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What is RevPAR? Understanding Revenue Per Available Room

Tobias Roelen-Blasberg
Tobias Roelen-Blasberg
Co-Founder & Head of Product
Learn how to calculate and maximize RevPAR in the hotel industry. Explore key metrics, including ADR, occupancy, and total revenue, to boost profitability.
What is RevPAR? Understanding Revenue Per Available Room
TABLE OF CONTENTS

In the hotel industry, understanding key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential for effective revenue management. One of the most critical metrics for hoteliers is RevPAR, or Revenue Per Available Room. RevPAR is a comprehensive measure that combines both occupancy and the average daily rate (ADR) to provide a clear picture of revenue generated from available rooms. This metric helps hoteliers assess their overall revenue performance by integrating daily rates with occupancy levels, offering insights into both revenue generation and operating profit.

RevPAR is a valuable tool in revenue management, as it reflects the total revenue a hotel earns per available room, regardless of whether it is occupied or not. By calculating RevPAR, hoteliers can evaluate how well they are filling rooms and at what rate, helping to optimize pricing strategies and improve financial outcomes. Understanding this metric allows for a more nuanced approach to maximizing total revenue and enhances the ability to track and adjust KPIs effectively.

What is RevPAR in hotel terms?

According to STR, hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR) declined by 50% in 2020. Aside from various market factors, one key reason for the decline in RevPAR within the hospitality industry is the inability of hotel managers to leverage its power to boost sales. Here’s a closer look at how RevPAR compares to other related metrics and what each can reveal about hotel performance.

a. What does Revenue Per Available Room show or reflect?

RevPAR, or Revenue Per Available Room, is a pivotal metric in the hotel industry that provides a comprehensive view of a property's revenue performance. It's also used interchangeably with TRevPAR or Total Revenue Per Available Room. By combining room revenue with occupancy rates, RevPAR helps hoteliers gauge how effectively they are generating revenue from their available rooms. Essentially, RevPAR reflects the total revenue a hotel earns from each available room, whether it is occupied or not, making it an essential tool for evaluating overall performance. This metric integrates both the average daily rate (ADR) and the occupancy rate, offering a balanced perspective on how well rooms are filled and the revenue being generated.

For example, if a hotel has high ADR but low occupancy, RevPAR would highlight the need to optimize both pricing and occupancy strategies to improve total revenue and profitability.

b. What is the difference between ADR and RevPAR?

While both ADR (Average Daily Rate) and RevPAR are critical for understanding hotel revenue, they measure different aspects. ADR focuses solely on the average price guests pay per room night, reflecting the effectiveness of pricing strategies. In contrast, RevPAR combines ADR with occupancy rates to assess the revenue generated per available room, providing a more holistic view of a property's performance.

adr vs revpar
Summary of the difference between the average daily room rate (ADR) and RevPAR in the hospitality industry.

ADR gives insight into how much each room is being sold for, while RevPAR shows how well the property is performing overall by factoring in the proportion of rooms occupied. This combined approach helps hoteliers understand the impact of both room rates and occupancy on revenue.

c. What is the difference between RevPAR and Total RevPAR?

Total RevPAR extends the concept of standard RevPAR by incorporating additional revenue streams beyond just room revenue. Unlike RevPAR, which solely focuses on the revenue generated from room sales relative to occupancy and ADR, Total RevPAR includes income from ancillary services such as spa treatments, room service, and other hotel amenities.

This metric provides a broader picture of a hotel's total revenue performance, reflecting the full scope of revenue generated from all sources within the property. By assessing Total RevPAR, hoteliers can gain insights into how effectively they are capitalizing on all available revenue opportunities, not just those derived from room rates.

d. What is the difference between RevPAR and Net RevPAR?

Net RevPAR offers a refined perspective on profitability by adjusting the standard RevPAR for costs associated with each occupied room. While standard RevPAR calculates revenue per available room without considering operating expenses, Net RevPAR subtracts various costs such as maintenance, cleaning, and utilities to provide a clearer picture of actual profitability. This adjustment helps hoteliers understand the net revenue generated after accounting for operational costs, offering a more accurate assessment of a property's financial performance.

