What started as an idea for an easy-to-use system to help hotels generate more revenue by automating dynamic pricing has now grown into a leading player in international hotel technology.
The demand from the market was clear: isn’t there a tool that allows us to adjust prices more easily and intelligently based on data? That idea became the foundation for RevControl. By now, the system is hardly comparable to that first version. Although one thing has remained the same: the stable RevControl team!
We’ve made enormous strides! From simple price adjustments to a complete, user-friendly revenue management system that gives our customers maximum control and insight into their pricing strategy. In this blog, we’ll take you through the key product developments of the past ten years. And we’ll give you a glimpse into the future, because even after ten years, we’re certainly not standing still.
Release – Version 1.0 – June 2nd, 2015
The release of RevControl! The system offered a simple way to increase prices based on data from the PMS. Functionality was limited, but the foundation was laid: automation of the pricing strategy.
AutoPublish – Version 2.0 – April 11th, 2017
With this release, we introduced one of the biggest gamechangers: AutoPublish. Whereas prices previously had to be manually sent to the PMS, from now on they were automatically updated every fifteen minutes. This saved our users a tremendous amount of time and made room prices even more dynamic.
Rates Calendar – Version 3.0 – June 5th, 2018
The introduction of the Rates Calendar. Despite the automatic price updates via AutoPublish, we wanted to continue giving users the option to retain control. With the Rates Calendar, room prices could now be viewed and adjusted much more clearly per day and per room type.
Group Recommendation – Version 3.16 – February 8th, 2021
The market asked for more: revenue management for groups. This led to the Group Recommendation Tool, which takes into account additional revenue from, for example, meeting rooms and F&B. This made RevControl not only suitable for individual guests but also for group requests! An important step in our development.
Rate Buckets – Version 3.21 – March 8th, 2022
During his graduation internship, Robin researched the impact of distribution costs on the pricing strategy for our customers. Based on this, we created one of our most innovative tools: Rate Buckets. This function automatically increases NetRevPAR by opening or closing high-commission channels, depending on demand. A smart and still unique feature that is intensively used by our customers.
Look & Feel – Version 5.0 – November 1st, 2023
We’re skipping update 4, because the changes in version 5 deserved a nice round number. The system received a complete visual makeover. Although we constantly keep the backend technology of the system up to date, RevControl’s appearance was due for a refresh. The interface became more modern and timeless. A new dashboard was also introduced, displaying all crucial information clearly.
Forecast per Room Type – Version 5.2 – December 4th, 2023
With this release, we made it possible to manage prices per room type. Previously, the forecast was calculated for the entire hotel; from this release onwards, it could also be done per room type. This gave our customers even more control over their strategy in an increasingly competitive market.
RevControl for Hostels – Version 5.2.16 – April 15th, 2024
An important step in our expansion: RevControl was made suitable for hostels. This required the ability to process data at both room and bed level. The pricing engine and dashboard were adjusted to manage multiple product types. Thanks to this update, we were able to welcome, among others, Meininger Hotels as a customer.
Improved Rates Calendar – Version 5.6 – February 10th, 2025
We further improved the Rates Calendar and added highly requested functionalities. Users can now view and adjust, per day, the competitor prices, events, notes, MinLOS, room type availability, and price changes via shortcuts. In addition, all available data per day is accessible with the click of a button. This makes it the most user-friendly and informative Rates Calendar on the market!
RevControl for Parking Spaces – Version 5.7 – March 17th, 2025
A new application of revenue management: parking spaces. In combination with PMS MEWS, we expanded RevControl to dynamically price parking spots. Once again, a great step towards broader use of our technology.
Two-Year Forecast – Version 5.10 – April 23rd, 2025
The recreation sector became increasingly prominent. Since the booking horizon in this market is often longer than one year, we developed a forecast that looks ahead two years. This function is now also loved by hotels and hostels with a longer planning horizon.
What Does the Future Hold?
We’re currently hard at work on the next big step: the use of periods instead of the current settings. The goal is to make setting up pricing strategies in RevControl even easier and more flexible. This update will allow users to apply a customized pricing strategy for self-defined periods, whether that’s two days or three and a half weeks.
Ten years of RevControl. Ten years of innovation, growth, and customer-focused development. We are proud of what we’ve achieved together with our customers and partners, and we look forward to everything that’s still to come!
