Hotel Revenue Glossary · Pricing

BAR (Best Available Rate)

The lowest unrestricted public rate available for a specific room type on a specific date. BAR is the reference rate from which other rate levels (corporate, package, promotional) are typically derived.

Why it matters: BAR is the rate lever that revenue managers adjust most frequently. It represents the "going price" for your rooms on any given night and directly impacts occupancy, ADR, and competitive positioning.

Worked example: BAR is A$219 for next Wednesday. Fifty-four of 130 rooms are away at ten days out, against the 71 that Wednesday usually holds at that point. Cutting to A$199 costs A$20 on every remaining sale. If the night would have finished at 96 rooms, revenue at BAR is 96 x 219 = A$21,024; at A$199 you need 106 rooms to match it - ten more than you have sold on any Wednesday this year.

Common mistake: Moving BAR and forgetting what is pinned to it. Corporate accounts at BAR minus 10%, the OTA member rate at BAR minus 5% and every package built off BAR all move with it. A A$20 cut to the public rate is a A$20 cut across half the rate plan; read the derived rates before you publish.

All glossary terms ADR (Average Daily Rate) Rate Fence Displacement Analysis