Independent hoteliers are turning to all-in-one tools to increase consistency on property, reducing friction and improving ROI through new efficiencies.

By Warren Dehan

Today’s independent hoteliers often feel trapped between the rising costs of operating their properties and guests' sky-high expectations for each stay. But with the right tech stack, your hotel could be operating smoothly with tools that pay for themselves over time. In this case, it may require independents to rethink their tech partnerships and how many they need to operate efficiently in 2025.

Independents yearning for a more efficient operations model are increasingly investigating all-in-one Property Management Systems capable of serving each of their operational needs while integrating with third parties to address anything beyond what the all-in-one includes. Good news: This strategy is more viable today than ever and can help a hotel recoup its return on investment for operations technology in record time. All-in-one PMS technology assists hotels to provide the best possible experience without investing in many different systems, cutting down the number of tech partnerships they need to navigate, and technical integrations that need to be managed.

Consolidating your independent hotel’s operations technology into the PMS creates a consistent operations environment across all departments, improving operations without adding complications. The more independent hotels reduce operational friction, the more they can focus on hospitality.

Comfort, Context, and Consistency

Hoteliers' time spent decoding their PMS operations often feels like money lost. Operating costs and labor are among the most significant barriers to success today, and an integrated all-in-one PMS is the ideal tool to support independent operators’ labor needs over the long term by creating consistency. The hotel PMS can often feel overwhelming, even for experienced hoteliers, and efforts to familiarize or simplify these tools will create a more stable operations environment.

Through simplifying operations, hotels can realize cost savings associated with reduced training time, smoother employee transfers between properties, fewer errors, and a more enjoyable work experience for employees. When using fewer integrations overall, independents can focus their attention away from technology and processes and dedicate themselves fully to the hotel experience.

Consolidating the majority of hotel operations tools to the PMS can also assist with data management between departments. Hotels today excel at leveraging the basics of hotel operations technology, such as inter-property communication and tracking work orders or housekeeping requests. In 2025, it’s time to expand those features to include embedded payment processing to cut down on fees and maintain your brand during all payments. Independent hotels must also consider the impact of loyalty programs on optimizing the guest experience. Through data-driven insights supplied across the PMS, hotels can increase the effectiveness of their loyalty campaigns and more accurately target guests at the right moment.

Hotels benefit from sharing guest data across departments, especially when each tool is accessible through an all-in-one PMS. The technology is even more impactful when leveraging revenue management tools or across more than one hotel through multi-property management, reducing time spent managing each property’s individual revenue strategy. Combined with an all-in-one PMS in each hotel, a portfolio of independent properties can make individual decisions or operate as a group to increase their agility and strategic positioning. The process becomes second nature when all of these capabilities are under one roof.

Filling the Gaps

Even an all-in-one PMS may not always fit every independent hotelier’s unique needs in today's operating environment. However, the main benefit of an all-in-one system is its wide-reaching integrations and ability to pull data from nearly any hotel department. This allows operators to simplify the technology they use to operate their properties–or it should. Hoteliers must locate a technology partner that not only provides the capabilities they need but is also willing and able to form integration partnerships and seamlessly deploy them at their property.

This concern is of unique importance to independent hoteliers. These properties can rarely make do with a cut-and-paste solution and may require more attention from their technology partners. Independents should seek out experienced technology partners capable of working with them step-by-step throughout this process. Any unnecessary time spent during the deployment process can penalize a hotel’s path to quickly realized benefits, so choosing a partner who is invested in your property’s success is vital.

Hotels rely on technology to remain profitable today, but the web of required partnerships and implementations often feels like they are weighing operators down, not lifting them. The time is now for hoteliers to take stock of their needed capabilities and consolidate wherever possible. Your operations teams will thank you, and so will your bottom line.

McLEAN, Va. – In a year in which Hilton announced new strategic partnerships and acquisitions and accelerated hotel development worldwide, the company set historic records for growth. Hilton added 973 hotels and nearly 100,000 rooms in 2024, the single biggest increase in rooms in Hilton’s more than 100-year history, achieving net unit growth of 7.3%.

