The issue of whether or not to discount is becoming increasingly contentious as properties and groups struggle to compete in an ever more strained market.

Veteran hotelier George Goring summed up the problem in these terms: “The biggest sin is to overprice, and the second biggest sin is to underprice.” In other words, he told delegates at the recent Hotelier of the Year Conference at the Hyatt Churchill hotel in London, you’re caught between a rock and a hard place.

The issue was addressed head‑on at the conference. The newly crowned Hotelier of the Year, Andrew Mackenzie, was all for cutting rates. He said: “People can access rates more easily now, and make a decision online. It’s a luxury if you’re able to keep your rates. If you’re living hand-to-mouth as a business and you need cash, you need to drop your rates to fill the place.”

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