Average Length of Stay (ALOS)
Average Length of Stay (ALOS) is the average number of nights guests stay per booking. For vacation rentals and short-term rentals, ALOS helps hosts understand typical trip duration so they can set rules, prices, and promotions that match guest behavior.
Definition
ALOS expresses, as a single number, how long guests typically stay. Hosts often track ALOS by month, by rental season, or across the last twelve months to see how demand shifts over time.
Quick Answer
ALOS answers: “How many nights does the average guest book?” It is calculated using booked nights and the number of reservations. Hosts use ALOS to decide when to promote longer stays, adjust minimum-night settings, and plan turnovers.
How to Calculate ALOS
Example: If your property had 500 booked nights across 200 reservations in a month, ALOS = 500 ÷ 200 = 2.5 nights.
Why ALOS Matters for Hosts
- Revenue planning: Longer stays can reduce turnover costs and increase total booking value.
- Operational efficiency: Fewer check-ins and check-outs typically means fewer cleans and less coordination.
- Pricing strategy: ALOS can signal when to introduce a weekly rental option or longer-stay discounts.
- Demand strategy: ALOS pairs well with booking lead time to show whether guests plan early for long trips or book short stays last-minute.
Traveler Personas: Clear ALOS Examples
Different traveler personas naturally produce different stay lengths. Knowing which guest types you want to attract makes ALOS more actionable.
Destination Vacation Guests (Families and Groups)
Guests planning a destination vacation often book longer stays to “make the drive worth it.” This persona commonly pushes ALOS toward 5–7 nights, especially in peak rental season.
- Example: If most summer bookings are week-long trips, your ALOS might rise from 3.0 to 5.5 nights even if your average daily rate stays similar.
- Host action: Test a weekly rental discount to increase conversion while keeping total trip value strong.
Free Independent Travelers (FIT) and Weekend Getaways
A free independent traveler often books shorter, flexible trips such as weekend escapes. This persona can pull ALOS down to 2–3 nights, especially outside peak periods.
- Example: A property that fills many Friday–Sunday stays may see ALOS hover around 2.2 nights even with high demand.
- Host action: Use ALOS with yield management to raise weekend pricing rather than forcing longer minimum stays that could reduce bookings.
Mid-Term Rental Guests (30+ Night Stays)
Guests choosing a mid-term rental typically stay for extended periods, often 30 nights or more. Even one mid-term booking can dramatically increase monthly ALOS.
- Example: If you have 10 reservations in a month and one is a 30-night stay, ALOS can jump meaningfully even if the other 9 stays are short.
- Host action: Keep calendars accurate to prevent double booking, and plan blocked days & nights for maintenance between long stays.
Shoulder Season Value Seekers
Travelers who prefer the shoulder season often book shorter stays to test the destination, chase deals, or travel around work schedules. This can lower ALOS compared with peak season.
- Example: If summer ALOS is 6 nights, shoulder season ALOS might drop to 2–3 nights even with steady inquiry volume.
- Host action: Offer “stay longer, save more” promos during shoulder season to lift ALOS while protecting nightly pricing in peak demand.
Factors That Influence ALOS
- Seasonality: Peak periods often extend stays; shoulder season can shorten them.
- Location and trip effort: Remote destinations often produce longer trips than easy-drive weekend markets.
- Pricing and discounts: Weekly discounts can increase ALOS by nudging guests from 5 nights to 7 nights.
- Availability gaps: Unplanned gaps and blocked days & nights can limit long-stay options.
- Guest planning window: Longer trips often correlate with longer booking lead time.
How to Use ALOS
- Set stay rules that fit demand patterns across your rental season.
- Improve turnover planning: Fewer turns can reduce operational complexity and protect guest experience.
- Align revenue strategy: Evaluate ALOS alongside occupancy rate and average daily rate.
- Forecast performance: Higher ALOS can support stronger gross booking revenue with fewer reservations.
Examples
- Seasonal shift: Peak summer destination vacation demand averages 5–7 nights, while the shoulder season averages 2–3 nights.
- Operational impact: Increasing ALOS from 2.5 to 3.2 nights can reduce clean-and-turn cycles and free up time to improve the guest experience.
- Strategy impact: Adding a weekly rental discount can move many 5-night stays to 7 nights, increasing ALOS and smoothing your calendar.
Synonyms
Average stay, stay duration, ALOS
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