Booking Window Optimisation

What Is the Booking Window?

The booking window is the number of days between when a guest makes a booking and their arrival date.

For example:

• A booking made today for next weekend has a short booking window

• A booking made today for a stay in six months has a long booking window

Different markets, property types, and channels all show distinct booking window patterns. Ignoring these patterns leads to blunt pricing and missed opportunities.

Why Booking Window Behaviour Matters

Guests booking far in advance behave differently to last-minute bookers.

Typically:

• Long lead-time guests are less price sensitive but value certainty

• Short lead-time guests are more price sensitive but driven by availability

• Last-minute demand can spike unexpectedly due to weather, events, or cancellations

Revenue management uses these behavioural differences to decide when to hold rate, when to push price, and when to stimulate demand.

Common Booking Window Mistakes

Many short-term rental operators unknowingly damage performance by:

• Discounting too early for dates far in the future

• Accepting low-value short stays months in advance

• Leaving high-demand dates underpriced until late

• Dropping rates too aggressively close to arrival

These mistakes often result in strong occupancy but weak revenue, or unsold nights that could have been recovered with smarter adjustments.

Optimising Pricing by Lead Time

Booking window optimisation adjusts pricing dynamically as arrival dates approach.

A simplified approach looks like this:

• Far out: Protect rates, enforce longer minimum stays, avoid early discounting

• Mid window: Adjust pricing based on pickup pace and market signals

• Close in: Use targeted discounts or rule changes to convert remaining availability

The key is reacting to data, not panic or habit.

Minimum Stay Rules and Booking Windows

Minimum stay strategy should change with lead time.

Long booking windows favour longer minimum stays to:

• Increase average booking value

• Reduce fragmentation

• Protect peak periods

As dates approach, relaxing minimum stays can help fill gaps without broadly discounting. Applying the same minimum stay rule year-round ignores how guests actually book.

Channel Differences Matter

Not all channels behave the same way.

Some platforms deliver:

• Longer booking windows

• Higher cancellation rates

• More price-sensitive guests

Others skew heavily toward short lead-time bookings. Booking window optimisation takes these differences into account, adjusting pricing and availability by channel rather than treating them all equally.

Using Booking Window Data to Reduce Risk

One of the biggest advantages of booking window optimisation is early warning.

By tracking pickup against historical patterns, operators can:

• Identify soft periods early

• Adjust pricing before demand collapses

• Avoid heavy last-minute discounting

This creates smoother revenue performance and more predictable cash flow.

Final Thoughts

In short-term rentals, timing is not a detail. It is a strategy.

Two identical bookings at the same price can have very different impacts on revenue depending on when they are made. Booking window optimisation recognises that not all nights, and not all moments in time, are equal.

Operators who understand when guests book, and adjust their strategy accordingly, consistently outperform those who rely on static pricing and fixed rules.

Revenue management is not just about price. It is about selling the right night, at the right time, under the right conditions.