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The MLOS Myth

By Jean Francois Mourier 
January 2013

Remember back in the day when consumers used rack brochures and travel agents to book their hotel stays? Remember when Minimum Length Of Stay (MLOS) and stay patterns was the only way to deal with unconstrained demand to try to control our revenues and occupancy?

Times have definitely changed since the days when MLOS and stay patterns were the norm for revenue managers. Back in the day, it was impossible to use flexible pricing because revenue management technology wasn't sophisticated enough and the Internet was not yet in existence. But today, times have definitely changed. While MLOS can be useful for special events or big-ticket days (like New Year's Eve), MLOS and stay patterns aren't the best revenue management strategies for day-to-day use in today's online, highly competitive market.

Still not convinced? Here's some very important reasons for hoteliers to shift away from MLOS restrictions for their day-to-day revenue management, and instead, adopt flexible pricing using sophisticated revenue management technology.

The Internet, the Internet. MLOS was created before the invention of the online travel agencies (OTAs) and the resulting change in consumer booking habits. It's an outdated system that for the most part doesn¹t work with today¹s technology (the good technologies).

You're inconveniencing the customer. If I'm a consumer and I want to stay at your hotel for three nights and I'm told that the minimum stay is four days, you can be sure that I would take my business elsewhere. Since the OTAs give consumers the ability to see/experience hundreds of hotels in every destination, there is no shortage of competition so I may be willing to pay premium rates for my three-night stay but I will never book the four nights (because I can only stay for four nights)!

You're decreasing your online visibility. We're all familiar with the billboard effect. Contrary to popular belief, having a MLOS does not persuade a consumer to book the extra night to meet the requirement. If a consumer is looking for a hotel for a three-day stay, and your property's MLOS is four days, your property will not show up in their OTA search results. In short, you're blocking your own property from potential guests and killing your billboard effect.

MLOS Rules for 2013
If you are going to use MLOS for special events, use them sparingly. Don't just load a four-night MLOS for all dates, instead, try balancing the demand through pricing and if you really need to apply restrictions for any of the dates, make sure they are a reflection of the respective level of demand for that date. By focusing on longer stays, sometimes hoteliers miss out on single night bookings that could fill inventory gaps during shoulder dates. Not to mention the price hikes that may occur due to lower category rooms not being available for the full length of stay period. This can automatically bump your pricing way above the market.

Day-to-day, a sophisticated, algorithm-based revenue management system that collects and analyzes data, and provides rate recommendations in real-time as the factors in the market change is the best solution for consistent financial success. These systems allow you to control your rates and occupancy as needed, boost your revenues and free up valuable time to concentrate on the big picture (no more never-ending calculations)!

So what are you waiting for? Start the New Year out right with revenue management technology more suitable for the market in 2013!



Jean Francois Mourier is CEO and Founder of REVPAR GURU, a company that provides hotels around the world with an alternative revenue management software system designed to deliver maximum bookings and profits.  You can reach Jean Francois through www.revparguru.com or by calling 1.786.478.3500.
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Contact: 

REVPAR GURU INC. 
786-478- 3500 
www.revparguru.com

 

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Also See: Revenue Management: Culture or Philosophy? / Jean Francois Mourier / December 2012

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What Not to Do in Revenue Management - ­ Part One / Jean Francois Mourier / September 2012

Tour Operators: Who's in Control? / Jean Francois Mourier / August 2012

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Become an Online Superstar / Jean Francois Mourier / August 2012

Data Overload: Productive or Pointless? / Jean Francois Mourier / July 2012

Fighting for Your Property's Stars / Jean Francois Mourier / June 2012

Do You Hate the OTAs? / Jean Francois Mourier / May 2012

The Future of a Revenue Manager 2.0 - Part Human, Part Computer, All Profits / Jean Francois Mourier / January 2012

A New Year's Resolution? Automate Pricing Strategies to Embrace the Changing Face of the Booking Process / Jean Francois Mourier / December 2011

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Home For the Holidays: Tending to Hotel Operations When Your Revenue Manager is on Vacation / Jean Francois Mourier / December 2010

The World of Revenue Management: Past, Present & Future; Looking back on hotel revenue management in 2010 and what the industry is expecting for 2011 / Jean Francois Mourier / December 2010

All Science, No Guesswork: The Benefits of Algorithms in Hotel Revenue Management / Jean Francois Mourier / November 2010

The Great Debate: Humans vs. Automated RMS: Their strengths, weaknesses and what responsibilities are best suited for each / Jean Francois Mourier / October 2010

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Best Practices in Revenue Management, Part 2; Rate discipline, the leveraging of real-time information, and price prediction / Jean Francois Mourier / August 2010

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