Field guide · Revenue management
Setting restrictions that protect revenue
Ellis Tanaka
Head of Marketing · 15 Mar 2026 · 5 min read
Restrictions are the most under-used lever in revenue management because they look blunt. Used badly, they are. Used well, they protect three nights of revenue from a one-night spike that would otherwise eat the surrounding nights.
When to use which restriction
- MLOS, protect a high-rate night by forcing 2- or 3-night minimums on either side.
- CTA, close arrivals on a date you cannot service well (e.g., conference check-in day).
- CTD, close departures to extend stays into a soft night.
- BAR-only, disable promo rate plans on the spike night without changing the OTA stack.
Publishing without burning channels
Restrictions visible on direct can be invisible on OTAs if you publish them only to specific rate plans. The platform handles this for you, but the underlying rule is: restrictions belong to a rate plan, not to a date. Setting a restriction on a date globally is almost always a mistake.
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