Starfleet Research Releases Long-Awaited 6th Edition of Smart Decision Guide to Hospitality Revenue Management

Starfleet Research, the leading provider of best practices IT market research for the hospitality industry, today announced the release of The 2025 Smart Decision Guide to Hospitality Revenue Management (now available for complimentary download). Now in its sixth edition—and the first to be published since the 2019 pre-pandemic version—the all-new report provides hotel organizations with a practical and highly actionable roadmap for building smarter, faster and more profitable revenue strategies in today’s rapidly changing market.

Earlier editions of the Smart Decision Guide have been downloaded thousands of times by hotel executives, general managers, revenue leaders and IT decision-makers. In the last edition, 94% of respondents rated the guide as “valuable” or “very valuable.” However, the landscape has changed dramatically since 2019. Labor costs are rising sharply, booking windows are shrinking, and competitive pressure is intensifying across every region and segment. At the same time, AI-enabled technology has shifted from a point solution to a core capability—and traditional, rules-based revenue tactics are no longer sufficient.

In response to these industry-wide shifts, the 2025 edition was completely redesigned and written from scratch. It reflects a fundamentally different operating reality—one in which advanced forecasting, real-time market responsiveness, and total revenue management (across rooms, F&B, spa, parking, etc.) are essential for long-term success.

“Revenue management has entered a new era,” said Jeff Zabin, Research Director at Starfleet Research. “AI is now baked into daily workflows, cross-departmental alignment has become a competitive differentiator, and guest behavior changes in real time across multiple channels. This Smart Decision Guide is designed to help hotel organizations adapt to that new reality—and thrive in it.”

The 50-page guide is based on best-practices research involving more than 350 hotel IT, finance and commercial leaders. It features new frameworks for evaluating next-generation RMS platforms, guidance on integration and data-sharing requirements, and real-world insights from leading revenue strategists.

Among the key research findings:

• 89% of hotel executives now use AI-powered or automated tools in their revenue strategies
• 83% report RevPAR gains of 5–15% after implementing a next-generation RMS
• 96% say AI has reduced the time and cost of traditional pricing decisions
• 69% report higher guest satisfaction due to more relevant offers and better timing
• Nearly 40% of incremental revenue now comes from non-room sources, highlighting the importance of total revenue strategy

The publication is intended for owners, general managers, asset managers, revenue leaders and technology buyers across all property types and regions. It arrives at a moment when many hotel organizations are reassessing their commercial playbooks and making long-term technology investments to remain competitive.

The 2025 Smart Decision Guide to Hospitality Revenue Management (now available for complimentary download) was independently produced and published by Starfleet Research, a world leader in hospitality technology market research and thought leadership. This latest edition was made possible through the sponsorship support of Cloudbeds, Infor, Revenue Analytics and TakeUp — four industry leaders whose ongoing commitment to innovation and education continues to advance the state of hospitality revenue management.

Download the full report here: https://get.smartdecisionguides.com/25sdg-hrm/