When devastating floods hit Iowa’s Lake Okoboji region in June 2024, the Oakwood Inn faced over $28,000 in cancellations within 52 hours. But thanks to TakeUp’s AI-powered revenue management system, owner Bridget Johnson didn’t have to scramble to adjust rates—dynamic pricing automatically responded to market shifts.
When Bridget Johnson and her husband purchased the Oakwood Inn in 2016, they brought with them two decades of luxury hotel experience and a vision for what a modern bed & breakfast could be. Located in Iowa’s Lake Okoboji region, the 10,000-square-foot property with 11 rooms represented more than just a business venture—it was a chance to combine their expertise with the intimate, personalized service of a B&B.
As the most expensive lodging option in the market, the Oakwood Inn found itself in an unexpected position: market leader. “Other properties were following our pricing,” Bridget recalls. “We were setting the pace, but that meant we had no roadmap to follow.” With 20 years of luxury hotel experience, Bridget knew that static seasonal rates wouldn’t maximize their potential. But managing dynamic room pricing for their intimate property consumed an enormous amount of time.
“I’d probably spend easily 15-20 hours a week on pricing,” Bridget explains. “In winter, it could go up to 30 hours as I dug deeper into booking pace and rate hesitancy.” Despite creating extensive spreadsheets and tracking multiple metrics, Bridget knew there had to be a better way to manage their revenue strategy while maintaining their market-leading position.
Bridget’s introduction to TakeUp sparked immediate interest, though like many experienced hoteliers, she appreciated their sophisticated approach but wanted to ensure it was the right fit. When she encountered them again at a later conference, she was impressed by how they had evolved their messaging.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are three steps you can take to improve your operations.
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The true test of their partnership came unexpectedly in June 2024, when devastating floods hit the region. Within 52 hours, the Oakwood Inn faced over $28,000 in cancellations for their peak Fourth of July period. The disaster had made their location nearly inaccessible, with typical 90-minute drives taking up to six hours due to bridge outages.
TakeUp’s AI system recognized the crisis immediately, adjusting rates to match the dramatic drop in search volume while maintaining profitability. When other hotels in the area saw their revenue drop by 30%, the Oakwood Inn finished the year matching their previous year’s performance.
“When a reservation comes in at a rate I never would have dared to set myself, I just smile. The system knows better than I do.”
Sydney Rubin, Owner/Operator of Maitland Manor
The partnership with TakeUp has given Bridget more than just dynamic pricing optimization—it’s provided data-driven confidence to expand. Analysis of room performance revealed that their single queen rooms were outperforming their king suites, with 15% year-over-year revenue growth compared to 5%. This insight led to their decision to convert two additional rooms above the garage into revenue-generating accommodations, a project now underway for 2025.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are three steps you can take to improve your operations.
As the Oakwood Inn approaches its tenth anniversary, Bridget sees their partnership with TakeUp as instrumental to their continued growth. Her enthusiasm for the future is contagious as she plans new ways to leverage the system’s capabilities for even greater success.
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