What is shoulder season?

Hotels are inherently seasonal businesses. No matter where you are in the world, certain times of year will attract more visitors than others, whether it’s due to weather, events, or holidays and school breaks.

For most hotels the shoulder seasons are during spring and autumn, between the busy summer and the quieter winter (although the opposite is true for places like ski resorts).

Shoulder season represents a transition, so it can be difficult for an independent hotelier to know exactly how to maximise business during these times of year. 

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about shoulder season to maximise your success and revenue.

Make shoulder season worth more to your business

Use Little Hotelier’s all-in-one solution to boost your direct bookings, enhance guest engagement, and increase profit.

Learn more

Why is it called shoulder season?

In terms of what shoulder season means, it is believed that it takes its name from a bell curve. If you superimposed a human into a bell curve, the head would form the peak, the waist would form the base, and the shoulder would be found somewhere in-between.

While the first use of the term ‘shoulder season’ is unknown, it entered common usage in the US in the late-60s and early-70s. It offered hotels and other travel service providers a simple and intuitive way to describe that awkward period that wasn’t peak season nor low season, but something in between.

In the decades that followed the term was increasingly used by travellers too, as it neatly described a period of the year in which they could find better travel deals while avoiding the worst of the peak season crowds, and the inconveniences that can come with busy destinations.

How does shoulder season affect small hotels?

Understanding the seasonality of your business – the peaks and troughs that tend to define each year – is critical for every hotelier, as this allows you to plan for each period well in advance. Proper planning ensures you maximise revenue throughout the year. You should aim to make hay while the sun shines during peak season, develop discount and long-term stay strategies during low season, and figure out the most profitable way to approach shoulder season.

shoulder season

Shoulder season across the globe

When exactly is shoulder season? It depends on where you are in the world. Shoulder season in Europe is going to be different from other regions. That said, shoulder season months tend to hover more in the transitional seasons of spring and autumn than summer and winter, which tend to form the peak and low seasons.

Shoulder season in Italy

Most travel professionals consider Rome shoulder season to be the months of April, May, September and October.

Shoulder season in Hawaii

Shoulder season in Hawaii is generally considered March-May and September-November, although early September can be popular due to Spring Break.

Shoulder season in Greece

With a long summer – at least by European standards – shoulder season in Greece is condensed into the months of March, April, October and November. 

Shoulder season in Iceland

Iceland’s shoulder season is perhaps the shortest shoulder season in Europe, as the long days of summer quickly transition into the almost as popular winter months. The period is generally limited to Mid-May to mid-June and September to mid-October.

Shoulder season in Colorado

Another destination that attracts guests all year round, shoulder season in Colorado runs from April to May then October to November, at which point the skiing season begins.

Shoulder season in Montana

One of the larger shoulder seasons in the US is found in Montana. Popular over summer, the state then stays rather quiet between September and the winter holidays, and again between February and May.

Shoulder season in Thailand

Shoulder seasons in Thailand typically fall between the November to March peak season, which has drier and (slightly) cooler weather, and the June to October low season, which is hotter and more humid. The exact months can vary by region, but in general, from April to June tourist numbers drop as the heat, humidity and rain gradually build, while the opposite happens in September and October as the weather gets more comfortable.

Shoulder season in Indonesia

Sitting on the other side of the equator to Thailand, wet season flips to the other side of the calendar in Indonesia. A destination like Bali has little to no rain during the middle of the year, which forms its peak period, but can experience monsoons in the other half of the year, which forms its low period, particularly December to March. The shoulder seasons of April-May and September-October offer decent weather and great deals.

Shoulder season in Australia

As one of the world’s largest countries, Australia is home to a range of different tourist seasons across its different climates and regions. In simple terms, peak season in the temperate south (southern hemisphere summer) is the opposite to peak season in the tropical north (southern hemisphere winter). Generally speaking the shoulder seasons align across the country though: around March-May and September-November.

Shoulder season in the UK

The UK is home to a relatively short peak season (June–August) and a relatively long low season (November–March), so shoulder seasons are comprised of just four months: April, May, September and October.

How to determine your shoulder season

You can work out your own destination’s shoulder season by identifying the shoulder months between your peaks and troughs:

  • To find your high season, consider things like your climate, local events and attractions, and periods when you can charge more for your rooms.
  • To find your low season, think of when rooms are most difficult to fill, and when your rates are lowest.

Your shoulder season will be the periods, usually 2-3 months, that sit between these peaks and troughs.

Top ways to make the most of shoulder season

How do you make the most of the strange time that is shoulder season? Here are a few strategies, tips and techniques that might help to drive bookings and revenue during these interim periods.

Create special packages

A ‘shoulder season special’ might be all the encouragement a guest might need to visit your hotel. Sell the shoulder season travel dream, particularly the times just before or after peak season, when conditions are good but crowds are small.

Begin by luring travellers in by selling shoulder season as the perfect time to travel. Highlight how they’ll feel like they’ve got your destination all to themselves, while still enjoying decent weather. List local events or sights and experiences that are particularly enticing during shoulder season – the changing colours of autumn leaves in a local forest, for example.

Finally, secure the booking with a great deal. Comparing your shoulder season rates to your peak season rates can be a simple way to highlight their value: e.g. “save 30% when you book in September!” You could also increase the temptation through value adds: like offering guests a package deal that includes a guided tour of your favourite local spots at that time of the year.

Collaborate with local businesses

The success of other hospitality businesses in your area is directly tied to the success of your hotel in bringing tourist dollars in, so consider collaborating with local restaurants, bars and tour companies to create deals and discounts that will lure more visitors in.

Enhance amenities

What are the benefits of shoulder season? It’s a great opportunity to enhance your property, and when these additions, renovations or refurbishments are complete you can use all that is shiny and new to sell more rooms.

Stay competitive with pricing

Shoulder period is the most volatile time for hotel room pricing, as your room rates must gradually transition from the lows of low season to the highs of high season (or vice versa) while remaining competitive against the rest of the market. Little Hotelier’s Insights tool can tell you precisely what your competitors are charging at any given moment.

Sell widely across online channels

The more places your hotel shows up online, the more likely people are to see it, and the more likely you are to get bookings. Create listings on all the major booking channels used by your target audience, and create profiles on all the social media platforms that your ideal guest spends time on.And once those booking channels are established, you can use a clever tool like Little Hotelier’s channel manager to control the price, availability and info of all your listings from a single, simple screen. And that’s just the start of how Little Hotelier can transform how you approach shoulder season.

Make shoulder season more valuable than ever with Little Hotelier

No matter whether you’re looking to make hay during peak season, attract business during low season, or better manage the awkward shoulder season, the first step is to escape the busywork so that you can focus on the high value stuff. And Little Hotelier is here to help.

An all-in-one booking and hotel management system built for small, independent hotels, Little Hotelier automates and optimises all manner of hotel operations, giving you the time you need to get creative during shoulder season.

  • Manage those channels: Our channel manager is able to seamlessly integrate with 450+ booking channels! No matter how many OTAs you sell rooms through, we’ll bring them all together in one screen.
  • Attract more direct bookings: Why use OTAs at all? Save on those commission fees with Little Hotelier’s direct booking engine, which allows guests to quickly and easily book direct with you.
  • Front desk efficiency: By automating a wealth of otherwise manual tasks, Little Hotelier’s front desk feature can save you up to 35 minutes on every booking!
Try for free Learn more

By Dean Elphick

Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).