The Emblem Hotel, a boutique property in Prague, faced intense competition from international chains willing to slash rates at the first sign of lower demand. Traditional RMS solutions failed to address the unique dynamics of the Prague market, forcing the hotel to make frequent manual adjustments and limiting strategic flexibility. By partnering with hotellab, the hotel implemented a fully customized revenue management system that integrated seamlessly with its PMS and channel manager, enabling real-time pricing decisions, smarter revenue strategies, and measurable business growth.
The Challenge: Competing in Prague’s Rate-Driven Market
Prague’s hotel scene is one of the most competitive in Central Europe. With international chains ready to drop prices at the first sign of lower demand, boutique properties often struggle to keep up. At The Emblem Hotel, General Manager Helena Valtrová faced this challenge daily:
“For us, every sale is critical. Selling just two or three rooms at the wrong price could affect our monthly results,”
— says Helena.
Before partnering with hotellab, The Emblem Hotel had tested three different RMS platforms — none of which fit her property’s needs.
The main issues:
- Algorithms ignored the specific dynamics of the Prague market.
- Frequent manual rate adjustments were still required.
- Competitors dictated market pricing.
- Systems operated as “black boxes” with little transparency.
- No solution integrated both PMS and market demand data effectively.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model, hotellab customized its RMS to The Emblem’s strategy, integrating directly with Mews PMS and D-Edge Channel Manager — quickly, and with zero extra setup costs.
Within weeks, the system operated in real time, updating data hourly and adapting dynamically to demand.
Key customizations included:
- mapping room types to enable open pricing strategies;
- demand and competition forecasting;
- full consideration of the hotel’s rate structure (Room Only vs. Bed & Breakfast, where breakfast is €30 per person);
- custom competitive set design (excluding properties like Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental, which are benchmarks but not direct competitors), while dynamically adjusting the weight of each competitor depending on the season;
- adaptation to local quirks — for instance, last-minute cancellations caused by competitor dumping.
Results: revenue lift within weeks
This is where things got exciting.
In the very first month, ADR (Average Daily Rate) increased by 11% with the same demand patterns. The RMS started flagging price growth earlier than any other market signals — boosting both revenue and Helena's strategic confidence.
Other key outcomes included:
- +6% revenue growth in the short term;
- up to +15% in RGI (Revenue Generation Index) within a year;
- several hours saved daily thanks to fewer manual rate changes;
- fewer cancellations due to a more balanced pricing policy.
“Unlike the previous solutions, this RMS became our partner in revenue management, not a tool that constantly needed supervision. I can now focus on strategy instead of manual price corrections,” notes Helena Valtrova.
Once the system was stable, the Emblem Hotel team, together with agency Bookscapia, moved on to strengthen direct sales.
- Member Rates were introduced (best prices available only for registered users);
- dedicated landing pages were created for special offers;
- advertising campaigns launched in Google and Meta, using segmented customer data;
- sales via travel agents were expanded to reduce OTA dependency.
The result exceeded expectations: direct web share reached 68% in some segments, while OTA commission costs dropped noticeably.
Key takeaways for hoteliers
- Customization beats universality. Global RMS providers often design for chains, ignoring the nuances of local markets.
- Transparency builds trust. Revenue Managers need to understand why the system recommends a particular rate.
- RMS and marketing synergy. Revenue management and digital marketing must work together: boosting direct sales amplifies the impact of RMS.
- Data is a competitive edge. The deeper the analysis of booking patterns and market signals, the stronger the revenue results.
Conclusion
The Emblem Hotel Prague’s story proves that even a small independent property can compete head-to-head with international giants through the right technology and a tailored revenue strategy.
A well-designed RMS is not just software for rate recalculation — it’s a partner that can deliver double-digit revenue growth and transform sales strategy itself. For The Emblem Hotel, hotellab became exactly that partner: turning revenue management from routine into a true growth engine.
About hotellab
hotellab is the most adopted Revenue Management Platform in Greece, supporting over 380 hotels across 15 countries with data-driven revenue optimization tools. Its intelligent pricing engine uses real-time market data, booking pace, and more than 100 adjustable parameters to help hoteliers make faster, more effective decisions. Trusted by city hotels, resorts, and independent properties alike, hotellab empowers revenue teams to scale their strategy with precision and confidence.
