Wholesale
Definition
B2B distribution through intermediaries — bedbanks (e.g. Hotelbeds) and tour operators — who buy rooms at a deeply discounted net rate and resell them in packages or to other agents. Often sold as static, contracted allotments rather than live availability.
What it tells you
A low-ADR but high-volume base of demand, useful for filling low season. Because the rates are deeply discounted and can leak onto public channels, wholesale needs careful contracting and monitoring.
How to track it
Track wholesale as its own segment: net ADR, share of room nights, and production against contracted allotment. Watch for rate leakage, where a wholesaler undercuts your own public price on an OTA.
Where it fits
Wholesale is a base-demand and distribution lever — valuable in soft periods, but kept on a leash so it doesn’t dilute ADR or breach parity in peak periods.