Property Setup Guide
Adding a property is one of the first things you will do in Argonautas. This guide walks through the full process, from creating a new property to getting it ready for channel distribution.
Overview
A property in Argonautas represents a rentable unit or complex -- a villa, apartment, house, condo, or cottage. Each property belongs to an owner and can be configured with its own rates, availability, photos, amenities, policies, and channel connections. Properties can operate as a single unit or as a multi-unit complex (see Multi-Unit Properties), and can use one of two booking modes: Direct or Partner.
The property form uses a tabbed interface. All tabs are fully functional as soon as the property is created -- there is no "save first" requirement to access any tab.
How to Add a Property
Step 1: Create the Property
Navigate to Properties in the sidebar and click the Add Property button. A creation dialog opens with the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The property name. |
| Property Type | Select from: Villa, Apartment, House, Condo, Cottage, or Cabin. |
| Managed by | Toggle between Owner and Partner, then select the owner or partner record. |
| City | City or town. |
| Country | Country. |
| Max Guests | Maximum occupancy. Hidden when Multi-unit is checked. |
| Multi-unit property | Check this if the property is a complex with multiple similar units (see Multi-Unit Properties). |
Two buttons at the bottom create the property:
- Save & Edit -- creates the property and opens it immediately for full configuration.
- Save & Create Another -- creates the property and resets the dialog for the next entry. Property type, owner/partner, country, and multi-unit setting carry over from the previous entry.
[Screenshot: Add Property dialog showing name, type, owner, city, country, and max guests fields]
Step 2: Complete the Property Tab
After Save & Edit, you arrive on the property edit page with all tabs immediately available. Open the Property tab to fill in the remaining details:
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Description | Multilingual property description. Recommended before connecting to channels. |
| Address Line 1 | Street address. Required for channel distribution readiness. |
| State / Region, Postal Code | Optional address fields. |
| GPS Coordinates | Used for map display and by some OTA channels. |
| Check-in / Check-out Time | When guests can arrive and depart. Also inherited by new units when multi-unit is enabled. |
| Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Half Baths | Capacity fields. Hidden for multi-unit properties. |
| Bedroom configuration | Detailed bed-type breakdown per room (e.g., Bedroom 1: 1 king bed). |
When you make changes on the edit form, a sticky action bar appears at the bottom. Click Update Property to save.
Multi-Unit Properties
If this property is a complex with multiple similar units (e.g., a resort with 4 identical villas, or a house divided into 3 apartments), enable the Multi-unit property toggle -- either in the creation dialog or on the Property tab.
When multi-unit is enabled:
- The top-level capacity fields (bedrooms, bathrooms, max guests) are hidden -- these are configured per unit type instead
- A Unit Types section appears below the toggle
- The Configurations tab is hidden (not applicable to multi-unit properties)
Use the Add Unit Type button to define your first unit type. See Multi-Unit Properties for a full walkthrough.
Step 3: Upload Photos and Videos
Open the Media tab to manage photos and videos for your property.
Photos
Upload photos using the Add Photos button. You should aim for a minimum of 10 photos for channel distribution readiness. Set one photo as the primary image -- this is the photo that appears on property cards throughout the system. Drag photos to reorder them.
AI Caption Suggestions
If your company has AI captioning enabled (configured in Settings → Integrations), the Edit Photo Details modal includes an AI Caption Suggestion panel. Click Accept on any suggestion to populate both the English caption and alt text fields automatically. You can edit the accepted caption before saving.
Videos
Below the photo gallery, the Videos section lets you upload property videos. Click Upload Video to add a video file (MP4, MOV, or WebM, up to 500 MB). Videos are processed automatically and will show a processing indicator until ready. Once processed, a thumbnail and duration appear on the video card. Click the thumbnail to preview the video in an embedded player.
Videos can be categorized as Tour, Drone, Neighborhood, Experience, or Testimonial. Drag video cards to reorder them. Videos are served via CDN for fast loading on your guest-facing sites.
See Property Videos for a full guide.
Step 4: Add Amenities
Open the Amenities tab to select the amenities your property offers. Amenities are organized by category (Kitchen, Living Areas, Outdoor, Pool, Services & Safety, and others). For channel distribution, a complete amenity list improves your listing quality on platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com.
For multi-unit properties, the Amenities tab shows sub-tabs:
- Shared Amenities -- amenities that apply to the whole property (pool, parking, reception area, etc.)
- One sub-tab per unit type -- amenities specific to that unit type
Step 5: Set Pricing
Switch to the Pricing tab to set the base nightly rate. Before connecting to distribution channels, a base nightly rate must be in place. Additional rate configuration (seasonal pricing, overlays) can be managed from the Rates section after the property is created.
