Desiree McDonald
@desireemcdonald
I am an experienced hospitality revenue leader driving profitable room and ancillary revenue.
United StatesWhat I'm looking for
I have 29 years in hospitality and 25 years in revenue management, witnessing the shift from RACK Cards to OTAs and dynamic pricing. My passion began before formal titles existed; one early pricing change I recommended produced a $600K revenue increase and influenced future pricing strategy.
At Best Western I built and led the Revenue for Hire program, growing it from 200 to over 900 hotels and hiring and onboarding more than 100 revenue managers while maintaining under 1% turnover. I led a self-funded department with $13 million in annual revenue and 99% forecasting accuracy, managed portfolios of 140+ hotels with sustained RevPAR and ADR gains, and implemented reporting and CRM improvements using Amazon QuickSight and Salesforce.
I am eager to bring my strategic forecasting, team-building, and training expertise to a collaborative, growth-focused hospitality organization where I can drive sustainable room and ancillary revenue and mentor the next generation of revenue managers.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Property Revenue Manager
Best Western Hotels & Resorts
Dec 2012 - Present (13 years 8 months)
Scaled the Revenue-for-Hire program from 200 to 900+ hotels, hiring and training 100+ revenue managers while running a self-funded $13M department with 99% forecasting accuracy and leading a 140+ hotel portfolio to improved RevPAR and ADR.
Revenue Manager
Best Western Hotels & Resorts
Jan 2007 - Jan 2012 (5 years)
Managed revenue strategy for portfolios up to 14 hotels, won Revenue Manager of the Year (2011) for highest portfolio RevPAR gains, and implemented pricing and ancillary revenue strategies that improved property performance.
Managed rooms operations for a 289-room hotel and 77 condo units, reduced staff turnover by 50% through leadership and training, and increased ancillary revenue via integrated marketing and upsell strategies.
Implemented an upsell program that increased revenue by $130,000 in the first year, supervised 20+ front-of-house staff, and developed computer training programs that improved operational efficiency and guest service.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
Arizona State University
Bachelor of Science, Recreation Management and Tourism
Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management and Tourism from Arizona State University, completed in 1997.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
United StatesAuthorized to work in
Job categories
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