Getting Started with Argonautas

Argonautas is a property management system built for vacation villas and boutique rentals. It brings properties, bookings, guest communications, rates, channel distribution, and staff operations together in one place.

Overview

Whether you manage a handful of private villas or a growing portfolio, Argonautas gives each person on your team a view made for their job. What someone sees depends on their role.

User Roles

Argonautas uses role-based access so every user sees what they need. A person can hold several roles at once. See Users and Roles.

Admin

Full access to every feature: properties, bookings, rates, channel distribution, staff, users, settings, and reports. This is the role for business owners and operations managers who oversee the whole operation.

Property Manager

Handles day-to-day operations: properties, bookings, guests, messaging, rates, availability, and staff. Property managers create bookings, manage rates, talk to guests, and assign tasks to staff.

Owner

Owners get their own portal at /owner that shows only the properties they own: payouts, upcoming stays, bookings, a calendar, financials, and documents. See Owner Portal Guide.

Staff

Housekeepers, maintenance workers, and other on-site team members use the staff portal at /staff. It is built for phones and opens on today's tasks. See Staff Portal Guide. Concierges work from their own concierge workspace instead. See Concierge Access & Workflow.

Guest

Guests use a self-service guest portal, reached from the link in their booking messages. It shows a to-do list for the trip, booking details, arrival information, the villa guide, trip services, payments, and messages with your team. See Guest Portal Guide.

Main Sections

After signing in, admins and property managers see a sidebar grouped into sections. The items you see depend on your role.

Section	Items
Main	Dashboard, Properties, Bookings, Guests, Calendar
Operations	Messages (the Inbox), Reviews, Templates, Tasks, Maintenance, Staff Management
Finance	Rates & Pricing, Taxes & Fees, Partner Billing, Agent Commissions, Agency Payouts, Concierge Commissions, Reports
Distribution	Channel Manager, Alerts, Providers
Admin	Owners, Partners, Service Catalog, Users & Roles, Activity Log, Settings

A person who is also a concierge sees a Concierge section with their concierge tools.

What each item is for:

Item	What it does
Dashboard	Today's departures and arrivals, what needs attention, and key numbers. See Dashboard Overview.
Properties	Add, edit, and configure your villas, apartments, and houses.
Bookings	View and create reservations.
Guests	Your guest database and guest profiles.
Calendar	Availability across your properties, by month or as a matrix of every property.
Messages	The unified inbox for WhatsApp, SMS, email, live chat, and OTA messages.
Reviews	Guest reviews from your channels. See Guest Reviews.
Templates	Message templates, including automated lifecycle messages.
Tasks / Maintenance	Staff tasks, with Maintenance showing just the maintenance jobs.
Staff Management	Staff members, invitations, schedules, and property assignments.
Rates & Pricing	Base rates, seasons, and rate overlays.
Taxes & Fees	Taxes, cleaning fees, and other charges.
Reports	Revenue, operations, and staff coverage reports. See Reporting Guide.
Channel Manager	Connections to Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, and other channels, and their sync.
Owners	Property owners and their contact and payout details.
Users & Roles	System users and their roles.
Settings	Company details, languages, messaging channels, payments, integrations, and more. See Settings Guide.

First Steps for New Admins

If you are setting up Argonautas for the first time:

1. Add an owner. Open Owners and create at least one owner. Every property needs an owner or a partner.
2. Create your first property. Open Properties and click Add Property. Enter the name, type, owner, maximum guests, and location, then click Save & Edit. See the Property Setup Guide.
3. Upload photos. On the property, open the Media tab and upload at least 10 good photos. Set one as the primary photo.
4. Set rates. Open the property's Pricing tab, or Rates & Pricing in the sidebar, to set the base nightly rate and seasons.
5. Configure taxes and fees. Open Taxes & Fees to set up cleaning fees, service charges, and taxes.
6. Connect a distribution channel. Open Channel Manager to connect your properties to booking platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com.
7. Set up messaging. Open Settings, then the Messaging tab, to connect WhatsApp, SMS, or email so you can talk to guests from the Inbox.
8. Invite staff. Open Staff Management to add team members. They get an invitation by email, WhatsApp, or SMS and set up their account through a magic link.

Getting Help

Every page has a round help button (?) in the bottom-right corner. Click it to open the Help & Support panel, which has:

• About This Page: a short explanation of the page you're on
• A search box for help articles
• Quick Actions links
• Related Help articles
• Common Questions
• A Contact Support button that emails support@argonautas.pro

Signing In

The sign-in page asks for your email address, then offers three ways in:

1. Sign in with Passkey uses your fingerprint, face, or a security key. It is the fastest and most secure option. See Users and Roles to set one up.
2. Email me a sign-in link sends a one-time sign-in link, with no password needed.
3. Sign in with a password instead shows the password field and the Keep me signed in checkbox.

Keep Me Signed In

This checkbox appears with the password field and controls what happens when you close your browser:

• Unchecked (default): Your session ends when you close the browser tab. This is the safest option on shared computers.
• Checked: You stay signed in on that browser after you close it, until you log out or the session expires.

Logging out always ends your session, whether or not you checked the box. The checkbox only controls whether the session survives closing the browser. It doesn't fill in your email or password. Your browser's password manager does that.

Two-Factor Authentication

If your account has two-factor authentication turned on, you're asked for the 6-digit code from your authenticator app after signing in. You can use a recovery code instead if you don't have your phone.

Automatic Sign-Out

For security, Argonautas may sign you out after a period of inactivity. When that happens, the sign-in page shows "You were logged out due to inactivity."

Common Questions

How do I switch between languages? Argonautas supports English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Click your avatar (your photo or initials) in the top-right corner and choose a language. The same menu works on phones and computers for every kind of user. Your choice is remembered on that browser. The first time you sign in, Argonautas follows your browser's language.

Can I use the system on my phone? Yes. Every screen works on phones, tablets, and computers. On a phone, open the navigation from the menu icon in the top-left corner, and tap your avatar in the top-right corner for your profile, language, and sign-out.

What happens if I forget my password? Enter your email address and click Email me a sign-in link. Once you're in, set a new password from Profile in your avatar menu.

How do I contact support? Click the help button (?) on any page and choose Contact Support, or email support@argonautas.pro.

Related

• Dashboard Overview
• Property Setup Guide