Competitive set (comp set): meaning and how to pick one
What a competitive set is, the hotel comp set rules STR uses, the marketing meaning, and how to choose a comp set of 3 to 8 rivals and when to change it.
A competitive set, or comp set, is the fixed group of competitors you benchmark your performance against. In hotels it is a formal group of properties whose performance data is pooled for comparison. In marketing more broadly, it is the short list of rivals you track and measure yourself against month after month.
The word that matters is "fixed". A competitive set only works if it stays the same long enough for the comparison to mean something.
The hotel comp set
In hotel revenue management, "comp set" usually means a set registered with STR, the benchmarking service now part of CoStar. Hotels submit their occupancy and rate data, and STR reports how each hotel performs against the anonymised average of its chosen set.
To protect individual hotels' data, the set has to follow rules. According to CoStar's competitive set guidelines, read on 4 October 2026:
- At least four participating properties, not counting your own, of which at least three must not share a parent company, operator or owner with you.
- At least two companies unaffiliated with you.
- No single property or brand can account for more than 50% of the set's room supply, and no single company for more than 70%.
- Changes must involve at least two properties at once, with a few exceptions such as newly opened or permanently closed hotels, so nobody can isolate a single rival's numbers by swapping one hotel in and out.
The output is a set of indexes, where 100 means you match the set:
| Index | Calculation | Tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Occupancy index (MPI) | Your occupancy ÷ set occupancy × 100 | Whether you fill rooms as well as rivals |
| Average rate index (ARI) | Your average daily rate ÷ set rate × 100 | Whether you charge more or less |
| RevPAR index (RGI) | Your revenue per available room ÷ set RevPAR × 100 | The combined result |
For example, with hypothetical figures: if your RevPAR is $96 and the set's is $120, your RGI is 96 ÷ 120 × 100 = 80. You are earning 80% of your fair share, and the MPI and ARI show whether the problem is filling rooms or pricing them.
The marketing meaning
Outside hotels, nobody pools data, but the idea is the same. Your competitive set is the named rivals you benchmark against on everything you can observe: rankings, share of search, review ratings and counts, ad activity, pricing.
It is also the denominator in most competitive metrics. Share of voice, share of search and estimated market share are all "you ÷ you plus the set", so the set you choose decides the number you get. The competitor benchmarking guide covers which metrics to compare once the set is fixed.
How to choose a competitive set
Three to eight competitors suits most businesses. Fewer than three and one rival's odd month swings the whole average. More than eight and nobody reads the comparison.
Pick from evidence, not instinct.
Who buyers compare you with. Ask sales which names come up on calls and in lost deals. This is the strongest signal.
Who ranks for your money keywords. Search your five most commercial terms and note who appears repeatedly.
Who bids on the same terms. Rivals paying for the same clicks are chasing the same buyers, whatever they say about their market.
Who reviewers mention. "Switched from X" in your reviews, or theirs, names a real competitor.
Then balance the set. A good mix is mostly direct competitors, plus one aspirational rival a step ahead and, where relevant, one indirect alternative. Finding your real competitors goes through the evidence in more detail.
When to change your comp set
Keep it frozen for at least a reporting year, unless something real changes:
- A rival closes, merges or leaves your market.
- A new competitor keeps turning up in lost deals or search results for two or three months running.
- You move, such as into a new segment, price point or location, so that your old rivals are no longer the ones buyers weigh you against.
When you change it, note the date and restart the trend lines. A share figure measured against last year's set and this year's set is two different numbers.
Common mistakes
Picking a set that flatters you. Benchmarking against weaker rivals feels good and teaches nothing. The same applies in reverse to a set of giants.
Changing it quietly. Swapping members without noting it makes a year of trend data look like progress or decline that never happened.
Making it too big. Twenty competitors is a list, not a set.
Figo's plans are sized the same way: 3 competitors on Starter, 8 on Growth, and 20 on Agency spread across 5 client workspaces, each checked weekly across ads, pages, pricing, rankings, social posts and reviews.
Questions people ask
What is a good RGI for a hotel?
Anything above 100 means your hotel earns more revenue per available room than its competitive set average, so it is taking more than its fair share. Below 100 means less. The trend matters more than any single month.
Can a competitive set include indirect competitors?
Yes, and one is often worth including, such as short-term rentals for a city hotel or a spreadsheet for a software company. Keep the core of the set direct, or the benchmarks stop meaning much.
What is the difference between a comp set and the competitive landscape?
The competitive landscape is everyone who competes in your market. The comp set is the small, fixed group you choose to measure yourself against.
Should a comp set include bigger competitors?
One aspirational rival is useful as a yardstick. A set made mostly of much bigger players makes every number look bad and tells you little you can act on.
See it on your own competitors
Figo checks their ads, pages, rankings and reviews every week, then tells you what to do in plain words. Set up in two minutes.
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