A good idea is not enough.
Most revenue strategies fail not because the logic is flawed, but because people don’t adopt the change.
If you’re rolling out a new pricing model, reducing OTA reliance, upgrading your tech stack or shifting sales strategy, you’re not just changing systems. You’re asking teams to change habits, priorities and behaviours. That’s the hard part.
Change management is not a soft skill. It is a critical capability for any revenue leader looking to drive real results.
In this article, we’ll show you how to manage change in hotels using two proven frameworks:
- Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model for strategic project delivery
- The ADKAR Model for individual behaviour change
Each step is tied to common scenarios in hotel revenue management.
Why Change Management Matters in Hotel Revenue Strategy
Hotels are under growing pressure to evolve. The commercial environment is becoming more complex:
- OTA costs are rising
- Market demand is less predictable
- Revenue responsibility now includes F&B, wellness and experiences
- Technology adoption is accelerating
- Owners expect more commercial discipline
Many independent hotels know what they should do – invest in better systems, improve direct conversion, move away from static pricing – but struggle to implement these changes effectively.
That’s where change management comes in. It’s not about motivation or communication. It’s about execution.
Framework 1: Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model
John Kotter’s framework gives you a structured roadmap for organisational change — from idea to embedded practice.
Let’s break it down for hotel revenue teams:
1. Create a Sense of Urgency
Highlight why change is needed now, not later.
- Show lost revenue opportunities
- Demonstrate how your compset is gaining ground
- Share OTA cost trends or direct conversion leakage
“We’re losing £40k annually in OTA costs. If we don’t act now, we fall further behind.”
2. Build a Guiding Coalition
Involve people across departments who will influence adoption: FOH, sales, ops, finance, marketing, GM.
3. Form a Clear Vision
Define what success looks like: e.g. “Increase direct bookings by 15% in 12 months while maintaining ADR.”
4. Enlist Volunteers
Find informal leaders on your team who are willing to pilot and promote the change.
5. Remove Barriers
Ensure SOPs, training and systems support the new way of working. Remove blockers like unclear responsibilities or conflicting incentives.
6. Create Quick Wins
Identify results you can deliver in 30–60 days and communicate them widely.
7. Sustain Acceleration
Continue to drive adoption after launch. Set new goals. Use momentum to improve related areas.
8. Make It Stick
Embed the new behaviour into job roles, training, reporting and culture. Make it part of “how we do things.”
Framework 2: The ADKAR Model (People-Centred Change)
If Kotter helps you lead the organisation, ADKAR helps you support individuals.
It’s a 5-stage model developed by Prosci, focusing on personal transition during change.
| ADKAR Stage | What it Means | Hotel Example |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Understand the need for change | FOH staff see OTA cost data and realise the current model isn’t sustainable |
| Desire | Want to be part of the change | Sales team support the new group pricing model because they see potential for higher commissions |
| Knowledge | Know how to change | Reservations receive training on the new length-of-stay pricing system |
| Ability | Apply skills and behaviours | Reception staff correctly explain new cancellation policies to guests |
| Reinforcement | Stay consistent and supported | Manager gives regular feedback and ties performance to adoption of new tools |
ADKAR works well alongside Kotter. You may have a strategic vision, but if your staff don’t want to change, or don’t feel capable of it, progress stalls.
Real Hotel Use Case: Bringing Kotter and ADKAR Together
Let’s apply both models to a realistic change: rolling out dynamic pricing across all room categories in a 60-room lifestyle hotel.
Kotter Steps:
- Urgency: Data shows flat ADR while compset is up 5%.
- Coalition: RM, GM, reservations lead and revenue analyst form the task force.
- Vision: Improve ADR by £10 and reduce manual overrides by 50%.
- Volunteers: Receptionist and junior sales exec test and provide feedback.
- Barriers removed: RMS logic reviewed; staff permissions updated; SOPs changed.
- Quick wins: £3 uplift in ADR on weekends in first 30 days.
- Sustain acceleration: Daily dashboards reviewed in weekly ops meetings.
- Stickiness: Quarterly bonus tied to compliance with new pricing logic.
ADKAR Journey:
- Awareness: GM shares the data in a town hall
- Desire: Staff see success at a sister property using same RMS
- Knowledge: Training sessions held by the vendor and RM team
- Ability: Live support in first 2 weeks; sandbox for testing
- Reinforcement: Dashboard highlights successful adopters; recognition in team meetings
Both models reinforce each other. One drives the project. The other supports the people.
Common Pitfalls in Hotel Change Projects
| Mistake | Why It Happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No urgency | Assumes people will just “get it” | Show real data, risk, and market pressure |
| Siloed planning | Revenue works alone | Bring in ops, FOH, and marketing early |
| Tech-led thinking | Focus only on systems | Support the human side of change |
| No measurement | Can’t prove value | Track both usage and revenue impact |
| No reinforcement | Old habits return | Tie results to performance reviews or bonuses |
Change Management Checklist
Use this before launching any major revenue initiative:
Strategy (Kotter)
- Clear need and urgency
- Cross-functional team in place
- Strategic vision tied to KPIs
- First pilot or volunteer users selected
- Training and processes updated
- Quick wins identified
- Follow-up plan in place
- Change embedded in hotel systems
People (ADKAR)
- Have we built awareness in all roles?
- Do people want to participate?
- Have we provided the right knowledge?
- Can they do the new tasks confidently?
- Are we reinforcing the new behaviours?
Final Thought: Better Change, Better Results
You can have the best RMS, the best pricing strategy, the best distribution playbook.
But if your people don’t buy in, it won’t stick.
Kotter helps you lead the change.
ADKAR helps your team live the change.
Master both, and you become more than a revenue manager. You become a commercial leader who can actually deliver change that improves RevPAR, conversion, and ultimately profitability.
Ready to explore outsourced revenue management for your hotel?
Book a 30-minute diagnostic call with our team to benchmark your current strategy, review your RevPAR performance, and identify missed revenue opportunities.