By focusing on Net RevPAR, hoteliers can better gauge how well their revenue translates into profit, allowing for more informed decisions regarding pricing and operational strategies. To learn more about revenue management for hotels, read our article: Hotel Revenue Management Systems: An In-Depth Comparison

How do you calculate RevPAR?

Calculating RevPAR is a crucial process for hoteliers looking to assess their property's performance effectively. This metric, which combines revenue and occupancy rates, provides insights into overall revenue generation and efficiency. Here’s how you can calculate RevPAR and what the results can tell you:

a. How do I calculate RevPAR in Excel?

To calculate RevPAR in Excel, follow these steps:

1. Gather data

Collect the necessary data, including total room revenue, the number of available rooms, and occupancy rates. For example, if you have a hotel with 100 rooms and a total room revenue of $15,000, and you achieved an occupancy rate of 80%, you will use these figures for your calculations.

2. Input data

Enter your data into Excel. Create columns for total revenue, number of available rooms, and occupancy rate.

  1. Formula for RevPAR: Use the following formula to calculate RevPAR:
    • RevPAR = Total Room Revenue / Total Number of Available Rooms
    • Alternatively, you can calculate RevPAR using the formula: RevPAR = ADR × Occupancy Rate, where ADR is the Average Daily Rate.
  2. In Excel, this could be set up as:
    • Cell Formula: = (Total Room Revenue / Total Available Rooms)
    • For ADR and Occupancy Rate: = ADR * Occupancy Rate
  3. Sample Calculation: If your total room revenue is $15,000, and you have 100 rooms with an occupancy rate of 80%, your RevPAR calculation would be:
    • RevPAR = $15,000 / (100 rooms * 30 days) = $5
    • Or using ADR: RevPAR = $100 (ADR) * 0.80 (Occupancy Rate) = $80
  4. Review Results: Analyze the results in the context of your overall performance. Use Excel’s tools to create charts or graphs to visualize trends over time.
revpar calculation
Sample calculation for RevPAR. Excel sheets can proceed to dividing total room revenue to the number of available rooms (regardless of room types). This data can be used to calculate the net revenue.

Caption: Sample calculation for RevPAR. Excel sheets can proceed to dividing total room revenue b the number of available rooms (regardless of room types). This data can be used to calculate the net revenue.

b. What is a good RevPAR for a hotel?

A "good" RevPAR varies depending on the market segment, location, and type of hotel. Industry benchmarks and averages can guide you. For example:

  • Luxury Hotels: Often have a higher RevPAR due to premium room rates and high occupancy.
  • Mid-Scale Hotels: May have a lower RevPAR but still perform well if occupancy is high.
  • Budget Hotels: Typically show lower RevPAR due to lower average room rates.
revpar mid-scale
At times, the profit of mid-scale to budget hotels depends on how much they can subtract their operation fees from how much the guest pays.

Research industry reports and compare your hotel's RevPAR against similar properties or a competitive set to determine if your performance is satisfactory. Tools like the RevPAR index can help you benchmark against a group of hotels or the broader market.

c. Is a higher RevPAR good?

A higher RevPAR generally indicates improved performance, reflecting either higher average room rates (ADR), higher occupancy, or both. According to Investopedia, an increase in RevPAR suggests that either the average room rate or the occupancy rate has improved. However, it's important to interpret RevPAR in context:

  • Revenue vs. Costs: Higher RevPAR does not necessarily mean higher profitability if operating costs or expenses are also increasing.
  • Size of Hotel: RevPAR does not account for the size or scale of a hotel. Larger hotels may have higher RevPAR but not necessarily better overall performance.
  • Contextual Interpretation: Use RevPAR in conjunction with other metrics like total revenue, operating profit, and RGI (Revenue Generation Index) to get a complete picture of performance.

While RevPAR is a valuable metric for evaluating how well a hotel is generating revenue per available room, it should be part of a broader revenue management strategy that includes multiple KPIs to fully assess profitability and operational success.

What are the benefits of RevPAR?

RevPAR offers numerous benefits for hotels by providing a clear view of revenue performance and guiding strategic decisions.