For multi-unit properties, the Pricing tab shows a sub-tab per unit type.
Step 6: Configure the Booking Type (Channels Tab)
The Channels tab is where you choose how bookings for this property are managed. There are two options:
Direct Booking
Select Direct if you manage all bookings for this property within Argonautas. This is the default. Direct properties can be connected to distribution channels (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, etc.) for two-way sync of availability, rates, and reservations.
Partner Booking
Select Partner if this property is managed by an external booking system and you only need to track its availability in Argonautas. Partner properties have two additional fields:
- External Booking URL -- The URL where guests or agents go to book this property on the external system.
- iCal Feed URL -- A standard iCal (.ics) URL from the external booking system. Argonautas periodically syncs this feed to import blocked dates and keep availability up to date.
Partner properties also have a Confirmation Timeout setting (default: 48 hours) that controls how long a booking request waits for confirmation from the external system.
[Screenshot: Channels tab showing the Direct/Partner booking type toggle and iCal feed URL field]
Step 7: Configure Policies
The Policies tab lets you set property-specific policies for cancellation, house rules, and other terms. Policies follow a three-tier resolution system: property-level policies override company defaults, and individual bookings can further override property policies.
Configurations Tab (single-unit properties only)
For single-unit direct properties, a Configurations tab is available for managing rental configuration records used in advanced OTA setup scenarios. This tab is hidden for multi-unit properties.
Property Types
Choose the type that best describes your property:
| Type | Typical Use |
|---|---|
| Villa | Standalone private residence, often with pool and outdoor areas. |
| Apartment | Unit within a larger building, typically in an urban or resort setting. |
| House | Standalone home, similar to a villa but may not include resort-style amenities. |
| Condo | Individually owned unit in a shared building or complex. |
| Cottage | Smaller, often rustic accommodation. |
| Cabin | Smaller accommodation, typically in a wooded or mountain setting. |
Filtering and Finding Properties
The properties list page provides several ways to find what you need:
- Search -- Type a property name to filter the list in real time.
- Booking Type -- Filter by Direct or Partner properties using the segmented control.
- Status -- Filter by Active or Inactive properties.
- Property Type -- Filter by Villa, Apartment, House, Condo, Cottage, or Cabin.
Filters are preserved in the URL, so you can bookmark filtered views or share them with colleagues.
[Screenshot: Properties list with filters applied showing the segmented booking type control]
Channel Distribution Readiness
Before connecting a direct property to distribution channels, ensure it meets these minimum requirements:
- Property name (in at least one language)
- Complete address with city and country
- Property type selected
- At least one bedroom or max guests configured (or unit types defined for multi-unit)
- Base nightly rate set
- At least 10 photos uploaded with one set as primary
- Description written (multilingual recommended)
- Amenities selected
- Check-in and check-out times configured
You can check your property's readiness for channel distribution by visiting the Channel Validation page (accessible from the property's channel settings when applicable).
Key Concepts
Multilingual content. Property names, descriptions, headlines, and OTA titles support four languages: English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. You only need to fill in one language, but providing translations improves the guest experience on international booking platforms.
iCal sync for partner properties. When you provide an iCal feed URL for a partner property, Argonautas periodically fetches the feed and creates availability blocks for any dates that are marked as busy. You can also trigger a manual sync from the Calendar tab, which reports how many blocks were created, updated, or deleted.
Active vs. Inactive. Properties can be set to Active or Inactive status. Inactive properties are hidden from channel distribution and do not appear in availability searches, but their data is preserved.
Bedroom configuration. Beyond the simple bedroom count, you can define the bed composition of each bedroom (e.g., Bedroom 1: 1 king bed; Bedroom 2: 2 twin beds). This detailed configuration is synced to channel partners that support it.
Common Questions
Can I change a property from Direct to Partner (or vice versa) after creating it? Yes. Open the property, go to the Channels tab, and change the booking type. If switching to Partner, you will need to provide the external booking URL and iCal feed URL.
What happens to bookings if I deactivate a property? Existing bookings are not affected. The property simply stops appearing in availability searches and is no longer synced with distribution channels.
How many photos can I upload? There is no hard upper limit. Upload as many as needed to showcase the property. The system recommends a minimum of 10.
Do I need to set up rates before connecting to a channel? A base nightly rate is strongly recommended before connecting. For accurate distribution, you should also configure seasonal rates and any applicable fees.
Can I duplicate a property to save time? Yes. Open the property and use the Duplicate option. You can select which components to copy: amenities, guide, photos, rates, overlays, fees/taxes, changeover rules, staff assignments, and bedrooms.