Pricing of the future, a “Cost & Logi” interview with Pontus Berner

An interview with Pontus Berner, Co-Founder & Managing Partner from berner+becker revenue management

How does pricing of the future look?

For long, the industry has shifted from static pricing sheets to dynamic, flexible pricing. Not to be neglected, however, is that many hotels—especially in leisure destinations—still use static pricing. As more hoteliers become knowledgeable on the topic, we are witnessing a welcome shift.

For the hotels already using dynamic pricing, often for many years, AI-driven RMS systems now enable ultra-dynamic pricing, meaning rate changes can occur faster than ever, within milliseconds, and day-to-day price variations have become more volatile.

The future holds even more interesting changes. Hyper-personalised pricing is one, where rates are tailored to individual guest profiles. Not only can pricing become more personalised, but also the entire package and experience, shifting the focus toward total spend and RevPAR. I expect attributes and individualisation to play an even bigger role. Realistically, it will take time before the industry figures out how to implement this in practice, as functions and interfaces must be aligned between RMSs, PMSs, booking engines, OTAs, and channel managers. These integrations, along with varying legislation worldwide, represent major obstacles.

Are Revenue Managers needed in the era of Al-technology?

The RMS systems are becoming increasingly accurate for BAR pricing. But revenue management—and the commercial success of a hotel—depends on much more. Someone still needs to drive the commercial strategy to ensure success internally and against the competition.

The role of the revenue manager is evolving—from focusing primarily on BAR pricing to taking a more holistic, strategic approach. This spans selecting and managing the system landscape, interpreting outcomes, optimising distribution and segmentation mix, budget and target setting, and developing market share strategies—all aiming to secure a profitable total RevPAR. One could argue that “commercial director” may in many cases be a more accurate title.

These changes require a more sophisticated skillset, and the “revenue manager of the future” will be harder for hotels to attract, develop, and retain. As technology brings further efficiencies, the need for an in-house revenue manager decreases. Consequently, outsourcing strategic commercial work to external experts becomes an increasingly attractive option.

Which opportunities, but also risks, does the future development hold?

The technology and the “revenue managers of the future” provided by outsourcing companies offer major opportunities for increased revenue and cost efficiency—overall, great chances for higher profits. On the flip side, hotels may rely too heavily on technology, fail to select or manage it properly, or overlook the strategic work that must accompany it. There is a risk that an underqualified person is trusted with these tasks, leading to missed opportunities and lost ground to the competition.

There are also risks within the technology itself. If most hotels rely on fully automated pricing systems, markets can quickly spiral into upward or downward pricing wars. A recent example occurred when the Japanese prime minister publicly stated support for Taiwan in a potential Chinese military confrontation. Within two days, over 500,000 trips from China to Japan were cancelled, strongly impacting both flight and hotel prices. With the right people at the steering wheel, however, most risks are manageable—and we are heading toward an exciting future.

2026 any beyond, bring it on!