Best Available Rate (BAR)
Best Available Rate (BAR) is the lowest publicly available nightly price a traveler can book for a specific date at a vacation rental. BAR can change by day based on demand, seasonality, and how far in advance guests book.
Definition
BAR is the public “starting price” on your calendar for a given night. Think of it as your default reference rate that can move up or down as the market changes. BAR is closely related to your daily rate and overall rental rate strategy.
Quick Answer
BAR answers: “What’s the best public price a guest can book for this date?” Hosts use BAR to stay competitive while protecting revenue, especially when paired with booking lead time and yield management.
How BAR Works
- Set per date: BAR can differ on weekdays vs. weekends and across your rental season.
- Demand-sensitive: BAR may rise when demand is strong and soften during the shoulder season.
- Lead-time-aware: BAR can adjust based on how early travelers book, reflected in booking lead time.
- Performance-aware: BAR is best reviewed alongside occupancy rate and average daily rate.
Common BAR Strategies
Day-Based BAR
Use lower BAR midweek to stimulate bookings, and higher BAR on peak weekends when demand is naturally stronger.
Seasonal BAR
Raise BAR in peak rental season, and keep BAR more value-focused in the shoulder season to maintain consistent demand.
Pickup and Availability Guardrails
As more nights become booked, BAR can step upward to protect the remaining inventory value. When demand is softer, BAR can step down to encourage more reservations.
Why BAR Matters for Hosts
- Creates a clear public reference price that builds traveler confidence.
- Helps you capture peak demand while staying competitive on lower-demand dates.
- Makes pricing decisions easier to evaluate with ADR and occupancy rate.
- Supports data-driven pricing when informed by vacation rental data.
Traveler Personas: Practical BAR Examples
Hosts don’t set BAR in a vacuum. The best public rate often changes based on who you are trying to attract and what those travelers value.
Explorer Family
Explorer Families want a safe, easy lake trip and often plan around school breaks and peak rental season. These travelers may tolerate a higher BAR if the dates align with prime family time.
- Example: For a July week, you may set a higher BAR on peak nights while monitoring booking lead time to confirm early pickup.
- Host check: If BAR rises but occupancy rate lags, refine your yield management rules for family-heavy weeks.
Pet-First Traveler
Pet-First Travelers need clarity and predictability. A stable BAR with transparent totals can reduce friction for this persona, especially when they comparison-shop across properties.
- Example: Keep BAR consistent across similar dates, then use measured adjustments tied to booked nights rather than frequent swings that can create doubt.
Romantic Retreater
Romantic Retreaters are often weekend-driven and pay for “the moment.” BAR can be higher on Friday and Saturday if demand is strong and lead time indicates early planning for key weekends.
- Example: Increase BAR for a peak fall weekend, then validate the outcome by comparing resulting ADR and occupancy rate.
Legacy Gatherer
Legacy Gatherers plan multi-generational trips and prefer fewer, better choices. BAR should support longer stays and reduce calendar fragmentation so groups can book smoothly.
- Example: If you want to encourage longer group trips, keep BAR competitive on “gap-filler” dates to increase continuous booking blocks, improving booked nights without relying on steep last-minute drops.
How to Implement BAR
- Set baseline nightly pricing using your rental rate approach.
- Adjust BAR by date across your rental season and the shoulder season.
- Use booking lead time trends to decide when to raise or soften BAR.
- Validate results with average daily rate, occupancy rate, and revenue per available night.
Examples
- Weekend demand example: BAR is set lower Monday–Thursday, then raised Friday–Sunday to reflect higher demand, improving ADR without sacrificing occupancy rate.
- Seasonal example: BAR is highest during peak rental season and becomes more value-oriented in the shoulder season to keep the calendar moving.
- Pickup example: As more dates become booked, BAR steps up to protect remaining availability, guided by yield management.
Synonyms
Best rate, best public rate, public base rate, BAR
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