Full house

In hospitality, a full house refers to the situation when all rooms in a hotel are booked. This status is closely tied to metrics like occupancy rate, which shows how many rooms are filled, and average daily rate (ADR), which measures the average income per occupied room. Full house conditions are more likely to occur during

• peak seasons such as summer holidays, Christmas, New Year, or spring break;
• major local events, including concerts, sports tournaments, conventions, or festivals;
• weekends and public holidays when leisure demand increases; and
• high business travel periods in cities with strong corporate demand.

Revenue managers forecast full house dates by tracking the booking pace, which shows how reservations build up over time. During these periods, hotels often raise prices or apply restrictions like a minimum length of stay.

Care must also be taken to prevent overbooking, since accepting more reservations than there are available rooms can lead to walk situations, guest dissatisfaction, and reputational risks.