Boost hotel revenue with smart gift card solutions
Key takeaways:
- Hotel gift cards boost guest spending
- Digital solutions drive seamless guest experiences
- Corporate gifting unlocks new revenue streams
- Data insights refine and maximize ROI
Hotel gift card solutions are a powerful tool for driving hotel revenue growth and guest engagement. By offering flexible options like digital e-gifting, branded experiences, and corporate bundles, hotels can capture new revenue streams while enhancing loyalty.
Gift cards not only deliver upfront cash flow but also encourage guests to spend beyond the card’s value, boosting per-stay profitability. With the right strategy, hotel gift cards turn into a growth engine that works year-round.
Why hotel gift cards work
- High market momentum: The global hotel gift card market was estimated at $1.5 billion in 2024, set to expand to $3.04 billion by 2033
- Overspending is common: 75% of gift card recipients tend to spend beyond the card’s value, amplifying per-guest revenue
- Upfront cash flow: When cards go unused, hotels keep 100% of that revenue with no cost of service
Together, these stats underscore that a robust gift card solution strategy is vital for sustainable hotel revenue growth.
Five best practices for maximizing growth
- Seamless digital purchase and redemption experience
Ensure your gift card solution is user-friendly:
- Offer online, mobile-friendly purchasing with instant e-delivery
- Use branded cards to reinforce your identity
Hotels offering e-gifting and branded experiences score high
- Promote ancillary spend opportunities
43% of American adults have unused gift cards, and the total value of these unspent funds in the U.S. is around $23 billion
Design your hotel gift cards to encourage extras:
- Clearly showcase that they cover spa services, dining, and upgrades
- Frame promotion like: “Perfect for a romantic getaway—with spa add-ons”
Since 75% of recipients overspend, framing cards as gateways to extras is revenue-smart
- Leverage gift cards during slow periods
Use cards as a buffer for off-peak occupancy:
- Run holiday promos: e.g., “Buy $100, get $120 value.”
- Include in loyalty or email campaigns targeting future stays
This positions your gift card solution as both a revenue generator and a marketing tool
- Tap corporate gifting & loyalty bundles
Corporate purchases and loyalty tie-ins boost volume:
- Offer gift card bundles for businesses as an incentive or client rewards
- Pair cards with loyalty points or tier upgrades
Corporate gifting is a growing driver in the hotel gift card market, especially as experiential and flexible gift options gain traction
- Track data and refine offers
Don’t let your gift card solution be set-and-forget:
- Monitor redemption rates, overspend patterns and inactive balances
- Use insights to adjust pricing, packaging and messaging strategically
Each unused card is pure profit—but insights come from understanding usage dynamics across the purchase-redemption lifecycle.
Quick answers
How can a gift card solution improve hotel revenue growth?
- By generating upfront cash, encouraging overspend, filling low-occupancy windows, and enabling corporate and loyalty bundling
Why do hotel gift cards encourage higher revenue per guest?
- Because 75% of recipients overspend the card’s value, often on ancillary services like dining or spa (2024 Hospitality Solutions data)
What’s the current market trajectory for hotel gift cards?
Turn hotel gift cards into a growth engine
A strategically implemented gift card solution is a low-risk, high-impact tool for hotel revenue growth. It offers cash upfront, elevates guest spend, and enhances brand affinity—often without requiring significant marketing spend.
Ready to set up a future-ready hotel gift card solution that pays for itself? Hospitality Solutions can help—from branded digital platforms to data analytics—designed to drive occupancy, maximize transactions and build value.
Next steps:
- Audit your current gift card program: Identify gaps in purchase, redemption and promotion
- Select a flexible gift card solution that supports both physical and digital formats with seamless e-commerce integration
- Design branded experiences like spa packages, dining credits, bundled getaways, etc.
- Launch targeted promotions during off-peak seasons, holidays and loyalty campaigns
- Engage corporate buyers by offering gift card bundles for employee rewards or client appreciation
- Track guest behavior data to refine offers and maximize ROI by looking at redemption patterns, overspends and inactive balances
- Promote across all channels: website, social media, email, and onsite touchpoints like front desk and dining outlets
- Partner with a technology provider that makes sure your hotel is scalable and revenue-focused
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