How do I check an indoor facility’s prime-time bookings against off-peak hours?

Request a full calendar of bookings, not a summary. Sort it by hour and by weekday and season. You want to see where the facility is truly full, where bookings are discounted to fill space, and where the floor or ice sits empty. Compare the calendar with the sales records so the two tell the same story. Ask for the same report for the shoulder seasons, since a facility that fills in winter may look quite different in summer.

Look at who books the quiet hours. Schools, seniors’ groups, daytime camps and rentals to local clubs may be steady, while a few casual bookings may not. Ask whether those customers are under agreement and whether the rates differ from prime time. Check whether prime-time customers are loyal or booked through a few large groups that could move on.

Then think about the staff and costs tied to each slot. Open hours need attendants, heating or cooling and cleaning whether they are used or not. Ask whether the seller has tried to fill the slow hours, what worked, and what was abandoned. That history shows whether growth is realistic or only hoped for. Compare the quiet hours with what neighbouring facilities seem to offer, and ask the seller what customers say about the time slots.

Key takeaways

• Get bookings by hour, weekday and season, not a summary.
• Identify who fills off-peak hours and whether they are under agreement.
• Ask what the seller tried in slow hours and what happened.