Afternoon tea, summer spend and the revenue opportunity beyond the room, as told by Jane Pendlebury, CEO of HOSPA.
For many hotels, summer is the period when attention naturally turns to occupancy. Rooms fill as leisure demand rises and operators focus heavily on converting peak-season bookings. That’s understandable. Accommodation remains the main revenue driver for many properties, and in a market where demand can shift quickly, protecting room rate is vital.
But the summer peak also brings a wider commercial opportunity.
Guests are not simply buying a room. They’re looking for a reason to travel and a reason to feel that their money has been well used. That matters at a time when consumers are still making careful decisions about discretionary spend. People aren’t necessarily stepping away from hospitality, but they are being more selective. They want experiences that feel worthwhile.
That is where food and beverage, alongside wider ancillary revenue, can play such an important role.
Let’s take Afternoon Tea Week, which takes place in August, as a useful reminder of that point. On the surface, afternoon tea may appear to be a relatively traditional hotel offer. Some may even argue it is a little “done”, given how common it has become across the sector. But that familiarity is also part of its strength. Afternoon tea remains a recognised, accessible experience that consumers understand and continue to buy into, which is precisely why it shouldn’t be overlooked as a revenue driver.
The key is not necessarily to reinvent it completely, but to make it feel relevant to the property and the guest. When approached thoughtfully, afternoon tea can create a reason to visit and give hotels a chance to showcase their personality beyond bedrooms.
For some properties, afternoon tea is already a core part of the offer. For others, it may sit slightly in the background, treated as a pleasant addition rather than a meaningful revenue stream. Yet a well-positioned afternoon tea can drive footfall at quieter times of the day while introducing local guests to the property in a way that opens up future spend.
The timing is helpful too. August is busy, but it’s also competitive. Families and couples have plenty of ways to spend their money. Hotels that can offer something distinctive, whether that’s a garden afternoon tea or a collaboration with a local producer, have a greater chance of turning summer interest into tangible spend.
The opportunity isn’t limited to luxury hotels. Afternoon tea can be adapted to different markets and price points. The important thing is that it feels valuable to the guest.
That wider packaging point is particularly important. A guest may not independently decide to add lunch or spa access to a stay, but they may respond well to a carefully presented package that feels convenient and good value. The same applies to non-residents. A local guest who visits for afternoon tea could become a regular diner or even a future overnight guest if the experience is strong enough.
This is where commercial teams and revenue managers need to keep on thinking beyond individual departments. Food and beverage shouldn’t be viewed separately from rooms or marketing. If a hotel is seeing strong weekend occupancy but softer midweek demand, can afternoon tea be used to support quieter periods? If spa treatment slots remain available, can they be packaged with F&B? Total revenue management is talked about a lot, but there are often new opportunities to pursue.
Data has an important role to play here. If operators aren’t already looking closely at booking patterns and spend per guest, then it’s time to widen the view of data analysis. It’s not enough to know that afternoon tea is popular, a deeper dive might help establish when it performs best and whether it drives repeat business.
Many hotels have partnered with local attractions or theatre productions to create a themed experience, enabling them to charge a premium. Although afternoon tea is often perceived as expensive, it is important to charge a carefully thought-out price. As cost pressures continue across labour and ingredients, revenue growth alone isn’t enough. Menus should be creative, but also carefully costed. Packages should add value without eroding margin.
Afternoon Tea Week is a timely hook, but the lesson is much broader. Hotels could use the summer peak to maximise the guest journey, from pre-arrival upsells to terrace dining or local partnerships.
For hoteliers, the task this summer is to look beyond occupancy alone. Full rooms are important, but they’re only part of the picture. The real opportunity lies in understanding how guests want to spend their time and creating reasons for them to spend more of it with you.
Afternoon tea may be one of the most traditional rituals in British hospitality, but used well, it can be a very modern revenue driver.
Jane Pendlebury is CEO of HOSPA – the Hospitality Professionals Association. For more information on HOSPA and its offering, please visit www.hospa.org.