The voice channel doesn’t always get the spotlight in today’s digital-first hospitality world, but it should. When you develop a comprehensive voice channel strategy for your hospitality call center or reservations department, your voice channel becomes so much more than just a way to take bookings.

With well-trained agents, access to real-time data, personalized call scripts, and strong collaboration between reservations, revenue, and marketing departments, your voice channel becomes a powerful tool for driving revenue, delighting guests, and bringing teams together.

At Revinate’s NAVIGATE 2025 conference, a panel of experts from leading resorts across the country shared how they’re transforming this channel into a strategic engine — one that goes far beyond simply answering phones.

These hospitality leaders are using every guest interaction to surface valuable insights, personalize the booking experience, and drive real business outcomes. By breaking down silos and building tighter connections between reservations, revenue, and marketing, they’re unlocking the full potential of a channel that too often gets overlooked.

Build your voice channel strategy: 7 tips from successful hotels

So, how are top hotels turning phone calls into strategic wins? At NAVIGATE 2025, panelists opened up about the real-world voice channel strategy and tactics they’re using to boost revenue, strengthen team collaboration, and create standout guest experiences.

Here are their top tips for creating a comprehensive voice channel strategy:

1. Use voice channel insights to inform revenue strategy

Frontline call data often contains the clearest indicators of friction in the booking process — pricing concerns, availability gaps, or product mismatches. Sharing these insights with the revenue team helps ensure smarter, faster pricing decisions and tailored guest offers.

For example, if multiple callers express interest in a room type that’s no longer available, the team might create a limited-time offer for a comparable room — or identify dates with excess inventory and reach back out to those leads with a personalized rate.

At Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, the Reservations team leverages nightly lead demand reports to flag why guests aren’t booking. These insights are then passed to the revenue team to adjust strategies, without blanket rate changes that may dilute value.

Contributed by: April Melendez, Director of Reservations and PBX/Dispatch Communications, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort

2. Build cross-department alignment through shared data

Reservations, revenue, and marketing may have different KPIs, but they should operate from a shared foundation of data and context. Understanding not just what is happening, but why, requires input from all sides.

For instance, if the reservations team hears frequent guest hesitation around a specific rate plan, that feedback can spark a discussion with revenue and marketing. Together, they might decide to A/B test a new package name, clarify the inclusions on the website, or adjust promotional messaging in an upcoming email campaign to better reflect what guests are actually looking for.

Miraval Resorts uses data integration and open dialogue to create alignment between teams. “Combining qualitative data from the voice channel with empirical, quantitative insights allows us to generate business intelligence that’s more complete and actionable,” said Cecil Hopper.

Contributed by: Cecil Hopper, Associate Vice President – Revenue Optimization and Feasibility, Miraval Resorts

3. Turn your reservations team into experience curators

Reservations isn’t just about taking bookings — it’s about guiding the guest journey. Top-performing teams treat the phone call as a chance to connect, personalize, and sell the experience, not just the room.

For example, if a guest calls asking about a romantic weekend getaway, a well-trained agent won’t just quote rates — they’ll recommend a premium suite, highlight the spa’s couples’ package, and suggest a pre-arrival amenity like champagne in-room. Those small, personalized touches not only drive higher revenue per booking but also set the tone for an exceptional stay.

The Broadmoor uses call scoring and team accountability to keep agents aligned with big-picture goals. With a focus on hospitality and proactive outreach, their Reservations team plays a direct role in shaping brand perception and revenue growth.

Contributed by: Sarah Stephens, Room Reservations Manager, The Broadmoor

4. Help marketing tap into the voice of the guest

Marketing teams don’t often get to hear guest concerns in real time, but Reservations does. Sharing these insights helps marketers craft more relevant, timely, and compelling campaigns.

For example, if agents are consistently fielding questions about what’s included in a resort fee or confusion over parking options, that feedback can be used to update confirmation emails or inspire a pre-arrival message that answers those common concerns up front. This not only improves the guest experience but can also reduce pre-stay call volume.

At Islamorada Resort Collection, transactional and follow-up emails are designed using what guests actually care about — rate details, room specifics, upgrade offers, and FAQs. The voice channel directly shapes what goes into the inbox.

Contributed by: Jelena Novakovic, Complex Reservations Manager, Islamorada Resort Collection

5. Recover abandoned calls with personalized follow-up

Every unconverted call is a second chance waiting to happen. By tracking leads and building a consistent follow-up strategy, Reservations teams can turn lost opportunities into wins.

For example, if a guest inquired about a specific suite but didn’t book due to price hesitation, an agent might follow up the next day with a friendly email that includes availability for alternative dates or a limited-time “exclusive rate.” This personal touch helps re-engage the guest and often leads to a conversion that would have otherwise been lost.

Jelena’s team built a system where agents follow up abandoned carts with both a call and a personalized email. In some cases, they even offer a custom discount code to nudge hesitant guests across the finish line.

Contributed by: Jelena Novakovic, Complex Reservations Manager, Islamorada Resort Collection

6. Empower remote teams with the right tools

Remote and hybrid work is here to stay — but only teams equipped with strong tools and visibility can maintain high performance. Reservations leaders are finding that remote agents can actually outperform in-office teams— if they’re managed strategically.

April credits Revinate’s Reservation Sales for helping her team stay productive and accountable while working from home. Jelena’s team has used remote flexibility to expand their talent pool, cover for outages, and even navigate natural disasters with minimal disruption.

For example, during a Florida hurricane, parts of Jelena’s on-site team were affected by power and internet outages. Because her department included remote agents located in other regions, they were able to immediately step in and take over call handling — ensuring that service levels stayed high and guest communication never skipped a beat.

Contributed by: April Melendez, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, and Jelena Novakovic, Islamorada Resort Collection

7. Connect departmental goals for greater impact

The most successful teams aren’t just aligned in data — they’re aligned in ambition. Setting interconnected goals across reservations, revenue, and marketing ensures that each department contributes to a shared outcome.

If revenue sets a quarterly goal to increase bookings during shoulder season, reservations might align by focusing on outbound efforts for unconverted leads from prior months, while marketing creates a targeted email campaign to complement those outreach efforts. When all three teams are working toward the same objective — using insights and timing strategically — the impact is far greater than siloed efforts.

At The Broadmoor, Sarah is focused on improving lead quality through Revinate’s Lead Nurturing tool and maintaining 5-star service. At Miraval, Cecil emphasizes deeper guest connections through active listening and thoughtful questioning, trusting that outcomes will follow.

Contributed by: Sarah Stephens, The Broadmoor and Cecil Hopper, Miraval Resorts

Want to bring these strategies to life at your property? Explore how Reservation Sales helps teams align and activate the voice channel at every stage of the guest journey.