Hotel Revenue Glossary · Operations

Overstay

A guest who remains at the hotel beyond their originally scheduled departure date. Overstays can create overbooking situations by occupying a room that was expected to be available for an incoming guest, potentially forcing the hotel to walk arriving reservations.

Why it matters: Overstays are operationally disruptive and can trigger walks. Accurate tracking of overstay patterns helps front desk teams anticipate problems, and policies like confirmed-departure charges give hotels leverage to manage overstay risk.

All glossary terms Walk (Walking a Guest) Overbooking Length of Stay (LOS)