What is booking pace?
Updated
Pace is a comparison of the bookings you hold today for a future date with the bookings you held at the same point before that date last year.
Why does it matter to a small hotel?
A bare number of rooms booked means little without a reference point. Pace supplies it: are we ahead of where we were this time last year, or behind? Being behind is not automatically a problem, since lead times shift and events move. But it is a prompt to look. It is most useful for weekends and event dates that are weeks away, when you still have time to change a rate or run an offer. Compare like with like: the same weekday, the same type of night, and ideally the same stage before arrival.
A worked example
The 24-room hotel looks at the August bank holiday Saturday, 30 days out. It holds 12 rooms. At the same point last year it held 15. Pace is therefore three rooms, or 20%, behind. Before cutting the £165 rate, it checks the market: if nearby hotels are in the same position, it holds. If rivals are filling and it is not, it reviews its price and what it shows online. To track pace for every date in the year, start a free RatePulse trial.
Related terms
Questions people ask
Is being behind pace always bad?
No. Booking windows move and events shift. It is a prompt to check the market and your rate, not an instruction to cut price.
What is the difference between pace and pickup?
Pickup is rooms gained over a period. Pace compares your bookings on hand now with the same point last year.
How far ahead should I watch pace?
Weekends and events up to about three months out are worth a regular look. Beyond that, patterns are too loose to act on.