Closed to Departure (CTD) is a hotel reservation restriction that prevents guests from checking out on a specific date for the affected rate plans or booking channels.
The restriction does not necessarily prevent guests from staying in the hotel on that date. Instead, it limits reservations whose departure date falls on the restricted date.
How It Works
Hotels may apply CTD during periods of high demand when they want to encourage longer stays or avoid losing room nights because of short stays ending on a particular date.
For example, a hotel may prevent guests from checking out on Sunday while continuing to accept arrivals and stays that extend beyond Sunday, subject to the other restrictions in place.
The restriction’s exact behavior depends on the hotel’s property management system, central reservation system, and distribution-channel configuration.
Practical Example
A hotel expects strong demand during a major event from Friday through Monday. The revenue manager applies a CTD restriction for Sunday, October 18.
A guest may be unable to book a stay from Saturday, October 17, to Sunday, October 18, because the reservation would depart on the restricted date.
However, the guest may be able to book from Saturday, October 17, to Monday, October 19, provided that the arrival date and other booking conditions are permitted.
How to Interpret It
CTD can help hotels protect multi-night demand and reduce gaps caused by short stays during busy periods. It is particularly useful when the hotel wants to encourage guests to remain beyond a specific date.
However, applying CTD too broadly can discourage bookings and reduce revenue if guests cannot find acceptable alternatives. Revenue managers should evaluate the restriction against forecast demand, expected length of stay, and booking behavior.
Related Terms
- Closed to Arrival (CTA): A restriction preventing guests from arriving on a specified date.
- Minimum Length of Stay (MinLOS): A restriction requiring guests to book a minimum number of nights.
- Length of Stay (LOS): The number of nights a guest stays at the hotel.
- Room Inventory: The rooms available for sale or allocation by a hotel.
- Yield Management: Managing pricing and availability to optimize revenue.