notitur.com August 24, 2026

Operations

Release period

The release period is the number of days before arrival by which an intermediary must return the rooms of an allotment it has not sold. It marks how long the hotel has that inventory locked and when it gets it back to sell on its own. A badly set release leaves dead beds right on the good dates.

Example With a 7 day release, the tour operator returns the unsold allotment a week before arrival.

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FAQ

What is the release period?
The release period is the number of days before arrival by which an intermediary must return unsold rooms from their allotment to the hotel. For example, a 14-day release means the hotel gets the unsold rooms back on June 15th to sell on its own.
How is the release period calculated?
It is calculated by setting a fixed number of days before check-in, based on the intermediary's historical sales and hotel demand. Setting it too late risks empty rooms because the hotel recovers them too late to sell.
How is the release period different from a cancellation policy?
The release period controls when the hotel recovers unsold rooms from an intermediary's allotment, while a cancellation policy sets the terms and penalties when an individual guest cancels a booking. Release affects wholesale availability, cancellation affects the end customer.

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