Maximising Christmas F&B Revenue: how hotels can turn seasonal dining into year-round profit
Christmas is a golden opportunity for hotels. Guests are already in the mood to celebrate, they want something special, and they are more willing to spend. But the festive season shouldn’t just be a short-lived boost. With the right approach, Christmas can lay the groundwork for stronger F&B growth, repeat business and guest loyalty that lasts long after the decorations come down. Here are some practical ways to turn seasonal dining into long-term profit.
1. Create a Christmas F&B experience that feels premium and exclusive
Guests expect something memorable at Christmas. A festive meal should never feel like “just another buffet”. If you want to command higher rates, the experience needs to feel special from start to finish:
- Build a festive menu with local produce, seasonal flavours or signature twists on traditional dishes
- Add limited-edition touches such as tasting menus, wine pairings or chef’s table experiences
- Set the scene with themed décor, live music, warm lighting and even festive scents
- Keep numbers capped for exclusive events like Christmas Eve dinners to protect quality and create a sense of scarcity
By positioning your Christmas F&B as a destination in its own right, you avoid discounting and give guests a reason to spend more.
2. Use event packaging to capture stay and dine revenue
F&B should never be treated as an add-on. The smartest approach is to build it into packages that encourage overnight stays. For example:
- Offer “Festive Getaway” breaks that include a room, Christmas dinner and brunch
- Create “Stay and Celebrate” packages over two or three nights that feature dining throughout the stay
- Incentivise direct bookings with perks such as a complimentary festive cocktail or a menu upgrade
This way you capture spend across both rooms and dining, reduce reliance on third-party bookings and maximise revenue per guest. Check out our online hotel revenue management courses to help you.
3. Upselling and cross-selling to boost average spend
At Christmas, guests are often in a treat-yourself mindset. That makes it the perfect time to encourage thoughtful upgrades and extras. For instance:
- Suggest wine pairings, festive cocktails or a dessert flight
- Offer pre-ordered hampers or take-home treats at the point of booking or check-in
- Introduce F&B vouchers that can be redeemed later in the year, encouraging a return visit
- Make sure your team is trained in suggestive selling so recommendations feel natural and helpful
Even small add-ons can add up to a big difference in overall margin.
4. Build loyalty by giving guests reasons to return
Short-term gains are important, but Christmas is also about building relationships. Think of it as the start of an ongoing conversation with your guests:
- Capture guest data and feed it into your CRM so you can personalise future offers
- Tempt them to book again with an “early bird” discount for next year
- Send a thank-you gift after their stay such as a voucher or branded treat
- Keep engagement alive by inviting them to midyear tasting events or menu previews
When guests feel valued, they are far more likely to return. We can offer new and existing staff front desk and reservations training.
5. Analyse and apply your learnings beyond Christmas
The festive season is packed with insights. By analysing guest behaviour and performance data you can refine your strategy and unlock new opportunities throughout the year:
- Track key metrics such as covers, average spend and margins
- Look at guest segments to see who booked packages, who upgraded and who returned later
- Take successful Christmas ideas, such as themed dinners or tasting menus, and adapt them for quieter periods
When you use Christmas as a testing ground, you set your F&B up for success year-round. Our expert F&B consultants at Octopus Revenue can help you move away from treating F&B as a standalone function and part of the full strategy for success.
6. Make sure operations are aligned
A premium guest experience only works if your operations are seamless. That means:
- Accurate demand forecasting so you avoid both overstaffing and understaffing
- Securing suppliers and managing seasonal food costs in advance
- Training front desk, reservations and F&B staff so they understand packages and upsell opportunities
- Keeping communication clear with daily briefings and service standards
When commercial and operational teams are aligned, the guest experience feels effortless. Octopus Revenue’s approach emphasises holistic revenue strategies, closing the gap between commercial and operational teams. Get in touch today.
Conclusion
Christmas is your chance to deliver a real wow factor for your guests, but it doesn’t have to end when the decorations come down. By packaging stays with dining, offering upgrades that feel like a treat, building loyalty beyond the season and applying your learnings to the rest of the year, you can turn festive success into lasting revenue growth.
With the right strategy, the magic of Christmas can give your F&B business momentum long after the festive season.
