Holiday and Premium Pricing
Holidays and special events are your highest-revenue opportunities. Argonautas uses rate overlays to capture that value -- date-specific adjustments that sit on top of your seasonal rates without modifying them.
How It Works
When the pricing engine calculates a nightly rate, it checks for an overlay first. If one exists for that date and property, the overlay rate takes precedence over the underlying season rate. Your seasonal rates stay intact.
Setting Up a Holiday Overlay
- Navigate to Rates > Rate Overlays.
- Click Add Overlay.
- Select the property.
- Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Christmas Week 2026").
- Set the start and end dates.
- Choose the overlay type:
- Additive -- Adds a fixed amount to the base season rate.
- Replacement -- Replaces the base rate entirely with a flat amount.
- Enter the amount.
- Optionally set a minimum stay override.
- Click Save.
Additive vs. Replacement
| Scenario | Type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Same dollar increase across properties with different base rates | Additive | Preserves relative pricing between villas. |
| Specific target price for the holiday | Replacement | Set the exact rate regardless of the season. |
| Flash discount below season rate | Replacement | Additive can only increase, not decrease. |
Costa Rica Holiday Calendar
| Holiday | Typical Dates | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas / New Year | Dec 20 -- Jan 5 | 30--60% above high season |
| Semana Santa | Varies (Mar/Apr) | 20--40% |
| US Thanksgiving | 4th Thu in Nov + weekend | Moderate spike |
| Spring Break | Mid-March to mid-April | Sustained demand |
| Presidents' Day Weekend | 3rd Mon in Feb | Moderate |
Example: Christmas Week
For a villa with a High Season rate of $350/night:
- Name: Christmas Week 2026
- Dates: Dec 20 -- Jan 4
- Type: Replacement
- Amount: $550
- Min Stay Override: 7 nights
Weekend Premiums
Weekend premiums are configured per property season and apply automatically to Friday and Saturday nights.
- Navigate to Rates > Property Seasons.
- Open a property season record.
- Enter the Weekend Premium amount.
- Save.
If the nightly rate is $250 and the weekend premium is $50, Friday and Saturday cost $300.
Note: Weekend premiums are NOT added on top of overlays. If an overlay sets the rate to $550, that is the final rate even on weekends.
How Overlays Interact with Rates
The pricing engine evaluates in this order:
- Rate overlay -- If one exists for the date, it wins.
- Property season rate -- Plus weekend premium if applicable.
- No rate -- Automatic pricing cannot be calculated.
Length-of-stay discounts still apply to overlay rates. A 10% weekly discount applies to the overlay rate just as it would to the season rate.
Managing Overlays Year Over Year
- Review last year's overlays for occupancy and revenue performance.
- Create new overlays 6--12 months ahead -- guests book peak periods early.
- Delete expired overlays to keep the list clean.
- Verify on the calendar view that overlays appear correctly.
Best Practices
- Use replacement overlays for peak holidays and additive for moderate premiums.
- Set minimum stay overrides for holidays (5--7 nights reduces turnover).
- Name overlays with the year: "Christmas Week 2026" not "Christmas Week".
- Document pricing decisions in the internal note field.
Related
- Rate Overlays -- Detailed overlay management guide.
- Seasonal Rates -- Setting up season templates.
- Minimum Stay Rules -- Configuring minimum stay requirements.