ALOS (Average Length of Stay)
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In short
ALOS (Average Length of Stay) is the average number of nights a guest stays per booking. It equals total room nights sold divided by total number of bookings (arrivals).
Formula
ALOS = Total Room Nights Sold / Number of Bookings
Worked example
ALOS (Average Length of Stay)
Longer stays mean lower per-booking acquisition cost (one OTA commission spread over more nights), lower per-night housekeeping cost (turnover happens once per stay, not per night), and predictable forward demand. Resort and corporate-extended-stay properties optimise heavily for ALOS through minimum-stay restrictions and length-of-stay discounts. Urban transient properties tend to have lower ALOS (1.5-2.0 nights) than leisure resorts (3.5-7.0 nights).
Why it matters
Increasing ALOS by even 0.5 nights can lift margin meaningfully because acquisition cost is amortised over more nights. Length-of-stay pricing — a discount for guests who stay 3+ nights — is one of the highest-ROI revenue management tactics for boutique hotels.
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Frequently asked questions
Depends on segment. Urban transient hotels run 1.5-2.0 nights; leisure resorts 3.5-7.0; extended stay 10+. Track your own trend, not an absolute number.
Length-of-stay discounts (e.g., 10% off for 3+ nights), minimum-stay restrictions on peak nights, package bundling that includes activities or meals, and direct-booking incentives that reward longer stays.
Yes. Some segments (corporate single-night travel) naturally have low ALOS; the metric is still useful for tracking trends within each segment.
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Written by
Denis Wasilew
Co-founder
Co-founder of Guestivo. Building scalable solutions that empower hotels to deliver outstanding digital guest experiences.
Published: May 15, 2026