Seasonal Hotel Scheduling

Seasonality in Belgian hospitality: very different realities

Not all hotels experience the same seasonality. A hotel in Ostend and a hotel in Brussels do not have the same peaks, the same troughs or the same flexibility levers. Understanding your seasonal profile is the first step in building a schedule that holds up all year round.

Coastal hotels: the summer peak

The Belgian coast experiences its occupancy peak from mid-June to mid-September, with a summit in July–August. Occupancy rises from 30–40% in low season to 85–95% in peak season. Spring weekends (Easter, May bank holidays) create intermediate mini-peaks. For a 60-room coastal hotel, the staffing difference between low and peak season can reach 15 to 20 people. Housekeeping is the most affected department: from 3 housekeepers in winter to 8–10 in summer.

The Ardennes and green tourism: winter peaks and bank holidays

Ardennes hotels experience two main peaks: Christmas/New Year and the May–June bank holidays. Summer is an intermediate season (family tourism), while January–March and October–November are the quietest. The particularity of the Ardennes is the strong variation between weekdays and weekends, even in low season. Spring and autumn walking weekends generate one-off peaks that must be anticipated.

City hotels: a smoother profile

Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liege have a more regular occupancy profile, driven by business tourism (Monday–Thursday) and cultural tourism (weekends). Troughs fall in August (company holidays) and between Christmas and New Year. Major events (trade fairs, congresses, concerts, matches) create one-off and unpredictable peaks. The schedule must be able to absorb a 95% occupancy weekend followed by a 50% week, without overstaffing or understaffing.

Congress and event hotels

These establishments depend directly on their events calendar. A congress weekend with 200 attendees mobilises all resources. The following week, without an event, the hotel idles. Planning is done event by event, with needs that can triple from one week to the next.

Anticipating seasonal needs

Analysing occupancy history

The first step is to analyse occupancy over the last 2–3 years, week by week. This analysis reveals recurring patterns: weeks systematically above 80%, those systematically below 40% and transition periods. Cross-reference this data with actual staffing per week to identify periods of overstaffing (unnecessary cost) and understaffing (degraded service). This is the basis of your seasonal schedule.

Building a seasonal staffing plan

For each department, define three staffing levels: minimum (low season), the strict minimum to maintain basic service; standard (intermediate season), normal operation at 50–70% occupancy; maximum (peak season), full capacity for 85–95% occupancy. Example for an 80-room hotel: reception: 5 in low, 6 standard, 8 peak; housekeeping: 4 low, 7 standard, 12 peak; kitchen: 3 low, 5 standard, 8 peak; bar: 1 low, 2 standard, 3 peak.

The recruitment calendar

Seasonal recruitment must be prepared 2 to 3 months before the start of peak season. In practice: February–March for the summer season (coast); September–October for the winter season (Ardennes, year-end holidays); year-round for building and maintaining the casual worker pool.

Types of seasonal contracts

Fixed-term seasonal contract

The fixed-term contract is the standard framework for seasonal staff. Under CP 302, the seasonal fixed-term contract must comply with the same wage scales and working conditions as permanent contracts. The contract must be established in writing before the start of employment, with mention of duration and seasonal grounds. Beware of successive fixed-term contracts: beyond a certain number of renewals, the contract may be reclassified as permanent. Consult your payroll provider for the exact limits.

Casual workers

Casual worker status (engagement for 1 to 2 days maximum) is suitable for one-off peaks: a high-occupancy weekend, a special event. It is not suited to a full 3-month season. For a full season, a fixed-term contract is the appropriate framework.

Students

Students are a major resource for the summer peak season (school holidays). The student contract benefits from reduced social contributions for the first 475 annual hours. Tracking these hours is critical in peak season, when a student can easily work 200 hours in two months.

Extending part-timers' hours

Before recruiting seasonal staff, check whether your existing part-timers want to increase their hours in peak season. This is often the simplest and least costly solution: no recruitment, no training, people who already know the establishment and its standards.

The low-to-peak season transition

Training seasonal staff before the rush

The biggest mistake in seasonal hospitality: recruiting on the first day of peak season and sending new staff straight into the field. The result: degraded service, cascading errors, stress for the permanent team who must train and work simultaneously. Plan one week of training before the start of peak season. Seasonal staff learn the establishment's standards, PMS operation, housekeeping procedures, service rules. This week's investment pays off from the first week of peak season.

Scaling up progressively

Peak season does not start overnight. The first weeks are often at 60–70% occupancy before climbing to 90%+. Use this gradual ramp-up to integrate seasonal staff: first paired with a permanent employee, then autonomously as the load increases.

Communicating the seasonal schedule in advance

Publish the peak season schedule as early as possible. Seasonal staff, like permanent staff, need visibility to organise themselves. A schedule published 3 to 4 weeks in advance for the entire peak season (even if adjusted weekly) provides a reassuring framework.

Optimising low season

Concentrating leave

Low season is the ideal time for permanent staff leave. Schedule annual leave, time off in lieu and training during these periods. This reduces staffing without impacting service and frees teams up for peak season.

Reducing hours, not headcount

Rather than redundancies in low season (costly and disorganising), reduce part-timers' hours and concentrate shifts. A housekeeping team of 2 instead of 5 is sufficient when the hotel is at 30% occupancy.

Using low season for work and training

Low season is also the time for: renovation work (rooms out of service with no financial impact); internal training (new procedures, new tools, skills refreshers); deep maintenance (room cleaning, preventive maintenance); preparation for the next season (recruitment, planning).

Seasonal payroll cost

Budgeting by season

The payroll budget for a seasonal hotel cannot be calculated on an annual average. Peak season payroll can represent 150 to 200% of low season payroll. The budget must reflect this reality with provisions for peaks.

The payroll cost/RevPAR ratio

Track the payroll cost/RevPAR ratio week by week. In peak season, revenues increase faster than payroll costs (seasonal staff cost the base rate, with no seniority). In low season, the ratio deteriorates because fixed costs (permanent staff) are spread over fewer occupied rooms. The objective is to maintain an annual ratio between 30 and 40%, with acceptable low-season peaks compensated by better peak-season performance.

Digitalising seasonal planning

Shyfter allows you to adjust staffing based on forecast occupancy. When reservations increase, the tool flags understaffed departments and lets you contact available casual workers and seasonal staff directly from the app. The seasonal staff and casual worker pool is managed in Shyfter with their skills, availability and history. From one season to the next, you find the seasonal staff who performed well and contact them first. Digital time-tracking by department lets you track hours in real time and detect if a department exceeds its planned hour budget.

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FAQ

How far in advance should you recruit seasonal staff for a hotel?

Start recruiting 2 to 3 months before the start of peak season. For a coastal hotel, this means launching searches in February–March for a season starting in June. Plan one week of training before the rush. The best seasonal workers are already engaged by early April. Recontact seasonal workers from previous years who performed well first.

How do you reduce costs in low season without degrading service?

Concentrate permanent staff's annual leave during low season. Reduce part-timers' hours rather than resorting to costly redundancies. Adjust opening hours of secondary departments (spa, bar) based on actual demand. Use this period for training, deep maintenance and preparation for the next season. Track the payroll cost/RevPAR ratio weekly to detect drift.

How do you manage one-off peaks (events, bank holidays) outside peak season?

Maintain a casual worker pool available all year round, not just in peak season. For predictable bank holidays and events (Easter, 1 May, local festivals), plan reinforcements 3 to 4 weeks in advance. Shyfter lets you contact your casual worker pool in one click and confirm availability quickly. For unexpected peaks (last-minute group reservation), your pool's responsiveness is your best asset.