How a Regional Motel Improved GDS Performance, Upgraded Its Tech Stack and Attracted More Corporate Business

Property

Location: Regional Town

Type of Accommodation: Motel   

Number of Rooms: 53

Opportunity

A second-generation, family-owned motel located in a thriving regional centre in Victoria that is well known for its tourism, corporate, and medical-led visitation.

The property is well maintained, offering all the standard amenities guests are seeking in a regional motel: pool, onsite restaurant and bar, car parking, good Wi-Fi, friendly staff, and a great aggregated guest review score.

As a member of their peak tourism industry body, the business was eligible for local council funding for a capped number of hours of independent consultancy work that could be used to identify opportunities within the areas of revenue management, distribution, sales and marketing to be applied within their business, and contributing to its improved profitability.

RevenYou has been retained to deliver this programme with the owner able to select from the areas of revenue management, distribution, sales or marketing or a combination of areas following a one-hour investigative interview to identify their primary and secondary priorities.

During the initial call, it was identified that the client would like to focus their time on their Global Distribution System (GDS) as they felt their corporate market penetration was low when compared to their competitor set. They had identified the opportunity to capture greater market share, however, were unsure how to optimise their current GDS set up to undertake this.

With any remaining time, they asked us to review their Property Management System (PMS) and Channel Manager: paying particular attention to their pricing strategy with the aim of moving to a more dynamic model that gave greater demand flexibility to accommodate the region’s peaks and troughs. In addition, they wanted to take the opportunity to have an independent assessment of their current tech stack undertaken with a view to identify areas for simplification while ensuring a return on investment.

Actions

• Reviewed current GDS ‘European-based supplier:

o   Identified that the consortia programmes’ the motel was currently enrolled in were ‘free / enhanced commission only’ focused on targeting European-based agents and not appropriate for the Australian travel market.

o   Sourced quotes for Australian-focused consortia programmes and made recommendations based on their location, style of business and proven history in the local area.

o   Identified that the key consortia programme for Australian accommodation providers produces upwards of $500k in room night revenue for the motel’s three main competitors in the region. Coordinated the motel’s participation with a 10% discounted rate.

o   Updated the motel’s free Lanyon listing with latest photos, current facilities, and amenities to ensure the property was best placed to receive pricing requests and tenders from potential corporate clients.

• Reviewed the current PMS and Channel Manager combination as the owner was finding the functionality did not meet their needs and wanted to move to a dynamic pricing model with rates derived from a best available rate (BAR) for easier maintenance.

o   Sourced a variety of quotes and demonstrations with the owner electing to stay with their current PMS but move to a new Channel Manager that offered greater flexibility and functionality.

o   Set up the new Channel Manager implementing the preferred dynamic pricing strategy.

o   Created 1:1 mapping in the Channel Manager for greater insights on corporate GDS production.

o   Once on the new Channel Manager, we were able to move the hotel to an Australian-based GDS provider and enrol in a selection of new Consortia Programmes with a proven history for producing in their location.

o   With the set up completed, audited and training completed with the motel’s team, the systems were handed back for their ongoing management.

Outcomes

• The motel is seeing an increased production from corporate clients due to improved visibility from the new consortia programme listings.

• The motel is enjoying a reduction in time required to manage their pricing strategy with rates now derived with a simple dynamic model in play.

Next Steps:

With the above work completed as part of the council grant, it was our recommendation that the motel now direct their focus to reviewing their current sales and marketing activity. By establishing and building relationships with corporate travel agents and bookers they can position their property for inclusion in the 2025 Request for Proposal (RFP) season.

FAQ’s

Why is it important to have the right GDS for your property?

Having the right GDS in place is important because it directly affects how well your property connects with the corporate travel market and how effectively you can capture demand that aligns with your business goals. In this case, the property recognised there was an opportunity to grow corporate market share, but its existing GDS setup was not well matched to that objective.

A GDS should do more than simply provide access to bookings. It needs to support the right audience, the right rate strategy and the right distribution partners based on your location, property style and target business mix.

Can the right GDS setup improve corporate business performance?

Yes. A well-aligned GDS strategy can help a property become more competitive in the corporate segment by improving visibility, access to the right programmes and responsiveness to pricing requests and tenders. In this case, the motel’s listing was updated with current images, facilities and amenities to better position it for potential corporate clients.

The review also identified a key Australian-focused consortia programme that was already producing substantial room night revenue for competitor properties in the same region, highlighting the value of being connected to the right channels for your market.

Why does the right GDS need to align with the rest of the property’s systems?

Your GDS does not operate in isolation. To perform well, it needs to work seamlessly with your PMS, Channel Manager and pricing strategy. In this case, the property also wanted to move to a more dynamic pricing model and review whether its existing tech stack was helping or hindering that goal.

That broader review led to the decision to retain the existing PMS but move to a new Channel Manager that offered greater flexibility and functionality, helping create a more practical setup for the business going forward.

What is the benefit of reviewing your GDS as part of a wider commercial strategy?

Reviewing your GDS as part of a wider commercial strategy helps ensure your technology, pricing and distribution are all working toward the same outcome. Rather than making isolated decisions, it allows you to choose systems and programmes that support your property’s location, demand profile and long-term business goals.

This creates a more effective and sustainable foundation for growth, particularly for properties looking to increase corporate business, improve rate flexibility and strengthen return on investment from their technology stack.