The Hospitality Newsletter
Today Sunday, September 13, 2026

Performance & revenue

Booking pace

Also written: pace report

What Booking pace means

Booking pace measures the rate at which reservations are made for a specific future date or period compared to historical trends, same-time-last-year data, or pre-established budgets. It reveals whether room pickup is accelerating, lagging, or meeting revenue management expectations.

Formula

Pace = Current On-The-Books Revenue (or Room Nights) - Same-Time-Last-Year Revenue (or Room Nights)

How it is used

Revenue managers analyze pace reports weekly or daily to adjust pricing, restrict minimum lengths of stay, or open discount channels. If pace is ahead of last year, management can raise rates to maximize yield on remaining inventory. If pace lags, property managers activate targeted marketing, adjust group wash projections, or lower transient BAR to capture price-sensitive demand before arrival dates pass.

Worked example

A hotel has 150 room nights booked for New Year's Eve as of October 1, generating $45,000. On October 1 last year, it had 100 room nights booked generating $25,000. The property is pacing +50 room nights (+50%) and +$20,000 (+80%) ahead of last year, prompting the revenue manager to raise BAR by $50.

Common mistake

Comparing pace without accounting for shifting event calendars, holiday dates, or changes in sales channel mix creates misleading pickup signals.

Related terms

Booking pace in our reporting

Recent stories where this term does real work.

Frequently asked

+What does Booking pace mean in a hotel?

Booking pace measures the rate at which reservations are made for a specific future date or period compared to historical trends, same-time-last-year data, or pre-established budgets. It reveals whether room pickup is accelerating, lagging, or meeting revenue management expectations.

+How is Booking pace calculated?

Pace = Current On-The-Books Revenue (or Room Nights) - Same-Time-Last-Year Revenue (or Room Nights)

+What is an example of Booking pace?

A hotel has 150 room nights booked for New Year's Eve as of October 1, generating $45,000. On October 1 last year, it had 100 room nights booked generating $25,000. The property is pacing +50 room nights (+50%) and +$20,000 (+80%) ahead of last year, prompting the revenue manager to raise BAR by $50.

+What is the most common mistake with Booking pace?

Comparing pace without accounting for shifting event calendars, holiday dates, or changes in sales channel mix creates misleading pickup signals.