Minimum Length of Stay (MinLOS)
Minimum Length of Stay (MinLOS) is a channel management restriction enforcing that any reservation touching specified calendar dates must encompass at least an established minimum number of room nights.
Why It Matters for Independent Operators
MinLOS prevents high-demand anchor dates (like Saturday night) from being booked in isolation, which leaves shoulder dates (Friday and Sunday) empty and unsellable.
Practical Scenario & Calculation
[Illustrative Scenario] A resort in Coorg applies a 2-night MinLOS for Republic Day weekend. A guest attempting to book only Saturday is blocked, while guests booking Friday–Sunday or Saturday–Monday are accepted.
How Operators Can Apply This Concept
Review MinLOS restrictions weekly. When anchor dates achieve over 80% occupancy, selectively remove MinLOS on shoulder dates to capture last-minute single-night fill.
Common Misunderstanding to Avoid
MinLOS must be pushed correctly across all OTA channel mappings; an unmapped rate plan can allow single-night bookings that circumvent the restriction.