An overview of hotel revenue management research and emerging key patterns in the third millennium

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this research study is to present an overview of hotel revenue management (RM) research articles published in scholarly journals during the 2001-2013 period while offering a direction for future research that focuses on RM in the hotel industry context. Design/methodology/approach Using Boolean search keywords across the period of 2001 to 2013, a total of 83 hotel RM-related research journal articles were queried. To ensure that all the identified articles were hotel-RM related, each article was independently reviewed; 70 research journal articles were identified as relevant for inclusion in this study. Findings RM has been and will continue to be a critical tool for the hotel industry, especially since the rise of its perceived strategic role among hoteliers. The RM process is shifting from a tactical to a strategic approach. Also, RM has become more technology driven and it is becoming more customer-centric. Hoteliers should spend more effort and resources on training and educating revenue managers. Research limitations The content analysis is limited to the databases available to the research team. Practical implications This study serves as a resource for scholars interested in RM research in the hotel industry and documents the focus of RM research and the key issues offered by scholars. Originality/value No study has previously offered an overview of RM research articles focusing on the hotel industry (covering the years since 2000). The manuscript serves as framework for scholars who may wish to identify existing research patterns and pursue new directions.