The guest metric that changes everything

Welcome back to your weekly hospitality debrief, where we're trading stress for strategy and laying the groundwork now so the new year feels like lift-off instead of catch-up.

First up: a new report is pushing operators to rethink the math—measure value by the guest, not the room, and watch your loyalty engine actually make sense. We’re also looking at how to dodge last-minute pricing chaos by turning your direct channel into the path of least resistance. And CoStar’s latest? Debt markets are loosening but dealmakers remain cautious.

Put it all together and you’ve got a playbook for fewer headaches and steadier gains. Hospitality’s not getting simpler, but you can make it feel that way.

Consistency breeds trust. If your OTA rate undercuts your direct rate, Sabre says your conversion drops 32%—and honestly, guests don’t need another reason to side-eye your direct booking option. Clean up the mismatch before you inadvertently teach them not to trust your own website.

Giving the cold shoulder. Canadians are putting their U.S. vacations on ice. The CBC flags a huge hit to U.S. travel numbers, to the tune of a $5.7 billion U.S. loss compared to the previous year.

Avoid the last-minute rate shenanigans. Tightening your same-day cancellation rules might save your ADR, but guests are responding by booking later, hedging with multiple just-in-case bookings and probing every loophole. Make your direct channel the clear “least hassle” option. 

But if canceling is necessary... Cloudbeds just teamed up with HTS to give independent hotels the power to offer CFAR (“Cancel for Any Reason”) to guests who book directly. Welcome to OTA-level flexibility, but on your own turf. 

No reservation required. Revenue grows faster when the guest is the unit of measurement, not the room. A new Skift report recommends aligning sales and service models with customer profiles to drive returns on loyalty and long-term profitability. 

Hospitality you can set your watch by

The Shinola Hotel faced a messy challenge: fitting a new luxury property into several old, historic buildings. The result was a design headache that became the Detroit hotel’s most brilliant competitive advantage. 

Why it matters: Travelers now look for atmosphere as much as amenities. When luxury watchmaker Shinola stitched together the old Singer sewing-machine factory with the circa-1915 T.B. Rayl Co. hardware and sporting goods store to create the hotel, it ended up with more than 50 room types for just 129 rooms. It’s a little quirky, a little chaotic and totally delightful—you could stay there a dozen times and never land in the same kind of room twice. Guest rooms feature white-oak floors trimmed in signature Shinola blue, custom striped alpaca blankets, in-house furniture and bespoke décor that subtly layers in modern design with its historic foundation. (Dwell) 

Deals waiting in the wings? 

There’s capital ready to play, but buyers are sitting on their hands until the macro fog clears. CoStar says the debt markets are more open than before, but uncertainty is still keeping deal volume soft.

Why it matters: This lull could be your window of opportunity if you’re thinking about selling or refinancing. Buyers aren’t clamoring, yet they haven’t vanished: liquidity is flowing, but they want more certainty before placing big bets. That nervousness around interest rates, geopolitical risk and demand is giving owners who want to stay put a little more breathing room. If you’ve got strong fundamentals, now might be the time to lean in. (CoStar) 

Choose your own adventure

Hoteliers are increasingly rejecting all‑in‑one systems in favor of specialized tech, according to a new NYU-backed study. The insight? That move could unlock new agility and performance for your property.

Why it matters: For independent hoteliers, flexibility is everything—and these findings suggest your tech stack might be due for a rethink. According to the study, operators are increasingly favoring “best‑in‑class” systems, especially when they want advanced capabilities like revenue management or guest experience tools. Dissatisfaction is creeping in: only about a third of all-in-one system users said they were happy with their training and support. By embracing more tailored tools, you can shape your tech to fit your hotel’s rhythm, not the other way around. (Hotel News Resource)

Marbles in motion

Trust compounds one interaction at a time, and leadership sets the pace. Every small act of reliability by leaders and staff fills the “marble jar” for the team culture, because trust is the currency your hotel runs on.

Why it matters: Leaders who follow through on promises deposit trust in their teams, while staff who honor commitments reinforce it peer to peer. Quick responses, proactive problem-solving and consistent behavior create a positive cycle that strengthens both operations and morale. When trust is visible and tangible, your team communicates better, collaborates easier and handles stress with composure. Keep your hotel running smoothly—even during peak chaos—by investing in these daily deposits. (Diary of a CEO podcast) 

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Mint Pillow is curated and written by Jennifer Glatt and edited by Lesley McKenzie.