Mercure Hotel MOA Berlin part of Accor, is a large and busy hotel in the heart of Berlin, Germany. Offering over 330 contemporary rooms and suites, a spacious multi-purpose atrium, and a state-of-the-art conference and event center, the hotel caters to business and MICE guests (Meetings Incentives Conventions Exhibitions), regularly hosting national and international gatherings.
The hotel’s Head of Revenue, Stefanie Michaelis, has always recognized the importance of upselling as a vital source of ancillary revenue. After initially working with Oaky, the hotel switched to a CRM in pursuit of an all-in-one communication platform. However, over time, limitations in automation and integration led the team to return to Oaky, and they haven’t looked back since.
Let’s explore what made the team come back to using a dedicated upselling solution, as well as the results they’ve been experiencing with Oaky since they switched back.
MOA Berlin’s experience using a CRM for upselling and the challenges it presented
By using a CRM, the hotel aimed to cover various aspects: marketing campaigns, newsletters, and pre-arrival upselling.
However, after using the solution for some time, the team noticed that while the CRM supported broad guest communications, it began to quickly show upselling constraints, impacting their total revenue results. With upselling as an add-on rather than a core feature, the solution fell short of meeting MOA Berlin’s needs.
As Stefanie highlights, they were missing the following points:
1. Lack of two-way integration with Mews: Staff had to manually process each upsell request, checking the CRM’s backend, approving or rejecting requests, then logging them into Mews.
2. Limited automation: Time-consuming manual processes created inefficiencies and room for error.
3. Reporting issues: Insufficient insights into performance and product-level ROI hindered strategic decision-making.
4. Lower-than-expected upsell revenue: Despite efforts, upsell performance declined compared to previous results with Oaky.
Mercure Hotel MOA Berlin Bar
Mercure Hotel MOA Berlin Reception
Why the team decided to switch back to Oaky
After seeing the results dip and realizing that a CRM solution couldn’t match the results Oaky had delivered, Stefanie and the team made a decision to switch back to a specialized solution. The key reasons included:
1. Advanced automation and PMS integration: Upsell requests from guests now flow seamlessly into Mews thanks to the 2-way integration with Oaky, considerably reducing manual work. Availability in Mews is also updated automatically once room upgrades and other services are booked through Oaky.
What used to take multiple manual steps across different systems is now done seamlessly through Oaky. It's intuitive and properly integrated.
Stefanie Michaelis
Head of Revenue
2. Ease of use and self-serve capabilities: Oaky’s simple interface allows Stefanie and the team to easily set up and edit upselling deals and manage prices.
3. Reporting capabilities: Clear visibility into upselling results allows MOA Berlin to optimize their offering for improved results.
4. Front Desk Upsell automation: Thanks to Oaky, MOA Berlin has been able to add another touchpoint—upselling at the front desk. Despite the module's recent launch, the team is enthusiastic about it and feels increasingly motivated to sell more at the front desk.
The results MOA Berlin has been observing with Oaky
After switching back to Oaky, our upsell revenue quickly returned to the high levels we had before. The impact was immediate.
Stefanie Michaelis
Head of Revenue
MOA Berlin is doing a particularly great job at upselling services. 82% of their total revenue comes from upselling services, while room upgrades account for 9%, and room-related services (early check-in and late check-out) make up 8%. The best-performing upselling deals include (November 2024 - April 30):
- Parking
Breakfast
Superior Suite
Early check-in
Standard Suite.
High guest engagement with pre-arrival emails is also reflected in email results:
The engagement with pre-arrival offers, along with increased sales at the front desk thanks to Oaky’s Front Desk Upsell implementation, resulted in MOA Berlin showcasing an average of EUR 50.47 per request per month, peaking at EUR 62.02 in April 2025.
Stefanie also mentions that reducing manual work is one of the major benefits they have been experiencing. Thanks to Oaky’s two-way integration with Mews, the hotel can enjoy seamless automation without the need to manually approve or reject guest requests or update availability in both systems.
Final thoughts
While the CRM supported broader guest communication efforts, its capabilities weren’t sufficient for upselling at MOA Berlin. The added manual steps and lack of integration made it challenging to maximize revenue from upsells.
A purpose-built solution, such as Oaky, transformed their results, taking their revenue to the next level:
“A CRM is great for email marketing, but it doesn't handle inventory, room type mapping, or instant confirmations like Oaky does,” Stefanie highlights.
The team looks forward to seeing the further impact of Oaky and is excited about the newly adopted module, Front Desk Upselling, to further refine their upsell strategy and achieve even higher revenue numbers.
As MOA Berlin prepares to leave the Mercure franchise and operate as an independent hotel from January 2026 onwards, the recent switch back to Oaky also aligns with a broader strategic shift. Independence brings both challenges and opportunities, especially in differentiating the guest experience and optimizing revenue without the backing of a global brand. In this context, having a dedicated upselling solution like Oaky is not only beneficial—it’s essential. Its seamless automation, real-time PMS integration, and robust reporting tools empower the team to craft a highly personalized, fully digital guest journey. This is particularly critical for driving direct revenue streams and enhancing guest satisfaction in the absence of brand-driven loyalty programs. Upsells will play a central role in boosting ancillary revenue and delivering memorable guest experiences, making Oaky a key partner in MOA Berlin’s new chapter as a standalone hotel.
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