Economics
Compare the empty night to a public discount to IVC.
Room cash on a vacant night was already going to be zero. The question is whether you want a guest in the outlets without moving BAR.
Empty night
- Room revenue
- 0
- Rate integrity
- Intact, unused
- Outlets
- Empty cover
- Staff & linen
- Still paid
Public discount
- Room revenue
- Lower BAR, public
- Rate integrity
- Damaged. Cash guests can see it.
- Outlets
- Maybe a guest, at the cost of the brand
- Staff & linen
- Paid, and you trained the market
IVC vacant night
- Room revenue
- Published rate, paid in digital benefit vouchers
- Rate integrity
- Intact. Not a public price.
- Outlets
- A guest who saved fiat on the room
- Staff & linen
- Paid, and the room is occupied
We do not quote a made-up F&B uplift. If a night was empty, cash on that room was zero. An IVC guest is incremental occupancy. Food, drink, and spa stay cash.
Context: typical hotel occupancy is in the low 60s — US 62.3% in 2025 (AHLA/STR); Africa 62.3% (STR) — so roughly one night in three goes unsold.
Fifteen minutes. One sample week.
We walk one sample week of vacant nights with whoever owns occupancy — and stop there.