# Hotel break-even calculator: rooms you must sell per night

> Find your hotel's break-even point: enter monthly fixed costs, variable cost per occupied room and your average rate, and see how many room-nights — and wh

- Canonical: https://guruhotel.com/tools/hotel-breakeven-calculator
- Last updated: 2026-08-05T22:44:10.203Z

## Short answer

Find your hotel's break-even point: enter monthly fixed costs, variable cost per occupied room and your average rate, and see how many room-nights — and what occupancy — you need to cover costs. Free, no signup.

## Overview

The formula

Break-even room-nights = fixed costs ÷ (ADR − variable cost per occupied room). The denominator is the contribution margin: what each sold room contributes to covering payroll, rent, utilities and everything else that doesn't change with occupancy. Dividing by ~30 gives rooms per night; dividing that by your room count gives break-even occupancy.

Using it for decisions

The break-even lens answers practical questions: is a discounted group block above contribution margin? Does staying open in low season cover variable costs? How much does a 10% ADR increase lower your required occupancy? Remember commissions: an OTA booking's effective ADR is 15–25% lower than the posted rate, which raises your true break-even — one more reason the direct mix matters.

## FAQ

### What counts as a variable cost per room?

Costs that only occur when the room is occupied: housekeeping labor and supplies, laundry, amenities, breakfast if included, utilities attributable to the stay, and payment/commission costs. Typical ranges run $15–40 per occupied room-night for independents, but measure your own.

### Is this tool really free?

Yes — every GuruHotel tool is free, with no signup and no usage limit. GuruHotel makes money helping hotels grow commission-free direct bookings, and these tools show you where that opportunity is.

## Related

- [Booking engine](/booking-engine)
- [Hotel website builder](/hotel-website)
- [What is GuruHotel](/what-is-guruhotel)