STR Demand in BCS for Thanksgiving (Non-Gameday Year)?

Question

Hi everyone!

My wife and I host a short-term rental in Bryan-College Station and are currently trying to gauge demand for the Thanksgiving holiday on a non-gameday year. While we just got started, we didn't get any bookings/inquiries over the 4th of July weekend, which makes us wonder if holidays without major events don't attract much traffic in BCS. That got us thinking—how different is Thanksgiving in terms of STR demand in BCS (on a non-gameday year)? For those of you hosting in BCS:

- Have you seen Thanksgiving bookings in past non-gameday years (maybe 2 or 4 years ago)? Is it common for families to book STRs over Thanksgiving in BCS, even without a game?

- Any pricing strategy tips for that weekend? PriceLabs is showing prices similar to a gameday weekend, but I wonder if the high demand from the Texas game last year is skewing their data.

We’d love to hear what others have seen in this market (or similar markets - we are open to other perspectives!). Thanks in advance!

– Hunter

Hunter Beck · Answer

@Gregory Schwartz - Just seeing this, but appreciate you weighing in. Yea, that definitely makes sense. Yea, I'll stick to the algorithm for now and see what happens. Thanks!

Hunter Beck · Answer

@Collin Hays - Thanks for your reply and for weighing in! That's good to know there can still be demand on off-weekends in a college towns. We've seen that so far, but we'll see how much you can get on those off-weekends. TBD! :)

Gregory Schwartz · Answer

PriceLabs is my go-to for these kinds of questions. I rely heavily on their dynamic pricing to maximize revenue. It’s really all about balancing occupancy and nightly rates, as I’m sure you know. In general, though, family holidays don’t bring much demand here in Bryan/College Station.

Hunter Beck · Answer

@Kathy Scott - Hi Kathy, that's great to hear, thank you so much for letting me know. I might ride it out a bit more. This whole first year is a bit of an experiment and learning curve in a way. Great to hear there is still good demand on the holidays in this area!

Collin Hays · Answer

We travel to Stillwater OK a few times a year - both to see football games and do other stuff. When there is an OSU game, you can't get lodging of any kind within 30 miles of Stillwater. But if there isn't a game, you've got a lot of options. College towns can be finicky.

I would think BCS would be a wonderful STR market, but I'm not so sure on Thanksgiving weekend when the Ags are away. College Station would be a ghost town I would think.

Kathy Scott · Answer

Hi Hunter,

I’ve found the fall and winter to be pretty good months through the end of the year. After January 1st things do slow down, but the holidays themselves have been strong regardless of whether there are games. BCS is large enough that families come to town to visit relatives or attend events like Santa’s Wonderland.

The holidays won’t command the same rate as a TAMU vs. UT game, but you should still expect to get reservations.

Definitely feel free to adjust the Price Labs suggestions if something looks off. Sometimes they miss the mark, especially on game weekends.

Best, Kathy Scott Broker/Owner Aggieland Vacation Rentals Texas Prime Real Estate Blue Ribbon Property Management

STR Demand in BCS for Thanksgiving (Non-Gameday Year)?

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