Early each November, the staff at the Holiday Inn L.I. City – Manhattan View looks forward to welcoming long-distance runners who travel from Germany to run in the annual TCS New York City Marathon and spend a few days afterward recovering, sightseeing and shopping.

Before checking out of the hotel, the leaders of the group make sure to book rooms for the following year. Over the years, the Holiday Inn staff and their German guests have developed a friendship, celebrated with handshakes each year upon arrival and hugs on checkout.

For both hotels and repeat guests, there are several advantages to booking follow-up stays – whether they be a month or a year away – as early as possible. For hotels, advance bookings provide a base of business to build on. For the repeat guests, booking early avoids the worry about finding rooms at the last minute.

Even if rooms are booked in advance at a relatively low rate, hotels benefit by having confirmed business on the books for an entire year in advance. In the weeks and months to come, the revenue team will use dynamic pricing to adjust the rates up or down as the market demands, even impose a minimum length of stay, to maximize income.

Guests who book early gain the comfort of mind of knowing they’ll have a place to stay in a hotel they know is comfortable, well maintained and convenient. Moreover, the hotel staff knows their needs and will take care of them in advance. As a bonus, repeat guests who are members of the IHG Rewards Club will earn points good for future stays.