Upsell automation
Upsell Automation enables hotels to increase revenue by offering automated room upgrades and add-ons before arrival. The system uses real-time CRS availability and pricing and delivers offers through a one-click upgrade experience.
Upsell Automation can be enabled for any property using the CRS, even if the hotel is not using full CRM or loyalty capabilities.
All configuration occurs within the CRM and performance is tracked through CRM dashboards and reporting.
Benefits of upsell automation
Outlined below are the benefits of upsell automation.
Automated upgrade workflow has no staff involvement.
Real-time rates and inventory from the CRS.
Hotel-defined rules, dates, upgrade paths, discounts, and exceptions.
Add-on upselling in the same offer.
Enhanced pre-arrival guest experience.
Full reporting visibility.
Before you start ensure the following is prepared for upsell automation
Outlined below are items that should be prepared before enabling upsell automation.
Correct CRM permissions for Upsell Automation.
Room types, rates, and add-ons configured in the CRS.
Defined upgrade strategy such as room paths, dates, discounts or exemptions.
Understanding of cancellation rules such as affects upgrade timing and eligibility.
Supported system languages configured.
Features and safeguards of upsell automation
Outlined below are features and safeguards of upsell automation:
Each day, the CRM:
Identifies reservations within the upgrade days window.
Confirms real-time availability and pricing in the CRS.
Applies the hotel’s upgrade rules.
Sends one upgrade offer per eligible reservation.
Updates the reservation instantly if the guest accepts an offer.
Safeguards:
A higher category room is not offered if its current price is lower than the booked category.
Reservations inside the cancellation window do not receive room upgrade offers.
Add-ons may still be offered even when upgrades are blocked.
If an offer becomes invalid later (e.g., sold out), only add-ons display.
Activate upsell automation
Upsell automation is enabled only by SHR after it is contracted. Clients cannot enable or disable this module.
Configure upgrade days
Upgrade days determine when the reservation becomes eligible for upgrade evaluation.
From the left navigation menu, click CRM Setup and click Email Day Setup.
Locate Upgrade Days and enter a value between one and 30.
Toggle Active.
Click Save and Close.
Rules and system behavior
Outlined below are the rules and system behavior of upsell automation.
Valid range: one–30 days.
Zero is not allowed.
Negative values are not allowed.
Values over 30 cause operational issues. A duplicate may send.
Upsells are skipped if the reservation enters the cancellation window.
Add-ons may still be offered.
Emails send only if inventory and rules allow an upgrade.
Daily processing schedule
US servers: 1pm UTC.
EU servers: 6am UTC.
Range behavior
If upgrade days is less than one:
All reservations within the full range are evaluated.
A reservation receives the upgrade email only once.
New reservations entering the window are picked up automatically.
Recommended timing
Property type | Suggested timing | Notes |
Business hotels. | 5–10 days. | Short decision cycles. |
Resorts or leisure hotels. | 14–21 days. | Guests plan further ahead. |
Most properties. | 10–14 days. | Optimal for most booking patterns. |
Long-lead bookers. | 90-day marketing teaser + 10–14 day upsell. | Best for early planners. |
Create a new upgrade rule
Follow the steps below to learn how to set up a new upgrade rule.
From the left navigation menu, click CRM Setup.
Click Upgrade Rule Setup and click Add Upgrade Rule.
Enter a Rule Name and select Valid Dates.
Select the Property.
Choose Upgrade Delivery and Email.
Configure the following fields:
Upgrade from: Select the booked room type(s) required to qualify.
Upgrade to: Select one or more higher room categories to offer.
Allowed add-ons: Select add-ons that can be displayed with the upgrade. Add-ons appear even if no room upgrade is available. Discounts do not apply to add-ons
CRS discount code: This is optional. Applies a discount to the upgraded room type and supports loyalty tier–based discounting.
Non-membership discount code: This is optional. Applies to non-loyalty guests.
Priority: Lower numbers is equal to higher priority.
Toggle Active to enable the rule.
Click Save and Close.
Edit an existing upgrade rule
Follow the steps below to learn how to edit an existing upgrade rule.
From the left navigation menu, click CRM Setup.
Click Upgrade Rule Setup and click the Rule Name you want to modify.
Update any of the rule fields as needed:
Upgrade from.
Upgrade to.
Allowed add-ons.
Discount codes.
Valid dates.
Priority.
Property.
Toggle Active on or off and click Save and Close.
Configure upgrade exemptions
Use upgrade exemptions to permanently exclude specific reservations from receiving upgrade emails follow the steps below to learn how.
From the left navigation menu, click CRM Setup.
Click Upgrade Rule Setup and click Upgrade Exemption.
Enter values into any of the following fields:
Rate code.
Room type.
Group code.
Package code.
Channel code.
Rate access code.
Market code.
Use semicolons to separate multiple values for example: BAR;PROMO;CORP
Click Save and Close.
📌Note: Only one matching value is required for exclusion. Exemptions apply across all properties for the client.
Configure upsell email templates on a per language basis
When a new upgrade rule is created:
The CRM automatically generates email shells.
One shell is created per enabled system language.
The email template is not ready until the client edits each one.
Hotels must update each language version individually.
Follow the steps below to configure upsell email templates.
From the left navigation menu, click CRM Setup.
Click Upgrade Rule Setup.
Locate the rule and find the template dropdown.
Select the template corresponding to the language you want to edit for example: RoomUpgrade_Property – RuleName _En, _Cn, _Gb.
Click the template name to open the email editor.
Add or update the email content.
Ensure the appropriate upsell URL personalization tag is included in a call to action.
Click Save.
⚠️Important: Clients must configure content for each language version. Email shells are auto-generated after rule creation no need to build from scratch. The rule will not function correctly if required languages remain unedited.
Guest experience flow
Outlined below is the guest experience flow.
Guest receives the email: Sent based on upgrade days and rule priority.
Guest clicks upgrade offer to upsell landing page loads.
Includes: Real-time availability, eligible upgrade options, add-ons and discounted pricing, if applicable.
Guest accepts an upgrade: Reservation is updated instantly, guest remains on the same page and updated confirmation email is sent.
Upgrade offer no longer valid:
If availability or pricing changes: A message displays stating the offer is no longer available and add-ons may still display.
Reporting and performance monitoring
CRM dashboards and reports provide insights into:
Revenue generated from upsells.
Room upgrade conversions.
Add-on conversions.
Email sends, opens, and clicks.
Rule effectiveness by room category and date range.
Use dashboards for high-level KPIs and dedicated reports for detailed evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
Outlined below are the most frequently asked questions.
How can we optimize our upsell strategy?
Use strong room descriptions and photos.
Include clear value differences between categories.
Offer multiple upgrade paths.
Add compelling discounts where appropriate.
Regularly review conversion statistics.
Is discounting required?
No, discounts are optional and strategic.
Why can’t upsells be included in pre-stay emails?
Pre-stay emails do not evaluate availability or pricing.
Upsell automation requires real-time CRS validation.
Can upgrade rules be seasonal?
Yes use valid dates to define seasonal windows.