“Welcome! You’ve booked the Light Sleeper’s Haven, our corner room with blackout curtains and no adjoining neighbors. I can see you added lounge access, too. Let me show you the way!” Those a la carte options? That’s attribute-based selling (ABS): the next evolution in hotel merchandising.
Hotels using this strategy go beyond “standard” or “deluxe” and sell what guests truly want. Think higher floors, dining credits, early check-in—ABS distributing is about the little extra perks that make a big difference. This guide breaks down how it works, why it matters and how to get ready for this guest-focused approach to selling better guest experiences.
Key Highlights:
Attribute-based selling is the art of selling individual, bookable features at your hotel. It's both more comprehensive than traditional upselling and more flexible than bundling. Think of it as the à la carte approach to inventory. Instead of bundling everything into broad room and rate types, you let guests pick the elements that matter to them most.
ABS for hotels represents a fresh approach to room distribution that aligns with modern guest expectations. After all, 71% of consumers expect personalization and 76% get frustrated when there is none. And, it not only improves the guest experience. It simultaneously opens the door to new revenue.
Attribute-based selling focuses on in-room features and perks that enhance the guest’s experience. This can include a room’s location, views or balconies, what parts of the hotel guests can access and more. When passive features of your property become active selling points, more revenue is on the table.
Depending on your property and setup, shifting to an ABS distributing model can involve several key tactics:
Not every guest wants the works. With unbundling, you offer your standard rooms as a base option while maximizing how guests can customize their stay. This could look like extra plush pillows, faster Wi-Fi or a premier coffee maker. Some guests will still go basic, but others will happily pay more for the extras that matter to them.
Got rooms with a spectacular view? A fridge or kitchenette? A private balcony? Instead of relying on room descriptions, you can make individual features searchable and bookable. When you focus on individual features, guests don’t compare price but instead look for the features they care about.
Traditional guest packages are a one-size-fits-all approach, while attribute-based shopping takes this a step further. A couple may want spa access but skip the breakfast buffet; a family might want bunk beds and wellness perks. Guest choice and customization let guests mix and match features to build the stay they want, without paying for things they don’t.
When you adopt an ABS distributing strategy, the attributes you offer are a great way to showcase your hotel’s unique personality. The key? It’s not just what you offer, but how you frame it. If you're looking for ideas on where to get started, here are some common categories to think about.
These attributes of physical rooms often aren't highlighted by traditional categorization. They can include:
Think of this as pulling hidden gems out of the description and into the ABS strategy. Not quite a suite? It doesn’t need to be—simply describe it in a way that makes it feel exclusive and desirable to the right guest.
These small details deliver significant wins and typically yield a high ROI. Some ideas include:
Whether it’s a family traveling with children or someone looking for a quiet place to work, amenity offerings make each stay feel a bit more luxe.
When you let guests dial service levels up or down, they’re able to choose exactly what degree of attention they’d like in their stay. This can include:
Some guests prefer a low-key, hands-off stay, while others are willing to pay extra for a higher level of hospitality. With ABS distributing, you can cater to both.
ABS can also surface paid experiences or make them more bookable in context. This may include:
In short, ABS gives your hotel the flexibility to offer more while selling smarter. It shifts your ancillary revenue to focus on what guests want and what inventory you have available for them.
Attribute-based selling isn’t an advanced strategy, but it is one that takes time to get right. It’s a mental leap—instead of traditional room selling where the room is all you book, you're selling everything in pieces. But once you make this shift, it's easy to identify sellable attributes that best fit guest needs.
ABS's true potential lies in its ability to empower guests and generate more dynamic revenue streams for hotels. Here’s a side-by-side look at how the two approaches compare:
You can’t typically change your hotel's room inventory. But through ABS and hotel upsells, you can unlock new revenue opportunities and give guests the power to personalize their stay.
Yes, shifting to an attribute-based sales model takes planning and extra meetings, but the results serve both you and your guests.
Here are the key benefits to help you build the business case and win over every stakeholder at the table. You’ll notice that boosting ancillary revenue and pleasing your accounting department is just the start.
Selling the same standard room at different rates based on booking timing is one thing. Real revenue growth starts when you monetize what guests want (beyond a bed) by delivering on individual needs.
Here’s how attribute-based selling unlocks new revenue streams:
Monetize individual features and preferences
That small, low-on-storage, single room that used to sit empty? Reframe it as a one-night recharge room for quick stopovers. The key is recognizing uniqueness as an opportunity and pricing accordingly.
Make pricing more dynamic and precise
A kitchenette in a resort is worth more during peak school holidays, when there’s more demand from families. Spa access? Price it up for weekend wellness warriors and down to attract weekday business. Attribute-based pricing lets you flex all your rates based on demand and feature appeal.
Increase upsell potential across the guest journey
When guests build their stay piece by piece, they’re primed to add more, both before arrival and during their stay. That’s where personalized upsell nudges, like discounted spa access or balcony upgrades, become easy wins.
Improve yield across all assets
ABS doesn’t just help you sell rooms better, it helps you sell everything better. The key is knowing which features resonate with guests and how to price them. Then, their attribute-based shopping experience naturally follows.
Demand for personalization is strong, and it’s something guests will pay more for. In fact, 61% of consumers say they’re willing to spend extra for tailored experiences. Attribute-based selling answers that demand by letting guests shape their stay around what they value.
Autonomy is a key driver in guest experience when travelers handpick their experiences. They feel in charge, not sold to. That supports higher satisfaction, stronger brand loyalty and better word of mouth referrals.
