Attribute-based selling (ABS) is coming for hotels. But there are four key obstacles:

• Systems for room inventory aren’t currently structured properly to handle ABS
• Distribution channels aren’t structured properly to sell ABS
• Adding ABS at the time of booking may give guests ‘shopper’s paralysis’ and result in reservation abandonment
• Hotel managers don’t want to lock in specific inventory too far out from arrival date to maintain flexibility to accommodate room blocks

Addressing these four concerns, Adam Mogelonsky was recently featured in a Hospitality Technology on the “Dos and Don’ts for Attribute-Based Selling” with a pull quote:

“Once they’re within the booking engine, they are bombarded with room categories, each accompanied by a fact sheet of in-room features that requires more time and mental energy to process,” Mogelonsky adds. “Decision fatigue sets in at this point; the customer is exhausted, and adding ABS would be overkill. Instead, give the guest a break. Let the reservation breathe, then prompt them to select their specific room for an incremental fee one week or three days out from the intended arrival date.”

“Hoteliers need to be able to dynamically juggle room assignments as close to the arrival date as possible in order to maximize occupancy by being able to accommodate non-overlapping reservations,” Mogelonsky adds. “Generally speaking, it is better to re-engage the guest in the days leading up to arrival with an ABS offer where a two-way connection with the PMS can filter only those specific rooms or suites that hotels may not sell through other distribution channels that close to the date.”