How Lark Hotels Turned Untapped Creativity into Ancillary Revenue with Plusgrade

REVENUE MANAGEMENT

At Lark Hotels, no two properties are alike. But they all share a common philosophy: create unforgettable experiences that reflect the spirit of their surroundings. From coastal retreats on Plum Island to historic hideaways in Salem, each boutique hotel is designed to feel personal, curated, and just a little unexpected. Lark Hotels was full of creative ideas—but they lacked the tools to turn them into revenue. With Plusgrade, the boutique hotel group found a way to turn memorable guest experiences into scalable revenue growth.

Why it matters: Boutique hotels are known for creativity—but without the right tools, potential revenue can go unrealized. Lark Hotels unlocked this potential by deploying Plusgrade’s upsell and upgrade platform. “It was super simple,” Isabelle says of the onboarding process. She and two of Lark’s GMs began implementing Plusgrade in June 2024, starting with 12 properties. As the rollout expanded, those two GMs helped mentor and train other hotels across the portfolio.

Plusgrade’s flexibility makes it a natural fit for Lark’s diverse portfolio. With StayPlus, hotels can offer “buy it now” add-ons like grill packages and robes. StayExtend lets teams monetize early check-ins and late checkouts, adding convenience for guests and revenue for the property. Bidding functionality, offered through Premium Upgrade, has proven especially powerful for the properties that have embraced it.

Top 3 Core Objectives: Lark Hotels wanted to unlock creative ancillary offers across their portfolio. They were looking to:

Showcase Unique Experiences: Offer curated amenities—from Halloween treat buckets to s’mores kits—that reflect the local character of each property.
Monetize Add-ons at Scale: Implement a system to easily promote and manage upsells like early check-ins, upgrades, and in-room packages across multiple hotels.
Empower On-Property Teams: Equip general managers with tools to ideate, test, and implement location-specific ancillary offers easily and efficiently.

Innovators Mentioned

Lark Hotels

Plusgrade

Isabelle Walker

Area Revenue Manager

Lark Hotels

"I’ve worked with plenty of other systems, and none of them do what Plusgrade does. I would definitely recommend it to other boutique hotels. It opens up new ways to connect with guests and capture additional revenue that might otherwise be missed."

Isabelle Walker

Area Revenue Manager

👍 Area Revenue Manager Isabelle Walker said that in early 2024, Lark’s VP of Revenue, Nik Jasprica, booked an Air Canada flight and was offered a chance to bid on an upgrade. “I loved that there wasn’t a fixed fee and I could choose to bid what I was comfortable with,” Nik says. “It added excitement for my upcoming trip, and I was even more excited when I won the bid and got the upgrade.” Nik learned that the solution was powered by Plusgrade, a global leader in ancillary revenue solutions for air, cruise, rail, and hotel companies. Confident that a similar approach could drive upgrades while enhancing the guest experience, he brought the idea to Lark’s revenue and on-property teams and suggested they give it a try. Isabelle’s experience with other platforms underscored how unique Plusgrade is in its ability to drive both revenue and guest connection.:

"I’ve worked with plenty of other systems, and none of them do what Plusgrade does. I would definitely recommend it to other boutique hotels. It opens up new ways to connect with guests and capture additional revenue that might otherwise be missed."

⚖️ The selection process: During their research process, Isabelle Walker evaluated Plusgrade's product differentiators, customer support, and holistic value as a strategic partner and ultimately decided that Plusgrade was the best fit solution:

Area Revenue Manager Isabelle Walker said, about their decision: "The lack of visibility for their unique offerings was a key reason Lark sought out a more effective upsell platform: “We didn’t have a good way to market or showcase what made our properties special.”"

📈 The results: Within six months, Lark generated significant new ancillary revenue while encouraging a culture of innovation among its on-property teams.

Guests who used Plusgrade products spent 15% more on average.
70% of room upgrades were driven by guest-submitted bids.
Individual purchases reached up to $500 for early check-in or $300 for curated amenities like beach bags.