1. Comprehensive performance insight

RevPAR provides a holistic view of a hotel's performance by integrating room revenue with occupancy rates. This metric combines the average daily rate (ADR) with the occupancy percentage, offering a comprehensive picture of revenue generation and how effectively a hotel fills its rooms. By assessing RevPAR, hoteliers can gauge both revenue performance and occupancy efficiency, crucial for understanding overall operational success.

2. Benchmarking and comparisons

RevPAR is essential for benchmarking against industry standards and competitors. By comparing a hotel's RevPAR with that of similar properties or a group of hotels, hoteliers can identify performance gaps and areas for improvement. This comparison can reveal how well a property is performing relative to market trends and competitive set, helping to set realistic revenue goals and strategic objectives.

revpar per hotel class
Leading group of hotels have numerous strategies for leveraging RevPAR calculations to increase profit–from modifying room types, to implementing other pricing techniques, and more. Source: Hotel Management

3. Revenue management

This metric aids in revenue management by guiding pricing and inventory decisions. By analyzing RevPAR, hotels can adjust their room rates and booking strategies to maximize profitability. For instance, a high RevPAR can indicate strong demand, prompting hotels to increase rates, while a lower RevPAR may suggest the need for promotions or adjustments to attract more guests. Effective revenue management hinges on understanding and utilizing RevPAR to enhance financial outcomes.

4. Performance metric integration

RevPAR serves as a foundational performance metric that integrates with other key performance indicators (KPIs) like total revenue per available room (TrevPAR) and net revenue. It helps hoteliers assess the effectiveness of various revenue streams, including room service and amenities like spas or food and beverages. By subtracting the cost of these services, hotels can better understand how well they are generating profit from available rooms and additional services.

5. Strategic decision-making

By understanding RevPAR, hotels can make more informed strategic decisions. This metric helps in identifying high-performing periods, understanding guest demand, and optimizing room types and rates. It also supports financial planning by indicating how well a hotel is converting its available room inventory into revenue, thus aiding in budgeting and forecasting efforts to improve overall financial health.

How to maximize RevPAR?

Maximizing RevPAR involves a multi-faceted approach that integrates pricing strategies, occupancy management, and guest experience improvements. Here’s how you can enhance your hotel's RevPAR:

1. Optimize pricing strategy

Utilize dynamic pricing tools and revenue management systems to adjust room rates based on real-time market demand and competitor analysis. This approach helps ensure that rates are optimized for profitability, considering factors like average room rates and seasonal fluctuations.

Learn about dynamic, cost-based, and occupancy-based pricing methods, and how to calculate room rates effectively: Best Hotel Pricing Strategies to Maximize Margins & Revenues

2. Enhance occupancy rates

Implement targeted marketing campaigns and promotional offers to attract more guests and increase room bookings. Effective strategies might include special packages for longer stays, discounts for early bookings, and leveraging data on guest preferences to tailor offers.

room type hotel room
At times, the profit of hotels are fully dependent on the room types they offer. Strict calculation of their profitability is essential.

3. Improve guest experience

Invest in high-quality service and amenities to boost guest satisfaction and encourage repeat bookings. This could involve upgrading room features, enhancing in-room amenities, or offering personalized services. Positive guest experiences lead to favorable reviews and increased repeat business, directly impacting RevPAR.

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4. Leverage ancillary revenue streams

Increase revenue by maximizing earnings from additional services and amenities such as spa treatments, dining options, and event spaces. Track and analyze revenue generated from these areas to understand their impact on overall profitability and adjust strategies accordingly.

5. Utilize data-driven insights

Analyze performance metrics like the Revenue Generation Index (RGI) and Total Revenue Per Available Room(TRevPAR) to benchmark against competitors and identify areas for improvement. Data-driven decisions help optimize pricing and operational strategies to enhance financial health and overall profitability.

Maximize your RevPAR through a strong online reputation with MARA AI

Maximize your RevPAR by leveraging MARA AI to build a robust online reputation. Responding to online reviews can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be with our AI Review Assistant of MARA. This intuitive tool is designed to ease your Online Reputation Management process, making it more efficient, personalized, and time-saving. It offers the best and most personalized AI for responding to and analyzing your guest reviews.

