Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Direct Booking • Banquet Operations • Rate Parity

Occupancy Rate

Term from Hotel Management industry explained for recruiters

Occupancy Rate is a key measurement used in hotels and accommodations to show how full a property is. It's calculated by comparing the number of rooms being used to the total number of rooms available. For example, if a 100-room hotel has 75 rooms filled, the occupancy rate is 75%. Hotel managers use this number to measure success, make staffing decisions, and plan pricing strategies. This metric is sometimes called "occupancy percentage" or "room occupancy" and is one of the most important numbers in hotel management.

Examples in Resumes

Increased Occupancy Rate from 65% to 85% through strategic marketing initiatives

Maintained average Room Occupancy above 80% during off-season months

Developed pricing strategies that improved Occupancy Rate while maintaining revenue goals

Typical job title: "Hotel Managers"

Also try searching for:

Revenue Manager Hotel General Manager Rooms Division Manager Operations Manager Front Office Manager Hotel Director Hospitality Manager

Where to Find Hotel Managers

Professional Associations

Online Communities

Industry Resources

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you develop a strategy to improve occupancy rates during off-season periods?

Expected Answer: A senior manager should discuss various approaches including dynamic pricing, market segmentation, creating special packages, targeting different customer groups, and implementing marketing strategies specific to slow periods.

Q: How do you balance occupancy rate with revenue per available room (RevPAR)?

Expected Answer: Should explain the relationship between occupancy and room rates, discussing how to find the optimal balance between filling rooms and maintaining profitable pricing levels.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What factors do you consider when forecasting occupancy rates?

Expected Answer: Should mention historical data, upcoming local events, seasonality, competitor analysis, and market trends as key factors in predicting future occupancy.

Q: How do you use occupancy data to make staffing decisions?

Expected Answer: Should explain how occupancy predictions influence scheduling of front desk, housekeeping, and other staff to maintain service quality while controlling labor costs.

Junior Level Questions

Q: How do you calculate occupancy rate?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain the basic formula: number of rooms occupied divided by total number of rooms available, multiplied by 100 to get a percentage.

Q: What daily actions can impact occupancy rate?

Expected Answer: Should discuss basics like maintaining clean rooms, efficient check-in/out processes, and good customer service that encourages return visits.