Revenue management in the hospitality industry involves more than just setting prices—it’s also about controlling availability strategically.

Two powerful tools used by hotel revenue managers are CTA (Close to Arrival) and CTD (Close to Departure).

While they sound similar, they serve different purposes and can greatly influence booking behavior and occupancy patterns.

What is CTA (Close to Arrival)?

Close to Arrival (CTA) is a restriction that prevents guests from starting their stay on a specific date, even though they can stay through that date if they arrive earlier.

It’s commonly used during high-demand periods when a hotel wants to avoid short stays that break up a longer, more profitable booking window.

Example:
Your hotel wants to prioritize guests staying for the entire long weekend (Friday to Monday).

You apply a CTA on Saturday, meaning no check-ins are allowed on Saturday—but those already staying can continue through.

What is CTD (Close to Departure)?

Close to Departure (CTD) is the opposite of CTA. It restricts guests from checking out or ending their stay on a specific date.

This tactic is useful when a hotel expects full occupancy and wants to avoid gaps created by early checkouts.

Example:
If you expect Sunday to be fully booked, you can apply a CTD restriction to prevent guests from checking out on that day. Guests must either check out earlier or extend their stay beyond Sunday.

Differences Between CTA and CTD

Feature	CTA (Close to Arrival)	CTD (Close to Departure)
Restricts	Check-in on a specific date	Check-out on a specific date
Used to	Prioritize longer stays	Avoid early departures
Benefit	Higher ADR and better occupancy	Smooth flow of guest stays
Common during	Peak weekends or event periods	High-demand stay-through nights

When Should Hotels Use CTA and CTD?

Use CTA when:

• You expect high demand for longer stays.
• You want to avoid losing longer bookings due to one-night guests.
• You’re managing event or holiday weekends.

Use CTD when:

• You need to prevent early checkouts before fully booked nights.
• You want to ensure better length of stay patterns.
• You’re optimizing high-demand shoulder dates.

Conclusions

Understanding how to apply CTA and CTD settings effectively can help hotels optimize occupancy, increase average daily rate (ADR), and avoid fragmented inventory. These control features are available in GuestPro Channel Manager.

With the right strategy, Close to Arrival (CTA) and Close to Departure (CTD) can become essential tools in maximizing your hotel’s revenue potential.