Who this is for: owners, general managers, and revenue managers at independent hotels, hotel groups, motels, resorts, and hostels who need to project occupancy, rate, and revenue for upcoming weeks, months, or years. Bed & Breakfasts and Parks can use a simplified version further down.
A forecast template isn't the same as a revenue management tracker. A revenue tracker prices what's already happening this week. A forecast projects what's likely to happen next week, next month, or next year. It's based on rooms on the books, pickup trends, and known future business. For the concepts and math behind these numbers, see our guide to hotel demand forecasting.
What's Included in This Template
- Total rooms available and rooms on the books (OTB) for each future period
- Pickup trend: how OTB is building week over week
- Forecasted occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR for each upcoming period
- Market segment mix: transient, group, and contract business
- Forecast-vs-actual variance, once a period has passed
Core Template Sections
Every hotel forecast is built from four core sections. Miss one, and the forecast loses accuracy.
- On-the-Books (OTB): confirmed reservations already on the books for a future date, before any pickup happens.
- Pickup Data: new bookings added over a recent period. This is the signal that tells you if you're pacing ahead of or behind schedule.
- Market Segments: transient (individual travelers), group (blocks, weddings, tours), and contract (airline crews, corporate housing agreements).
- Variance Analysis: how forecasted numbers compare to last week, to budget, and to the same period last year. Budget variance matters most to owners, since it shows whether the property is on track against what was approved.
Essential KPIs
These are the numbers a forecast actually produces. Two of them go further than a typical forecast template.
| KPI | Formula | Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Occupancy Rate | Rooms Sold / Rooms Available | Occupancy calculator |
| ADR (Average Daily Rate) | Room Revenue / Rooms Sold | ADR calculator |
| RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) | Room Revenue / Rooms Available | RevPAR calculator |
| TrevPAR (Total Revenue per Available Room) | Total Revenue (rooms + F&B + other) / Rooms Available | TrevPAR calculator |
| GOPPAR (Gross Operating Profit per Available Room) | Gross Operating Profit / Rooms Available | GOPPAR calculator |
Most forecast templates stop at RevPAR. TrevPAR and GOPPAR matter more to an owner. They tie the forecast to total revenue and actual profitability, not just room income.
Short-Term Rolling Forecast
Use this for the next 4 to 13 weeks. Update it weekly as OTB and pickup change.
| Week Of | Total Rooms Available | OTB (Rooms) | Pickup Trend (7-Day) | Forecasted Occupancy % | Forecasted ADR | Forecasted RevPAR | Budget Variance % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [MM/DD] | [Number] | [Number] | [+/- Number] | [%] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | [+/- %] | [Comments] |
| [MM/DD] | [Number] | [Number] | [+/- Number] | [%] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | [+/- %] | [Comments] |
Group & Contract Business on the Books
Track this separately from transient pickup. Group and contract business moves in blocks, not day by day, and hides inside a blended forecast if it isn't broken out.
| Group / Contract Name | Dates | Rooms Blocked | Status | Rate | Segment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Name] | [Arrival - Departure] | [Number] | [Definite / Tentative] | $[Rate] | [Group / Contract] |
Long-Term Annual Forecast
Use this for 1 to 5 year planning: budgeting, ownership reporting, or evaluating whether the property is trending toward its goals.
| Year | Occupancy % | ADR | RevPAR | TrevPAR | Room Revenue | Total Revenue | GOPPAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | [%] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] |
| Year 2 | [%] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] |
Forecast vs. Actual
Log this once each period closes. This is what actually improves forecast accuracy over time, not the forecast itself.
| Period | Forecasted Occupancy % | Actual Occupancy % | Forecasted ADR | Actual ADR | Variance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Week/Month] | [%] | [%] | $[Amount] | $[Amount] | [+/- %] |
Completed Example
Riverside Inn, a 40-room independent hotel, forecasts three weeks out in shoulder season.
| Week Of | Total Rooms Available | OTB (Rooms) | Pickup Trend (7-Day) | Forecasted Occupancy % | Forecasted ADR | Forecasted RevPAR | Budget Variance % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/06 | 280 | 168 | +12 | 68% | $124 | $84 | -3% | Slightly behind budget, monitoring pace before adjusting rate. |
One confirmed group on the books for that period: a 30-room wedding block, October 6-8, status Definite, rate $135/night, segment Group.
How Do You Use a Hotel Forecast Template?
Build the forecast from OTB and pickup, not from how business feels.
- Pull OTB for each future period before adding any pickup assumptions.
- Track pickup weekly to see whether OTB is building faster or slower than normal.
