How to Choose a Hotel Sales Management Company: 8 Criteria and the Questions to Ask at Your First Meeting

Choosing a sales partner for your property is one of those decisions that can determine the success of an entire season — and often more than one, because these partnerships are not easy to change halfway through the year.

Yet many hoteliers make this decision based on the wrong criteria: they focus only on the commission rate or are impressed by promises that no one can guarantee before reviewing the property’s actual data.

The following guide is designed to be useful regardless of which company you ultimately choose: eight evaluation criteria, the questions you should ask during your first meeting, and the warning signs you should look out for.

1. Proven Results — With Numbers, Not Words

Every company will tell you that it “increases revenue.” The real question is: by how much, for which properties, and how was it measured?

Ask for case studies with actual figures — occupancy, ADR, and direct bookings before and after the partnership. A serious company will have this information readily available and will not hesitate to share it. A company that responds with general statements such as “significant improvement” or “very satisfied clients” may lack either the results or the transparency.

There is also an important distinction to keep in mind: results from properties similar to yours are far more valuable than an impressive overall average.

2. Expertise in Your Type of Property

A city hotel in Athens, a resort in Crete, and a villa complex in Santorini are sold in completely different ways. They have different distribution channels, seasonality, guest profiles, and pricing strategies.

Ask how many properties of your type and size the company currently manages.

If most of its portfolio consists of a completely different type of accommodation, the company may end up learning how to manage your segment through your own property — with your revenue effectively paying the tuition.

3. What Exactly Does “Sales” Include?

The term “hotel sales management” can mean very different things across the industry — from basic OTA management to comprehensive revenue management, contracting with tour operators, direct booking strategies, and digital marketing.

Ask for a written scope of services that clearly states:

• What is included
• What comes at an additional cost
• What is not provided at all

Many disappointments in these partnerships do not come from poor performance, but from different expectations about what was actually agreed upon.

4. Transparency in Pricing

There are three common pricing models: a fixed monthly fee, a percentage of revenue or bookings, or a combination of the two.

None of these models is inherently “right.” What matters is that you understand exactly what you are paying for — and what you are not.

Ask: Is the percentage calculated on all revenue or only on specific channels? Are there setup fees, software or tool costs, or advertising expenses?

A low percentage combined with hidden additional charges can easily become more expensive than a higher but fully transparent fee.

5. Who Will Actually Manage Your Account?

During the first meeting, you will often meet the company founder or its strongest salesperson. During the season, however, someone else may actually be responsible for your property.

Ask directly:

Who will be my main point of contact? How many other properties does this person manage? Can I meet them before signing?

The number of properties assigned to each account manager may be one of the most revealing indicators of the level of service you will actually receive — yet very few hoteliers ask about it.

6. Technology and Reporting

How will you know whether the partnership is actually delivering results?

Ask to see an example of the reporting you will receive: how frequently it is provided, which metrics it includes, and in what format.

Will you have access to your data whenever you need it, or will you have to wait for a monthly email?

Does the company use modern revenue management and channel management tools, or does it operate largely “by instinct”?

A company that measures its performance properly should not be afraid to show you the numbers — both the good and the bad.

7. Speak to Their Clients

The references a company chooses to give you will naturally be among its best.

Ask for something more specific: request to speak directly with two hoteliers from its current portfolio, preferably owners or managers of properties similar to yours.

During those conversations, do not simply ask, “Are you satisfied?”

Instead, ask:

“What would you like them to do better?”

“How did they respond when something went wrong?”

The way a company handles problems can tell you far more than the way it celebrates its successes.

8. Exit Terms — Before You Join, Understand How You Can Leave

No one enters a partnership already planning how to end it. However, the exit terms should be among the first things you review.

Look at the minimum contract period, notice period, and what happens to your passwords, distribution channels, and historical property data if you decide to leave.

Your booking data and accounts on sales channels should remain yours.

If a company struggles to provide a clear answer on this point, that tells you something important.

See How They Work Before You Decide

The most reliable way to evaluate a company is to see how it works with your own data before signing anything.

The Loguers team offers a Free Hotel Performance Analysis for your property. We review occupancy, pricing, and distribution channels and present specific, data-driven opportunities for improvement.

There is no commitment — and, naturally, all the criteria outlined in this guide apply to us as well.