BAR, BAR-LOS, LOS — the toolkit · Forecasting & Pricing Decisions

BAR, BAR-LOS, MLOS, MaxLOS, CTA, CTD, MinStay, MaxStay. The vocabulary list is long, the underlying logic is short: every rate restriction is a tool for shaping demand toward the dates and lengths-of-stay your property needs filled.

BAR — Best Available Rate

The base rate published for a given date. Everything else (advance-purchase, member, OTA-channel-specific) is a derivative of BAR. If BAR is €220 for July 14, the advance-purchase rate might be €198 (10% off), the member rate €209 (5% off), and the OTA Genius rate €198 (10% off in exchange for visibility).

BAR-LOS — BAR with Length-of-Stay

A version of BAR that is only available when the booking meets a minimum length-of-stay. "BAR-LOS 3" means BAR is open only for stays of 3 nights or longer. The lower-LOS booking still pays a higher rate (or hits a closed rate plan and books elsewhere).

Use BAR-LOS when you need to fill shoulder nights around a peak weekend. A Friday-Saturday peak with empty Thursday and Sunday is a classic BAR-LOS-3 scenario — force the booking to include at least one shoulder night.

MLOS — Minimum Length of Stay

A blanket restriction that closes ALL rate plans for stays shorter than the minimum. Stronger than BAR-LOS (which closes only BAR) because it eliminates short-stay bookings across the rate spectrum. Use sparingly — MLOS-2 across a peak weekend will eliminate single-night corporate bookings entirely, which is fine if you have leisure demand, but kills revenue if you do not.

CTA / CTD — Closed to Arrival / Closed to Departure

CTA prevents bookings from starting on the restricted date. CTD prevents bookings from ending on the restricted date. Use CTA on a heavy arrival day (Friday peak) to prevent same-day arrival bookings from blocking longer-stay demand. Use CTD on a day where you need departing rooms re-sold to a longer-LOS arrival.

When to use what

Rate of thumb: BAR for everyday pricing, BAR-LOS to shape shoulder demand around peaks, MLOS only on peak nights where short-stay demand is plentiful, CTA/CTD only as surgical tools on specific high-demand days. A 90-day calendar with consistent BAR + occasional BAR-LOS is well-tuned. A 90-day calendar with MLOS + CTA + CTD on every other day is over-engineered and confuses your booking engine.