximizing income from room bookings (RevPAR). In contrast, Total Revenue Management (TRM) in golf resorts integrates revenue from all streams, including green fees, pro shop sales, food & beverage, and room bookings, to optimize the overall value per guest (TrevPAR).
Q: How does Golfmanager help eliminate data silos in hotel and golf management?
A: Golfmanager eliminates data silos by providing a unified cloud-based platform or seamless integrations with PMS systems like Oracle OPERA Cloud. This ensures that data regarding guest preferences, spending habits, and reservations is shared instantly between the hotel front desk and the golf course operations.
Q: Can Golfmanager integrate with external hotel distribution channels?
A: Yes, Golfmanager integrates with channel managers like SiteMinder. This allows resorts to sync room availability and rates in real-time across various Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) while simultaneously managing golf tee sheet inventory.
Q: How does the “Room Charge” feature impact revenue in a golf resort?
A: The “Room Charge” feature reduces payment friction by allowing guests to charge golf, dining, and retail expenses directly to their hotel bill. This ease of payment typically leads to increased guest spending and a higher average transaction value across the resort.
