Revenue Manager vs. Owner: A Love Story

Forget Romeo and Juliet. The greatest drama in hospitality isn’t played out on Verona’s streets, it’s in a conference room with a RevPAR index on the projector and a plate of stale muffins between the characters. This is the forbidden story of Revenue Manager vs. Owner Love.

Act I: The Meet

The Owner bursts into the office, fueled by last night’s article about “NYC hotels hitting 90% occupancy.” He points to the STR report and sighs:

Owner: “Why is our occupancy only 72%?” Revenue Manager: “Because we chose rate integrity over selling the last five rooms for the price of a pumpkin spice latte.”

The tension is palpable. The sparks fly. This is the start of something complicated.

Act II: The Misunderstanding

Later, at the monthly P&L review:

Owner: “Why is GOP down?” Revenue Manager: “Because you comped your cousin’s wedding block and gave away F&B minimums.” Owner: “You don’t understand family.” Revenue Manager: “You don’t understand contribution margin.”

The audience gasps. This is where the couple almost breaks up. But deep down, they can’t quit each other.

Act III: Revenue Manager vs. Owner Love Language

Every great romance hinges on miscommunication. For owners, the love language is cash flow. For revenue managers, it’s RevPAR index.

Owner dreams of “40% GOP margins.”

Revenue Manager whispers, “But did you see our +8% ADR penetration against the comp set?”

It’s like one partner speaks in dollars and the other in acronyms. Therapy (a.k.a. asset management) is sometimes required.

Act IV: The Drama Peaks

The climax comes when the Owner leans across the table and says the most devastating words a revenue manager can hear:

Owner: “Can’t you just lower the rates?”

The room goes silent. Somewhere, a STR rep shudders. The Revenue Manager clutches the RMS dashboard like a lifeline.

Revenue Manager: “If I lower rates now, I’ll trash the entire demand curve. Do you want to cannibalize your ADR?”

Tears.

Act V: The Resolution

Despite it all, they find common ground. Because underneath the arguments and the index obsession, both Owner and Revenue Manager want the same thing: profitability and long-term asset value.

They compromise:

The Owner agrees to stop asking “what’s our occupancy?” at every meeting.

The Revenue Manager agrees to translate strategy into owner-speak: “This isn’t just RevPAR — it’s an extra $1.2M in NOI.”

They embrace. The background music swells. Curtain closes.

Why the Satire Rings True

Behind the exaggeration is a real dynamic: owners often prioritize short-term cash flow, while revenue managers fight for long-term strategy. Both perspectives are valid, but when they clash without translation, you get drama instead of alignment.

The best outcomes happen when revenue managers learn to frame insights in financial terms that owners care about like NOI, cash flow, and asset value, while owners respect the science behind pricing and distribution strategy.

The EPIC Takeaway

Revenue management isn’t a love story gone wrong, it’s a partnership that needs constant translation. The hotels that win are the ones where owners and revenue leaders stop speaking past each other and start building strategies together.

Because in the end, it’s not Occupancy vs. ADR, Owner vs. Manager, or Heart vs. Brain. It’s about creating profitability that lasts longer than any romance novel.

Thank you for reading this edition of EPIC Trends. I invite you subscribe to EPIC Trends so you never miss future perspectives on revenue, distribution, and the evolving world of hospitality.

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