Hilton also strengthened its development pipeline, signing more than 1,430 hotels representing 154,000 rooms in 2024. The company’s pipeline now stands at roughly 3,600 hotels totaling more than 498,500 rooms, a year-over-year increase of 8% in pipeline rooms. 

In 2024, construction started on 88,500 rooms, excluding acquisitions and partnerships, the highest level of construction starts in Hilton’s history. Hilton continues to have more new rooms under construction than any other hotel company with approximately one in every five hotel rooms under construction globally slated to join the company’s portfolio.

“We’re incredibly proud of our growth last year, driven by the performance of our brands and our team’s commitment to delivering the very best stays for our guests and impressive returns for owners,” said Chris Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton. “Given the strength of our commercial engines, family of brands, and global network, we continue to feel good about our growth this year. Our development pipeline and construction starts are strengthening around the world, and demand for travel remains strong, leading to increased confidence in our expectations for net unit growth of 6-7% in 2025.”

Hilton’s growth has been bolstered by a number of global milestones, meeting guest demand in new locations and market segments for Hilton.

• Lifestyle brands Graduate by Hilton and NoMad joined Hilton’s portfolio in spring 2024, expanding Hilton’s new development opportunities in university communities and growing luxury markets around the world.
• The launch of an exclusive partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) added hundreds of independently minded luxury hotels to Hilton’s luxury portfolio, which continues to be anchored by the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts and Signia by Hilton brands. With more than 500 hotels worldwide, Hilton’s luxury portfolio is now one of the largest in the industry with additional marquee openings slated for this year to include Waldorf Astoria New York, Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique, Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan, Waldorf Astoria Osaka, Waldorf Astoria Morocco Rabat Sale, Conrad Hamburg, Conrad Athens and Signia by Hilton Amman.
• Spark by Hilton, which continues to define the premium economy segment, opened its first hotel in September 2023 and has now surpassed 100 trading hotels, including locations in the UK, Canada and Austria, with plans to further expand the brand in new markets around the world.
• Long-stay brand LivSmart Studios by Hilton, launched in 2023, expects to open its first hotel this summer in Kokomo, Indiana, with hundreds more in various stages of negotiation.

“Our diversified and strategic approach to development continues to generate robust growth, bringing us closer to our goal of serving any guest, for any stay occasion, anywhere in the world,” said Kevin Jacobs, CFO and president, global development, Hilton. “Signings and construction starts increased meaningfully in 2024, giving us great momentum heading into the new year. With approximately half a million rooms in our development pipeline, coupled with favorable supply and demand fundamentals more broadly and a growing global middle class, we’re confident in our ability to deliver sustained growth in 2025 and beyond.” 

Hilton has more than 8,400 properties trading worldwide. The company debuted its brands in several new markets in 2024, including Paraguay, Nepal and Bonaire, bringing the total number of countries and territories where Hilton operates to 140. Hilton also welcomed more than 224 million guests to its properties last year, more than any year in its history.

More information on the latest exciting openings slated across Hilton’s global network in 2025 is available here.

Chicago, IL, January 28, 2025 — Horwath HTL, the world's only independent advisory brand focused one hundred percent on hospitality, tourism, and leisure development, announced today that Bryan Younge has joined the firm as Managing Partner, Practice Leader/Valuation Advisory Americas. In his new role, Bryan Younge will oversee the firm's advisory services across the Americas and work alongside John Fareed, Global Chairman of Horwath HTL.

With over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Younge has built some of the most successful teams in the field, driving performance and elevating the careers and personal brands of those around him. His expertise spans valuation, investment advisory, and strategic financial analysis, and he has played a pivotal role in developing three high-performing specialty practice groups at leading global commercial real estate firms. Throughout his career, Younge has consistently been at the forefront of the industry, leading teams at prestigious firms such as Newmark, Colliers, Cushman & Wakefield, Deloitte, Andersen, PwC, Sage Hospitality Resources, and HVS.

Additionally, Younge is widely sought after by leading legal firms for his expert litigation support and testimony, providing critical analytics and trial testimony in high-stakes, multi-billion dollar merger and acquisition assignments. His ability to drive both firm success and the professional growth of others has been a hallmark of his leadership.

