Pickup report for hotels and B&Bs: a strategic guide to using PMS data

Today in hospitality, offering a great guest experience is no longer enough. While guest satisfaction remains crucial, maximizing results—especially in a competitive market—requires reading your data, understanding it, and turning it into strategic decisions.

Whether you manage a B&B, an independent hotel, or multiple short-term rentals, the data is already there—collected daily by your PMS. The real question is: are you using it the right way?

Every booking contains valuable information: when it was made, through which channel, how far in advance, at what price. And yet, all too often, this data gets ignored or underused. That’s a missed opportunity, because when analyzed properly, it can help you:

• anticipate booking trends
• optimize your pricing
• improve seasonal performance
• make smarter business decisions

This article will walk you through how to track bookings with your pickup report and use real-time data to shape a stronger strategy. And you won’t be doing it alone—Ciaobooking is the simple, all-in-one PMS designed for the hospitality industry. It turns numbers into action.

What is a pickup report and why it helps you sell smarter

The pickup report is one of the most powerful (and underrated) tools available to hospitality professionals. But what does it actually track?

In short: it shows you how your bookings are performing today compared to yesterday, last week, or the same period last year. It’s a live snapshot of your occupancy trend and updated daily.

Why is the pickup report so important?

Because it lets you spot trends early, so you can stay ahead, not just react. For example:

• Are bookings for Easter slower than last year?
  Maybe it’s time to launch a promo or adjust your rates.
  
• Is the weekend of September 15 filling up faster than expected?
  You could raise prices, set a minimum stay, or close availability on some channels.
  
• Noticing a sudden drop in weekday pickups?
  It might be time to boost your visibility or target business travelers with special offers.

In short, the pickup report gives you the time and data you need to react—and often, to act before the market does.

A good PMS like Ciaobooking shows you this data clearly and visually, with intuitive graphs and tables that help you:

• compare occupancy year over year
• track booking pace day by day
• monitor lead time (how far in advance guests book)
• spot red flags or critical dates in your calendar

This is the first step in shifting from reactive management to a strategic, data-driven approach.

What else can you track in your PMS to make smarter decisions?

The data is already in your hands. The real game changer is using it proactively to improve both operations and sales performance.

Here are some of the most valuable metrics you can monitor (and that Ciaobooking already displays through clear dashboards and up-to-date reports):

Occupancy rate

How many rooms or units are you actually selling day by day, week by week, or month by month?

Understanding occupancy trends helps you identify weak periods and revenue peaks where targeted promos or price increases could pay off.

Revenue per channel

How much is Booking.com really making you compared to Airbnb or your website?

Tracking your revenue by channel helps you allocate availability more effectively and invest in the most profitable sources.

Year-over-year comparison

Is your August performing better or worse than last year?

Looking at historical data gives you a clear benchmark to measure growth, adjust expectations, and plan corrective actions.

Booking window

Do your guests book well in advance or last minute?

Knowing your booking window across different seasons or periods allows you to set up more effective dynamic pricing strategies.

Cancellations and no-shows

How many bookings end up as no-shows?

Tracking this metric helps you understand whether your cancellation policies need adjusting or if controlled overbooking could make sense.

ADR and RevPAR

ADR (Average Daily Rate) is the average price of sold rooms. RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) is the average revenue generated per available room.
Both are key metrics to assess the profitability of your property.

All of this data is already inside Ciaobooking. The real difference comes from how you use it: checking it regularly, interpreting it methodically, and turning it into smart operational decisions. That’s how you stay ahead of the curve—not just follow the season.

From data to action: how to use the pickup report to improve performance

Reading a pickup report isn’t just a technical exercise. It’s strategic training, and it should lead to action.

Here are three real-world scenarios where your pickup report can guide tangible decisions to boost sales, pricing, and occupancy:

1. Booking pace is slowing? Act fast.

You checked your pickup report and noticed bookings for Easter are coming in slower than last year?

What to do:

• Lower rates slightly on select dates
• Boost visibility with flash promos on OTAs
• Drive more direct sales via newsletters or discount codes

2. Bookings are coming in fast? Raise prices and tighten rules.

The weekend of September 15 is filling up faster than expected, and you’re already over 70% occupancy?

What to do:

• Increase rates for all remaining room types
• Set a 2-night minimum stay
• Close underperforming OTAs to drive last-minute traffic to your best channels

3. Getting bookings well in advance? Activate dynamic pricing.

You’re noticing that bookings for October are coming in with a longer lead time than usual?

What to do:

• Create dynamic rules that reward early bookers
• Set up progressive pricing with gradual rate increases
• Segment your direct communication based on lead time

In short, the pickup report isn’t just an indicator, it’s an operational radar.

With the right tools and regular analysis, it helps you anticipate slumps, maximize peak periods, and adjust your pricing in real time.

Streamline operations with a PMS like Ciaobooking

A solid PMS gives you readable, comparable, and actionable data. Ciaobooking, in particular, is designed to:

• show pickup trends with clear, daily-updated graphs
• highlight changes day by day or week by week
• compare occupancy year over year

And if you need deeper insights, you can export your reports to combine them with revenue management tools or share them with consultants and collaborators.

Analyzing the pickup report isn’t just about “looking at the numbers.” It’s about reading them, interpreting them, and using them to guide your strategy.  With a PMS like Ciaobooking, even non-experts can make smarter decisions, because everything is visual, automated, and tailored to the Italian hospitality market.

Want to learn how to read your property’s pickup report and turn it into real actions? Book a free demo with our team. Your property’s future starts with the data you’re already collecting.

Disclaimer: All data collected and displayed via the PMS must be handled in compliance with applicable privacy regulations, including EU Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) and national data protection laws.