Avoid Missed Opportunities: Prepare for Peak Season
The snow is melting here in western Canada (sorry to the Easterners).
When this happens, I think of flip-flops, campfires, lazy days at the lake, and paddleboarding.
If I am thinking about it,
your guests are thinking about summer vacation plans, too!
It's that time of year!
Many hotels and tourism businesses see a rise in demand for their peak season.
Check out this screen capture.
It looks like a rictor scale for earthquakes, but it's not.
This shows a hotel's website traffic for mid-March to mid-May.
Those peaks are guests looking to book their summer vacation.
But unfortunately, many marketers and hoteliers miss this.
Instead of capitalizing on the demand season, they make the same mistakes year after year:
Leaving OTA inventory wide open —paying high commissions when direct bookings were possible.
Failing to adjust rates early —missing ADR growth opportunities.
Letting competitors swoop in and take market share.
Overlooking repeat guests who already love your property.
Struggling harder in the off-season because demand season wasn’t maximized
Relying on discounting year-round to fill rooms.
Missed Opportunities = Stress
When demand season isn’t optimized, the consequences hit hard.
Competitors win.
Revenue growth stalls.
The team scrambles for last-minute fixes.
Peak season ends with the sucky feeling of missed opportunities.
It’s frustrating.
It’s unnecessary.
And I'm here to say it’s fixable.
You may be thinking, "But, Christine, my hotel's season is right around the corner. I don't have enough time!"
I got you.
I did a brain dump of the ideas and actions with my hotel clients.
I thought you might find it helpful to make the most of your demand season.
The Demand Season Checklist:
High-Impact Fixes for Immediate Results
Offer perks for booking direct (flexible cancellation, free upgrades, dining credits).
Reduce or close OTA inventory. Watch is closely since your direct channel demand is high.
Use dynamic pricing to adjust rates as demand increases. Don’t leave money on the table.
Email past guests with early-bird offers and exclusive pre-season perks.
Ensure OTA's aren't undercutting. Check-in on your rate parity regularly.
Create high-value summer packages that guests care about and are looking for.
Optimize website speed – Guests won’t wait for a slow site to load.
Update your website photos and messages to match the peak booking season.
This will help inspire visitors and boost conversions.
Run summer ad campaigns – Get in front of travelers with your peak-season vibe.
Maximize Google Business Profile by updating details and photos and creating a post.
(check out this YouTube video to find out how)
Launch retargeting ads – Stay top of mind for website visitors who haven’t booked yet.
Get your Upsells & Add-Ons Ready – Set up enhancements for guests to purchase pre-arrival.
If you only do a few...
please, please make it #1 to #4.
Those first 4 are your most significant opportunities.
Make this a "regret-free" year.
Instead, picture enjoying this:
More direct revenue, fewer OTA commissions.
Peak season rates optimized for maximum profit.
Repeat guests returning, not choosing competitors (hello, lower marketing costs).
Off-season bookings were secured because the demand season was a success.
Less stress, more control.
Happy owners and personal pride in a job well done.
Demand season isn’t just about filling rooms.
It’s about filling them at the highest possible rate with the right guests for maximum profitability.
The hotels that prepare win.
The ones that don’t?
They pay for it all year long.
Ouch.
I want you to win.
P.S. This checklist isn't only applied to your peak season demand surge. Use it year-round.
If you need help, let's talk.
