Field guide · Revenue management
Pickup vs pace: the difference that matters
Sara K. Petersen
Head of Revenue Product · 22 Mar 2026 · 5 min read
Pickup and pace are the two metrics revenue managers conflate most often. They measure different things and they support different decisions. Conflating them produces moves that look right at the time and wrong in hindsight.
Pickup
Pickup is the change in occupancy or revenue between two snapshots. "We picked up 12 rooms for Saturday since yesterday." It is a velocity metric.
Pace
Pace is the same-day-in-the-booking-cycle comparison to a baseline. "We are 8% ahead of the same point last year for this Saturday." It is a position metric.
Pickup tells you what just happened. Pace tells you where you stand. Make the move from pace; check it with pickup.
A worked example
Saturday three weeks out. Pickup is +6 rooms today, the highest single-day pickup of the past 14 days. Pace is +8% versus same-day last year, the highest pace gap of the booking window. Pace says you are ahead; pickup says momentum is strong; the room to move BAR up is real. Make the move; recheck pickup tomorrow.
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