About Derek Lasiter | 20 Years Inside Hotel Operations.

Most hotel consultants have studied the hospitality industry.

I ran it.

Twenty years inside independent hotel operations — from the front desk to the GM chair. Managing teams, building rate strategy, handling the 2am phone calls, watching revenue walk out the door when the systems weren't right, and learning exactly what it takes to turn a struggling independent property into a performing one.

That experience is the foundation of everything Lasiter Edge does.

I didn't build the Revenue Visibility System from a textbook or a marketing course. I built it because I lived the problems it solves — properties that were invisible in local search, profiles that didn't reflect the quality of the operation, front desk teams doing their best without the training to capture what walked through the door.

Independent hotels don't need another agency selling them deliverables. They need someone who has stood where they're standing and can show them exactly what to fix.

That's what Lasiter Edge is.

What I Know From 20 Years on the Inside:

— A strong Google Business Profile generates more direct bookings than most paid ad campaigns 

— Front desk revenue is the most underutilized asset in an independent hotel 

— Upselling isn't pushy when your team has the right script and the right moment 

— Most independent hotels are losing $5,000–$15,000 a month in revenue they've already earned 

— The difference between a hotel that competes and one that doesn't is almost always a system problem — not a property problem

Who I Work With:

Independent hotel owners and GMs across California who know their property is better than their online presence suggests — and need a clear, executable path to more revenue without adding headcount or replacing their team.

If that's you — start with the $97 Visibility Checkup. Two business days. One page. Everything you need to know about where your property stands online.

In 2013, I took over as the sales and revenue manager at an independent hotel in California with more than 100 rooms. Revenue at the end of that first year was $800,000.  By the end of year two it was $1.4 million. Year three — $1.8 million. Year four — $2.4 million. The property topped out at $2.8 million.  That is a 250 percent revenue increase over four years — built from the inside, through the same systems, strategies, and operational disciplines that now make up the Revenue Visibility System.  That property is still an active Lasiter Edge client today.

Year 0 (took over):  $800,000 Year 1 (first full year):  $1,400,000 Year 2:  $1,800,000 Year 3:  $2,400,000 Year 4+:  $2,800,000  +250% total revenue growth  ·  Same property  ·  Same market  ·  Different system

This is not consulting from a distance. This is the result of running the sales and revenue function from the inside — which is exactly the experience behind every program Lasiter Edge delivers today.