Hotel Cateys 2022: Revenue Manager Award – Teresa Kingston, Rockliffe Hall hotel

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From nurturing her team culture and re-evaluating price points, to rebuilding and redesigning the hotel’s website, Teresa Kingston’s commercial influence has been instrumental to delivering record-breaking revenue and EBITDA for Rockliffe Hall.

 

Since July 2021 Kingston and her team have been instrumental in delivering all time revenue records for Rockliffe Hall. This has been achieved by having the correct pricing, PR and marketing strategies in place and building a great team culture and continuously investing in her people.

 

Creating the right commercial culture is key to Kingston’s success. She recognises talent and mentors key team members to be commercially aware, working closely, not just with her team of 14, but across the whole resort, empowering every member of the team and giving them the freedom to brighten someone’s day with special touches and spontaneous gestures.

 

As the commercial director, Kingston also oversees the marketing team which historically was a separate department in a completely different office to sales. Kingston has now bought the teams physically together which helps the sales department understand how to reach new guests through social media practices, and for the marketing team to be aligned with sales targets.

 

Alongside the marketing manager, Kingston took the lead on developing Rockliffe Hall’s new website, creating a fully immersive online booking experience for guests, which was fully mobile optimised and will soon integrate with the hotel’s spa software to encourage treatment upsells at the time of booking. Judges commended Kingston taking on a project, which could easily have been a full-time role to oversee. Since launching the website in December, the hotel has achieved 113.3% increase in revenue, as well as little digital nudges which have encouraged guests to choose mid-range rooms, rather than the entry-level rooms, which increases average room rate.

 

Re-evaluating the hotel’s competitor set was another large project to undertake which led to her introducing a new room rate strategy to come in-line with other hotels in their market segment. She introduced seasonality, new BAR rates, re-evaluated room types and upgrade costs and introduced LOS restrictions over key dates while simplifying the available rates on sale. Kingston also supports local charities, she has taken part in the local CEO sleepout twice to support local homeless charities, donated items to the local NHS and was fundamental in our 12 days of giving supporting local charities.

 

What the judges said

 

“Teresa has bought together a successful commercial team and has led them to the successes the hotel is achieving. She recognises talent and mentors key team members to be commercially aware, increasing revenues significantly in all areas of the hotel. Teresa played a key role in project managing the research, build and implementation of the hotel’s website. Her commercial influence is clear to see in the user-friendly website that is tailored towards the guest experience whilst maximising on upselling all of the hotel’s facilities and securing incremental revenues.”

 

Jane Bateup

 

The shortlist

 

Gretal Canda, the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa

 

Sara Dufton, the Belfry Hotel & Resort

 

Teresa Kingston, Rockliffe Hall Hotel

 

Bianca Peter, Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian

 

Past winners

 

2021 Jane Bateup, The Grand Brighton and Richmond Hill Hotels

 

2019 Karen Tyson, Rudding Park

 

2018 Amy Ayers, Holiday Inn Winchester

 

2017 Rachel Perry, Radisson Blu Edinburgh

 

2016 Olga Sommer, Ham Yard, London

 

2015 Catherine Bernard, director of revenue, Lancaster London

 

2014 Helle Norgaard Beattie, Revenue Manager UK, Hyatt Regency London – the Churchill