If you run an independent hotel, you know the drill: some months you’re crashing your numbers, others… not so much.
Those quiet periods can be stressful, staring at the booking calendar and wondering how you’ll fill empty rooms next quarter.
In our recent webinar, with Celeste Lee, Group Director of Revenue at Naumi Group, Khun Chakorn C., CEO at Atmind Group, and Jeong Pyon, Director of Hospitality Solutions, APAC at Duetto, we dug into the unique challenges independent hotels face and shared practical strategies that really work in the real world.
If you missed it live, you can catch the full conversation on-demand here.
Let’s dive into the talking points!
Meet the brands
Before we dive into strategies, it helps to understand the two independent hotel groups featured in the panel: each with its own personality, market approach, and way of leveraging technology.
Naumi Group
A boutique hotel group with properties in Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, Naumi Hotels focuses on offering distinctive stays that reflect each location’s character. Their approach blends design, local experiences, and personalized service to appeal to travelers looking for something different from the standard hotel model.
Atmind Group
Headquartered in Thailand, Atmind operates a portfolio of seven hotels and serviced residences across different local destinations. Their approach emphasizes operational efficiency, competitive pricing, and a consistent guest experience, delivering strong value to both, short and long term guests.
The independent hotel challenge
All the speakers agreed: independent hotels often need to be more careful with investments in technology. Without the budgets of a global chain, it’s all about making smart choices with limited resources.
Then, there’s the talent race. Large brands — and even companies outside hospitality, like Netflix — are chasing the same skilled revenue management professionals, making hiring a bigger challenge.
And of course, data overload. So much information, so little time that leads to revenue leaders spending hours looking into the wrong insights..
But here’s the thing: relying only on historical pace data is risky in today’s unpredictable market. Forward-looking data helps you make better decisions, faster.
Why guests choose independent over brands
Big hotel chains have name recognition. But Naumi Hotels’ strategy is to draw guests in with authenticity, personalization, and a deep connection to the destination. Social media and positive guest reviews give them that extra edge.
For Atmind Group, competitive pricing is the winning card. They run lean, operate efficiently, and use that advantage to offer great value while still protecting margins.
A flexible, Open Pricing strategy means that you can target the right guest at the right moment.
Creative, cost-effective tactics that drive results
When budgets are tight, creativity is your best friend.
Naumi Hotels thrives on local partnerships and community events: things that feel authentic and encourage the guests to book. By thinking outside of the box, the brand offers unique experiences like art jamming sessions or a “backdoor burger” night, where the restaurant opens its back door to the public. Both became instant hits!
Art jamming session at Naumi Auckland Airport Hotel
Atmind Group’s strategy? Visual tailored reports. Spending just 10 minutes a day reviewing forward-looking reports helps them spot revenue leaks, adjust pricing, and focus on what matters most: the guest experience.
Turning OTAs into a direct booking funnel
OTAs aren’t the enemy, they can actually be a strategic ally.
OTAs are Atmind Group’s main channel, but they know how to leverage it strategically. Their approach is to block last-minute OTA bookings so guests book directly.
Naumi Hotels, on the other hand, uses OTAs to meet first-time guests, then builds loyalty so they return and book directly, adding perks and personal touches that OTAs simply can’t offer.
Duetto’s advice: Use OTAs when you need them, and step back when you don’t. If demand is over 100%, increase OTA rates and set minimum stay requirements to attract your ideal guests, especially in markets where differentiation is tough for independents.
How to leverage technology with limited resources
Adopting the right technology can help small teams streamline manual tasks, freeing them up to focus on strategy.
For Atmind Group, implementing Duetto meant:
- Increasing OTA inventory so rates could dynamically adjust.
- Eliminating static contracts.
- Prioritizing review score improvements to boost rankings and conversions.
The result? More OTA bookings, higher rankings, better visibility, and stronger ADR.
Naumi Hotels emphasized that even small independent properties shouldn’t underestimate the value of using a revenue management system (RMS).
Because remember: an RMS isn’t just a tool, it’s a growth partner that helps independents compete at scale.
From empty rooms to opportunity
Booking gaps happen. But they don’t have to be a slow bleed on your bottom line.
Independent hotels can lean into their strengths — agility, creativity, and enhanced guest experience — while pairing them with the right data and tech.
Whether it’s hosting a quirky local event, fine-tuning OTA strategy, or sticking to daily revenue management habits, small actions can turn a quiet month into your next success story.
The takeaway: with the right mix of creativity, insight, and smart technology, those empty rooms might just become your biggest opportunity.