Conquering Off-Season Challenges

How data helped a seasonal resort turn empty winter months into profitable group demand

Hotel Profile: 325-room lakeside resort with strong summer season, struggling off-season performance

Challenge:

The resort ran at 85%+ occupancy May through September but dropped to 35% occupancy November through March. The sales team knew they needed group business to fill the off-season, but they kept waiting for the "right" opportunities, which had been defined as large groups willing to pay peak-season rates. Meanwhile, their meeting space sat empty and they missed their annual revenue targets by significant margins.

"Every August, we'd have this hole staring at us in January and February. We kept telling ourselves the right group would come along, but it rarely did. By the time we realized we needed to adjust our strategy, it was too late." — Anonymous Director of Sales, Resort Property

Solution:

Amaze Insights' historical trend analysis revealed a critical insight: the resort was receiving 100+ smaller group inquiries for off-season dates (50-75 rooms), but the team was turning the business away while holding out for larger groups, which historically never materialized in Q1. The platform's seasonal demand patterns and booking window data showed exactly when to pivot strategy.

Results:

• Shifted Q1 strategy to book multiple smaller groups at attractive rates with full space allocation
• Improved Q1 occupancy from 35% to 62% year-over-year
• $850K additional revenue in previously soft periods
• Achieved record Q1 profitability while providing excellent value to group customers

Key Insight:

"The data showed us we were thinking about our off-season completely wrong. We didn't need one big whale—we needed to layer in three or four smaller groups and give them the run of the property. Once we made that mindset shift, we started hitting record quarters."

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