September’s coming? How to use your PMS data to grow your hotel or B&B after peak season

September isn’t just the back-to-school season — it’s also a moment to pause and reflect. For hotel managers, B&B owners, and short-term rental hosts, summer is usually the busiest time of year: constant guest turnover, fluctuating prices, and full-throttle booking channels.

But now that peak season is winding down, the real question is: are you using the data collected by your PMS to make better decisions?

Every booking leaves a trail: occupancy, pricing, sales channel… All of it can be incredibly valuable if you know how to read it.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to use PMS data at the end of the season to:

• evaluate your summer performance
• optimize pricing and distribution
• prepare effectively for fall and the next season

With a property management system like Ciaobooking, built specifically for the hospitality industry, analyzing your numbers doesn’t require expert skills — the data is visual, clear, and ready to use.

Why September is the best time to analyze your data

For most hospitality businesses, summer is the busiest season of all: high guest volume, tons of bookings, and complex pricing dynamics. That’s exactly why September is the perfect time to sit down and review what the data tells you.

Here’s why it matters:

• You have a strong data sample to work with
  Peak season accounts for most of your annual bookings, giving you solid numbers on occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, and guest behavior.
• You can compare this year’s performance to last year’s
  Looking at pickup trends, booking pace, and cancellation rates helps you see where you’ve grown, where you’ve lost ground, and which channels performed best.
• It’s the right time to course-correct
  For many destinations, September kicks off the low season. The data you’ve collected can help guide pricing adjustments, targeted offers, or marketing campaigns to maintain occupancy.
• You can plan next season with more confidence
  This isn’t just about looking back. It’s about planning forward. The summer’s data becomes the baseline for adjusting price lists, cancellation policies, and investment decisions for the upcoming year.

September is the month for clarity — the right moment to turn your numbers into action.

Key PMS data to review at the end of the season

Your PMS isn’t just a management tool, it’s also a goldmine of data and insights. At the end of the season, the numbers it collects can become real performance indicators — if you know where to look. Here are the key ones to keep an eye on:

1. Occupancy rate

How many rooms or units did you sell compared to your total availability?

• Ti aiuta a capire se hai sfruttato al massimo il potenziale della struttura.
• Confrontalo con gli anni precedenti e con la media del mercato locale.

2. Average Daily Rate (ADR)

The average price you sold your rooms for.

• A high ADR isn’t always a good sign if occupancy is low.
• Reflects how guests perceive the value of your offering.

3. RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room)

The average revenue per available room, combines occupancy and ADR.

• One of the most important revenue management KPIs.
• Shows whether you’ve truly maximized revenue across your inventory.

4. Sales channels

Where are your bookings coming from — Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, your own website...?

• Analyze each channel’s profitability, after commissions.
• Spot underperforming channels and consider scaling them back.

5. Booking window (how far in advance guests book)

Are your guests booking last minute or well in advance?

• Helps you fine-tune future promotions.
• Essential for setting up effective dynamic pricing strategies.

6. Cancellations and no-shows

How many bookings didn’t turn into actual stays?

• This may point to issues with your cancellation policies.
• Can help you decide whether to require deposits or introduce stricter payment rules.

7. Guest mix and origin

Who were your guests and where did they come from?

• This insight is key for planning targeted marketing campaigns.
• Can also help you identify new markets or channels to focus on.

Turning data into smart operational decisions

Data only becomes valuable when you use it to make real improvements in how you manage your property. Here are a few practical examples of how to use PMS reports to plan for the future:

1. Optimize rates for the low season

• If your occupancy rate drops sharply after August, you can set more flexible rates and run targeted promotions.
• Use the booking window: If your guests tend to book last minute, you can plan flash deals and limited-time offers accordingly.

2. Rethink your cancellation policies

• A high no-show rate might mean your current policies don’t protect you enough.
• Consider adding non-refundable rates, requesting deposits, or setting different rules for OTAs and direct bookings.

3. Reallocate your distribution channels

• If Airbnb brought in more bookings but Booking.com delivered higher net revenue, consider adjusting your availability mix.
• Your data also helps you decide if it’s worth investing more in your direct website.

4. Fine-tune your marketing

• If 40% of your guests came from one specific city or country, that’s where your ads should go.
• You can also tailor newsletters and promotions by guest type: families, couples, business travelers.

5. Plan staffing and services

• Knowing your peak and low periods lets you organize staff and shifts more efficiently.
• If short stays increased, it might be time to offer extras like late check-out or express breakfast.

How Ciaobooking makes data simple and actionable

Data analysis doesn’t mean hours spent with spreadsheets and calculators.

With Ciaobooking, insights are visual, clear, and ready to use. Here's how it helps:

• Intuitive dashboards → See occupancy, revenue by channel, and booking trends at a glance
• Always up-to-date reports → Pickup, cancellations, and year-on-year comparisons ready anytime
• Easy data export → Share reports with consultants or revenue managers in one click
• Automated rules → Set up pricing, restrictions, and promos that react in real time
• Local context → Everything is designed for properties: simple UX, relevant metrics, and full compliance

You don’t need to be a revenue expert or data analyst to make the right calls. With Ciaobooking, a few clicks are enough to see where you stand and what actions to take.

September isn’t just the end of high season, it’s the ideal time to pause, look back, and plan ahead.

Your PMS data is your strongest ally: it tells you what worked, where you missed opportunities, and what you can improve.

With Ciaobooking, every number becomes clear, easy to understand, and instantly actionable.

You don’t need to be a data expert: just open your dashboard and make smarter decisions in less time.

Ready to turn your data into real results? Book your free demo with Ciaobooking today and start planning the next season with confidence.