OTAs helped standardize how hotels sold rooms online, offering scale and reach back when hotel websites weren’t so advanced. This was huge at the time, but the tide is shifting. Skift predicts that by 2030, direct channels will overtake OTAs in booking volume. Direct booking combined with Attribute-based selling puts hotels back in charge of how they present their offerings.
Adopting a customizable booking experience lets hotels spotlight what makes them different. Better still, ABS puts more of your brand personality in the process. From how you name attributes to how you present available features, the options for customization are abundant.
With more products to sell and more moments to sell them, ABS for hotels reveals a lot about your guests. It lets you connect the dots between different guest types and the things they value. You'll learn exactly what message drives more upgrades, or which discount gets guests in the restaurant. The more you offer, the more you learn.
And, these learnings are valuable for your hotel’s future. You’ll know which features matter most to which segments and how to prioritize your next investment. Whether it’s adding a chef’s table, more workspace or a sauna, knowing your guests is the first step to delighting them.
Implementing Attribute-Based Selling is like building a custom sports car: the speed and performance only matter if the engine and tires are in sync. For hotels, that means evaluating and syncing their tech stack, operations, pricing logic and even team mindset.
Here are the key challenges to anticipate and plan for when moving toward ABS. Knowing them upfront helps you build a smoother path to implementation.
The more attributes you sell, the more data you generate. The challenge? Making that data usable and ensuring every system talks to each other clearly.
For ABS operations to work well, your tech has to work with it. Look for systems that integrate with your property management system (PMS), central reservation system (CRS), and revenue management system (RMS). Room availability, pricing for each attribute and tracking must flow freely between platforms.
This requires reliable APIs (application programming interfaces) or ready-built integrations between leading vendors. In some cases, custom integration work may be needed, especially when systems weren’t originally designed with ABS in mind.
The good news? The industry is moving fast. Solutions for hotel revenue management software offer built-in tools to untangle these demands. With smart integrations, attribute-level revenue and upsell tracking have become easier than ever.
More options mean more moving parts to control. Features sold individually need their own pricing logic, availability tracking and demand review. This doesn't have to be complicated, but it is something to be aware of to avoid missed opportunities or accidental oversells.
As you transition to an ABS model, do an audit to make sure each item is tagged and counted correctly in the system. This will make sure you're only offering available attributes at the price you want.
Behind every attribute promised is the team that delivers it. From ensuring the right rooms get assigned to managing timed amenities, operations have to line up. That means staff training is key.
Proper training ensures consistency and avoids last-minute scrambles that impact the guest experience. With the right messaging, front-line staff become confident contributors to your strategy.
Any new way of adding on perks has to feel intuitive and beneficial for the guest. That’s where smart digital design comes in. The colors, language and layout you choose shape behavior and perception. A well-designed attribute-based shopping experience helps guests feel in control, not overwhelmed.
The booking flow should be visually clear and easy to navigate above all. Clear labeling and helpful descriptions are essential to making decisions easy for guests. After all, easy decisions are what create easy revenue for your hotel!
More options don’t always equal better experiences. Too many choices without structure can lead to hesitation—or worse, an abandoned booking. Strike the right balance between enough attributes to give guests options without overwhelming them.
Organization is also a key factor in choice overload. When setting up your menus, prioritize popular attributes, use categories and streamline decisions for ease of use.
The attribute-based shopping journey weaves choices into every step. Here is what that looks like day-to-day.
Ella is planning a weekend getaway. Instead of choosing between a “standard” or “deluxe” room, she selects a room with a mountain view. Then she chooses her floor, the size of her bed and whether she'd like a standard room or a suite. As she toggles between options, the rate updates and it's clear how each variant impacts the cost.
The Tuesday before arrival, she gets a message: “We’re excited to welcome you to our Mountain View Suite! If you’d like to dine with us, we recommend making a reservation here: [include a link]. We'll throw in a free appetizer on us!” Ella feels like the hotel already knows her and is confident she'll get the stay she wants.
That same Tuesday, the GM logs into the PMS and looks at his check-ins for the coming weekend. He sees Ella's reservation and makes sure she's assigned to a room that fits every one of her attributes. Assigning the room triggers the message and secures another restaurant reservation for Friday.
And when Ella arrives that weekend? Staff are prepped, every attribute is accounted for in the PMS and they're ready to welcome her. No scrambling, just smart selling.
Ready to dive into the world of ABS for hotels? Before you get started, take a moment to assess whether your hotel is ready to take the plunge. These questions can guide your readiness check:
The future is guest-centric, and attribute-based selling is already playing an important role. And the biggest factor in this shift? AI and machine learning. Envision an AI-powered upselling tool that caters to each stay by pooling attributes based on guest preferences and budget. It makes recommendations as part of a conversation with the guest, providing smart communication for a tailored experience.
As expectations move toward unique, experience-driven stays, ABS for hotels offers the intelligence to meet demand without adding extra work. With better automation, hotels can gain more guest insights and make smarter recommendations at every turn.
Gone are the days when your only option is to sell the same room under the same conditions. Now, hotels can offer guests the personalization they want in a way that directly boosts the bottom line. Luckily, those who move early can gain an edge as guest expectations evolve.
Starting with clear goals, a strategic execution plan and attributes you know your guests will love is a recipe for success. And not every feature needs to be an attribute: it's about knowing what matters and using insights to build better experiences.
The opportunity is clear. The timing is now. Book a demo to see how Canary can support your attribute-based selling strategy and unlock new revenue.
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