CTA (Closed to Arrival)

Definition

A restriction that blocks new check-ins on a specific date while letting stays that started earlier run through it. CTA on Saturday means nobody can arrive Saturday — but a Friday-to-Sunday guest still occupies a room Saturday night.

What it tells you

CTA protects a peak night from being consumed by short stays without closing it outright. On an event Saturday that will sell out anyway, CTA steers demand toward Thursday or Friday arrivals — so the peak fills with bookings that also cover the shoulder nights around it.

How to track it

Set per date (and usually per rate plan) in the PMS or channel manager. Restrictions need review discipline: a CTA left active after demand softens quietly turns business away, so audit open restrictions weekly alongside pickup.

Where it fits

One of the three classic date-level restrictions, next to min stay and CTD. Rate moves change what a night costs; CTA changes which stay patterns are allowed to use it.