Whether you’re running a boutique hotel, an apartment complex, or a countryside inn, the secret to making the most of high season isn’t just charging more. It’s about getting the timing, targeting, and tech right.
In our recent webinar “Get Ready for Peak Season: 3 ½ Strategies to Capture More Revenue This Summer,” revenue management experts Natalie Reiter and Leslie Hoy shared actionable tips to help you make this peak season your most profitable. Here’s a breakdown of the essential strategies they recommend.
1. Start Sooner Than You Think
“One of the biggest missed opportunities,” says Natalie Reiter, Director of Revenue Management Success at RoomPriceGenie, “is waiting too long to start planning for peak season.”
Booking windows are shorter, but that doesn’t mean your planning should be. In fact, shrinking lead times make it even more important to anticipate demand early.
What to do:
- Look at pick-up patterns from last year and compare them to this year.
- Identify compression periods early (holidays, local events, long weekends).
- Begin loading restrictions and higher rates where appropriate—well in advance.
As Natalie says, “Don’t wait until you’re sold out to raise your rates. Get ahead of the pickup.”
2. Control Inventory, Not Just Price
Rates are just one lever. If you want to increase RevPAR during peak season, how you sell your rooms matters as much as what you charge.
Inventory controls to consider:
- Minimum Length of Stay (MinLOS): Requires guests to stay a set number of nights. It helps avoid one-night bookings that block more profitable, longer stays.
- Closed to Arrival (CTA): Prevents guests from starting their stay on specific dates. For example, if Saturday always fills quickly, you can close it to arrivals and push bookings to Friday, helping extend the stay pattern.
- Closed to Departure: Stops guests from checking out on certain high-demand days, encouraging them to extend their stay. It’s ideal when you want to avoid turnover on peak dates.
“MinLOS is one of the most powerful tools in a revenue manager’s toolbox,” says Leslie Hoy, Sales & Revenue Manager North America at RoomPriceGenie. “Especially when used strategically around high-demand dates.”
3. Use Data to Lead the Strategy
The gut-feeling approach might have worked a decade ago. Today, data is your edge.
Dig into these data points:
- Year-over-year booking pace
- Market occupancy trends
- OTA and direct channel pick-up
- Event calendars and booking compression
Solutions like RoomPriceGenie help automate this analysis and optimize your pricing 24/7. This means you’re not just reacting to demand but anticipating it.
“It’s not about changing prices every hour,” Natalie explains. “It’s about reacting intelligently to what the data is telling you.”
½. Get Your Team in the Loop
It’s a half strategy because it works when paired with everything else. But it matters.
Even the best pricing strategy won’t go far if your team doesn’t understand the “why” behind it. As Natalie said during the webinar, one of the best ways to turn data into results is to pair insights with operational experience—and that starts with your people.
Make sure your front desk, marketing team, and operations staff are aligned:
- Let them know when peak periods are coming.
- Explain why restrictions like MinLOS or CTA are in place.
- Equip them to answer guest questions about pricing confidently.
When the whole team understands not just what’s happening but why, it’s easier to deliver on the guest experience and stay consistent in execution.
Make the Most of the Moment
Peak season can make or break your annual performance. With the right planning, controls, and automation, you can price confidently, drive higher-value stays, and walk into the off-season with momentum.
As Leslie said in the webinar, “You don’t have to do it all manually. Tools exist to help you focus more on strategy and less on spreadsheets.”
Watch the webinar “Get Ready for Peak Season: 3 ½ Strategies to Capture More Revenue This Summer” to learn more about these strategies in more detail.
To learn how RoomPriceGenie can help your property increase your property’s profitability, start your free trial of our automated pricing solution today!