"We are excited to welcome Bryan to Horwath HTL as Managing Partner and Practice Leader. His extensive experience and proven track record in the industry make him the ideal fit for our team," said John Fareed, Global Chairman, Horwath HTL. "Bringing Bryan on as a partner is a key step in our broader succession plan, ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional service to our clients while positioning ourselves for continued growth."

In addition to Younge's appointment, Horwath HTL will be expanding its team with the addition of several new professionals across a variety of positions within the Americas region. This strategic expansion will help support the firm's ongoing growth and strengthen its capabilities in delivering comprehensive solutions to clients in the hospitality industry. 

Under Younge's leadership, the firm has launched the highly anticipated Horwath HTL MarketCompass Lodging Reports, covering 110 markets across the United States with greater depth, frequency, and breadth than any other hotel market report. These reports offer insights into occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR trends across all six class scales, detailed economic contexts, and a proprietary Market Performance Ranking (MPR) for each market. The MPR is based on dozens of advanced factors, including current, past, and expected performance, collected daily to accurately assess each market's characteristics and its standing relative to all other U.S. markets.

"At Horwath HTL, we are committed to being the leading global advisor in the hospitality industry. As we expand in 2025, we will strategically select a small, highly skilled group of professionals nationwide to ensure our clients receive unparalleled service," said Bryan Younge, Managing Partner, Practice Leader – Valuation Advisory Americas.

"Our mission is to build the industry's most specialized, experienced, and client-focused team, delivering cutting-edge valuation and true advisory solutions. While these disciplines are widely practiced, we aim to redefine them and set a new standard for excellence in hospitality, tourism, and leisure consultancy."

"I am thrilled to join Horwath HTL and contribute my valuation expertise to such a distinguished firm," Younge continued. Working alongside John Fareed, a true leader in our field, is an honor and an invaluable opportunity.

I look forward to helping drive the firm's success and learning from one of the industry's most respected figures."

Calgary, AB – January 28, 2025 – WebRezPro, a leading cloud-based property management system, now integrates with TakeUp, an AI-powered dynamic pricing platform for independent hotels, inns, and B&Bs. This powerful collaboration delivers accurate, automatic pricing updates, maximizing bookings, profit, and operational efficiency for hoteliers.

Designed for small to medium boutique properties, TakeUp leverages artificial intelligence to analyze historical trends, market data, competitor rates, and real-time demand to recommend optimal room rates for all future dates, helping properties stay competitive. Additionally, TakeUp provides personalized support from dedicated revenue management specialists to guide clients on effective pricing strategies.

Integrated with WebRezPro, TakeUp accesses reservation data in real time, tracking how demand fluctuates across room and rate types. It then automatically pushes pricing updates to WebRezPro, ensuring the property’s rates are always optimized and synchronized across all channels.

“Our partnership with WebRezPro reflects our shared commitment to empowering independent operators with innovative technology that transforms how they drive revenue," said Bobby Marhamat, CEO of TakeUp. "With this integration, operators no longer have to rely on gut instinct or outdated rules-based strategies to set room rates—they get a seamless, AI-driven solution for smart pricing."

Key features and benefits of the integration include:

• Optimized pricing: Rates are continuously updated using the latest data and AI-driven calculations, ensuring properties remain competitive and maximize revenue.
• Operational efficiency: The automated data flow eliminates manual rate updates, saving time and reducing the risk of human error.
• Automatic channel updates: Pricing updates are automatically applied in WebRezPro and across all connected distribution channels, keeping rates consistently accurate.
• Competitive edge: The seamless integration empowers operators to respond to demand fluctuations and capture revenue opportunities faster than competitors.

“TakeUp levels the playing field for independent operators and, together with WebRezPro, gives them an advantage over the competition by ensuring their rooms are always available at the right price point,” commented Frank Verhagen, Founder and President of WebRezPro. “We’re thrilled to partner with TakeUp to provide our clients with an advanced automated pricing solution to grow their revenue.”