Glossary of Terms
Welcome to the Argonautas glossary. This document provides clear definitions for the hospitality industry acronyms, technical terms, and system-specific vocabulary you will encounter while using our platform.
Industry & Core PMS Terms
ADR (Average Daily Rate)
A key performance indicator representing the average rental income per paid occupied room in a given period. Calculation: Total Room Revenue / Number of Rooms Sold.
Availability Range
A continuous set of dates that share identical rules for availability, pricing, and stay restrictions.
Base Rate
The standard nightly price for a property before any seasonal adjustments, discounts, or fee overlays are applied.
Booking Lifecycle
The stages a reservation moves through, typically: Pending → Confirmed → Checked In → Checked Out → Resolved.
iCal
A standard media type (RFC 5545) that allows users to send and share calendar information. Argonautas uses iCal to sync basic availability with external calendars like Google or personal devices.
LOS (Length of Stay)
The number of nights a guest stays at a property. Many pricing strategies (LOS Discounts) are based on rewarding longer stays.
OTA (Online Travel Agency)
Third-party marketplaces where guests book accommodations, such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO.
PMS (Property Management System)
The central software used to manage villas, reservations, rates, and daily operations. Argonautas is your PMS.
RevPAN (Revenue Per Available Night)
A metric used to assess how well a property is performing by spreading total revenue across all nights that were available to be booked, regardless of whether they were sold.
Season
A defined date range (e.g., "High Season," "Green Season") with specific pricing and minimum stay rules that override the Base Rate.
System-Specific Terms
Argonautas
The comprehensive property management platform for vacation villas and boutique rentals.
Guest Portal
The dedicated mobile-responsive interface where guests check their booking details, view arrival instructions, pay balances, and request services.
Magic Link
A secure, one-time-use URL sent via email or WhatsApp that allows a user to log in instantly without entering a password.
OTP (One-Time Password)
A unique 6-digit code sent to a user’s phone or email as a fallback for login verification if a Magic Link cannot be used.
Owner Portal
A simplified interface for property owners to view their villas' financial performance, occupancy, and booking history.
Partner Property
A property in the system that is managed by an external partner but distributed through your Argonautas account.
PTBA (Preparation Time Before Arrival)
The mandatory gap (in days) required between a guest's departure and the next guest's arrival, used for cleaning and maintenance.
Staff Portal
The interface used by housekeeping and maintenance teams to view their schedules, receive tasks, and upload completion photos.
Payments & Financials
3DS (Three-Domain Secure)
An authentication protocol (like "Verified by Visa") that adds an extra layer of security for online card transactions.
Acquirer
The financial institution (bank) that processes credit or debit card payments on behalf of the merchant (you).
CVV2 (Card Verification Value)
The 3 or 4-digit security code on a credit card used to verify the card is physically present during a transaction.
IVA (Impuesto al Valor Agregado)
The Value Added Tax (13% in Costa Rica) applied to booking services and accommodations.
Merchant Account
A type of bank account that allows businesses to accept payments by debit or credit cards.
PowerTranz
The payment gateway integrated with Argonautas used primarily for processing transactions in Costa Rica and the Caribbean.
Payout / Disbursement
The transfer of funds from the PMS or payment processor to a property owner or service provider.
Tokenization
A security process that replaces sensitive credit card data with a unique "token," allowing for secure future charges without storing the actual card number.
Messaging & Communication
Lifecycle Template
A message template designed to trigger automatically based on booking events (e.g., "3 days before arrival").
Unified Inbox
The central hub in Argonautas where all guest communications from WhatsApp, Email, and SMS are consolidated into a single conversation view.
WhatsApp Template
A pre-approved message format required by Meta for initiating conversations with guests outside of a 24-hour service window.