- Log group and contract business separately, since it doesn't follow the same pickup pattern as transient.
- Compare forecasted numbers to budget, not just to last year, since budget is what ownership is actually measuring against.
- Update the forecast-vs-actual log every period, so forecasting accuracy improves instead of repeating the same errors.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forecasting from gut feeling instead of OTB and pickup data.
- Blending group and contract business into the transient pickup number, hiding the real signal.
- Comparing only to last year, and never to budget.
- Building a long-term forecast without revisiting it once short-term OTB data comes in.
- Never logging forecast vs. actual, so the same forecasting mistakes repeat every period.
Forecast Templates by Property Type
Every property type benefits from forecasting, but the right level of detail depends on how much group and contract business a property actually books, and how far ahead it needs to plan.
This applies at full detail to Independent Hotels, Hotel Groups, Resorts, and Hostels below. Motels, Bed & Breakfasts, and Parks get a simplified version instead, since they typically book less group and contract business and plan over shorter windows. Independent Hotels use the template above as-is.
Hotel Groups Forecast
Adds the specific property name and a portfolio rollup, so leadership can forecast one property or the whole group.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Group / Brand Name | [Hotel Group Name] |
| Specific Property Name & Location | [Property Name, City, State] |
| Portfolio Rollup: Combined Forecasted Occupancy % | [%] |
| Portfolio Rollup: Combined Forecasted RevPAR | $[Amount] |
| Portfolio Rollup: Combined Forecasted GOPPAR | $[Amount] |
Use the same Short-Term Rolling Forecast, Group & Contract, and Long-Term Annual tables above for each property, then roll up the totals here.
Resort Forecast
Adds package and ancillary revenue to the forecast, since TrevPAR carries more weight at a resort than at a limited-service property.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Property Name | [Resort Name] |
| Room Type / View | [Room Type] / [Ocean View, Garden View, etc.] |
| Forecasted Package / Amenity Revenue | $[Amount] |
Use the same Short-Term Rolling Forecast, Group & Contract, and Long-Term Annual tables above, adding room type/view and package revenue columns.
Hostel Forecast
Replaces room-based metrics with bed-based ones. Hostels forecast RevPAB and TrevPAB instead of RevPAR and TrevPAR.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Property Name | [Hostel Name] |
| Total Beds Available | [Number] |
| Beds OTB | [Number] |
| Forecasted Occupancy % (Beds) | [%] |
| Forecasted Rate per Bed | $[Amount] |
| Forecasted RevPAB* | $[Amount] |
| Forecasted TrevPAB | $[Amount] |
*RevPAB: revenue per available bed, the hostel equivalent of RevPAR. TrevPAB follows the same logic as TrevPAR, calculated per bed instead of per room, and can be modeled using the TrevPAB calculator.
Motel Forecast (Simplified)
Drops group/contract tracking and the annual GOPPAR view, since most motels run light on both. Keeps a short forecast horizon with core metrics.
| Week Of | OTB (Rooms) | Forecasted Occupancy % | Forecasted ADR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [MM/DD] | [Number] | [%] | $[Amount] | [Comments] |
Bed & Breakfast Forecast (Simplified)
Drops OTB/pickup granularity in favor of a simple seasonal view, since most B&B bookings come direct with short lead times.
| Month | Forecasted Occupancy % | Forecasted Rate | Local Event / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Month] | [%] | $[Amount] | [Festival, holiday weekend, etc.] |
Parks Forecast (Simplified)
Forecasts by site type instead of room type, matched to the strong seasonality parks typically see.
| Month | Site Type | Forecasted Sites Occupied | Forecasted Rate per Site | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Month] | [RV / Tent / Cabin] | [Number] | $[Amount] | [Comments] |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What's the difference between a forecast template and a revenue management template?
A revenue tracker prices and reviews what's already happening this week. A forecast projects future occupancy, rate, and revenue based on OTB, pickup, and known future business.
2. What is OTB in hotel forecasting?
On-the-books: confirmed reservations already booked for a future date, before any additional pickup is added.
3. How far ahead should a hotel forecast?
Most properties run a short-term forecast 4 to 13 weeks out, updated weekly, plus a long-term annual forecast for 1 to 5 years for budgeting and ownership reporting.
4. What's the difference between RevPAR and TrevPAR?
RevPAR covers room revenue only. TrevPAR includes total revenue, room, F&B, and other departments, divided by available rooms.
5. Why does GOPPAR matter more than RevPAR for an owner?
RevPAR measures revenue. GOPPAR measures what's actually left after operating costs, which is closer to what an owner is trying to forecast and protect.