Review Inbox for Guest Reviews

One of the key features of this tool is the Review Inbox. Your review inbox makes responding to reviews as simple as hitting "Generate reply" and clicking "Send". The Review Inbox connects to multiple review sources, including Google, Booking.com, and Tripadvisor, giving you a panoramic view of all your reviews. And you can even configure review response automation: Why not allow MARA to automatically respond to simple reviews, like 5-star Google reviews with no text, ensuring you never miss a review? Daily notifications about new reviews keep you updated and in control.

MARA Review Inbox
MARA Review Inbox

Review Analytics with Hospitality Industry Metrics

To help you understand and analyze the multitude of reviews, the Review Assistant also incorporates Review Analytics. This provides actionable, easy-to-understand insights that are tailored exclusively to your business. With MARA, you can quickly get the gist of all your reviews without needing to read each one. The analysis is so detailed that you can find out about specific issues like "water in the pool is too cold" or "lack of vegan breakfast option”. These insights help optimize guest experience without requiring you to be a data expert.

MARA Review Analytics
MARA Review Analytics

The most personal response AI

MARA's AI isn't just about efficiency; it's about personalization too. The Brand Voice feature allows the AI to adapt to your tone, making sure your responses sound authentically you. Plus, with Smart Snippets, you can "teach" the AI how to respond to recurring praises or complaints. Your AI then incorporates this information into its responses, but always with different words, providing more personalized, relevant replies.

This review response assistant has quickly become a game-changer for over 2000 customers. Its promising capacity to elevate your overall rating, amplify response rates, glean insights from customer feedback and economize both time and money, is the reason behind its growing popularity.

Managing online reviews need not be an overwhelming task. With the appropriate software, not only can you streamline the process, but you can also personalize your responses, and derive valuable insights from the reviews. So, why hesitate to give our AI Review Assistant, MARA, a try? It's completely free for testing, doesn't require a credit card, and can be fully operational in less than five minutes.

Final Thought

Understanding and maximizing RevPAR, a crucial metric in revenue management, involves calculating revenue by dividing total room revenue by the number of available rooms. By focusing on daily room rates and ensuring that each guest pays optimally for their stay, hotels can significantly enhance their financial performance and overall profitability.

This post is part of our hero content series on "The Complete Hotel Management Guide: From Operations to Guest Experience

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Frequently Asked Questions:

What does RevPAR tell us?

RevPAR, or Revenue Per Available Room, provides critical insights into a hotel's revenue performance by calculating the revenue earned from each available room. It combines data from both the average room rate and occupancy levels, offering a comprehensive view of how effectively a hotel is generating revenue from its room inventory. By dividing total room revenue by the number of available rooms, RevPAR reveals how well a hotel is performing in terms of profitability and guest demand.

What is a good RevPAR percentage?

A good RevPAR percentage varies depending on industry benchmarks and the specific context of each hotel. Generally, a higher RevPAR indicates better performance, reflecting higher revenue earned per room. For an individual hotel, a good RevPAR percentage should be assessed in relation to its average room rate, occupancy rates, and comparison with a group of hotels or industry standards. Continuous monitoring and adjustment based on these factors can help increase revenue and achieve optimal profit.

Why is RevPAR a good performance measurement?

RevPAR is a valuable performance metric because it provides a holistic view of a hotel's revenue efficiency. By calculating revenue earned per available room, it encompasses both the average room rate and occupancy levels, offering a clear picture of financial health. Unlike metrics that focus solely on room rates or occupancy, RevPAR integrates these elements to evaluate how well a hotel is maximizing its revenue potential. This makes it an essential tool for revenue management and optimizing profitability in the hospitality industry.

What is a good RevPAR index?

The RevPAR Index (RPI) measures a hotel's performance relative to its competitive set or market. A good RevPAR index score indicates that a hotel is outperforming its competitors in generating revenue per available room. The RPI is calculated by dividing a hotel's RevPAR by the average RevPAR of its competitive group and multiplying by 100. A score above 100 suggests superior performance, while a score below 100 indicates that the hotel is lagging behind. Monitoring and improving the RevPAR index helps enhance a hotel's market position and profitability.

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