Rate Overlays

Rate overlays are date-specific pricing adjustments that override your seasonal rates. They let you raise prices for holidays and local events, or drop prices for last-minute promotions -- without changing your underlying season configuration.

Overview

In the layered rate system, overlays sit on top of property seasons. When the pricing engine calculates a nightly rate, it checks for an overlay first. If one exists for that date and property, it takes precedence over the property season rate.

Overlays are designed for exceptions -- the handful of date ranges each year where your standard seasonal pricing does not apply. Common use cases include:

• Holiday surcharges -- Christmas week, Easter week, New Year's
• Local events -- Fishing tournaments, surf competitions, festivals
• Flash sales -- Last-minute discounts to fill vacancies
• Construction periods -- Reduced rates during nearby disruption

How Overlays Work

Each overlay targets a specific property and date range. You configure two key settings:

Overlay Types

Type	Behavior	Example
Additive	Adds a fixed amount to the base season rate	Base $250/night + $75 overlay = $325/night
Replacement	Replaces the base rate entirely with a flat amount	Base $250/night replaced by $400/night

Additive overlays are useful when you want to apply the same dollar increase across properties that have different base rates. A $50 holiday surcharge added to each property preserves the relative pricing between them.

Replacement overlays are useful when you want to set an exact price regardless of the underlying season. This is common for peak holiday periods where you have a specific target price in mind.

Overlay Fields

Field	Description
Name	A descriptive label (e.g., "Christmas Week 2026")
Property	The property this overlay applies to
Start Date	First day of the overlay (inclusive)
End Date	Last day of the overlay (inclusive)
Overlay Type	Additive (add to base) or Replacement (replace base)
Amount	The dollar amount to add or the flat replacement rate
Min Stay Override	Optionally change the minimum stay for this period
Note	Internal note explaining the reason for the overlay

Creating a Rate Overlay

1. Navigate to Rates > Rate Overlays and click Add Overlay.
2. Select the property.
3. Enter the overlay name and date range.
4. Choose the overlay type (Additive or Replacement).
5. Enter the amount.
6. Optionally set a minimum stay override and add an internal note.
7. Click Save.

[Screenshot: The Rate Overlay form showing a Christmas Week overlay with replacement type, $450 amount, and 7-night minimum stay override.]

Overlay Precedence

When multiple pricing layers apply to the same date, the system resolves them in this order:

1. Rate overlay -- If an overlay exists for the date and property, its rate is used.
2. Property season -- If no overlay exists, the property season rate applies.
3. No rate -- If neither exists, automatic pricing is unavailable for that date.

If multiple overlays cover the same date for the same property, the system uses the overlay with the latest start date (most recently applicable). To avoid confusion, it is best to ensure overlays for the same property do not overlap.

Practical Examples

Holiday Surcharge (Additive)

You manage 10 villas with high-season rates ranging from $200 to $500 per night. For Easter week, you want to add a $100 premium across all of them.

Create an additive overlay for each property:

• Name: Easter Week 2026
• Dates: Mar 29 -- Apr 5, 2026
• Type: Additive
• Amount: $100

A villa priced at $250/night becomes $350/night. A villa priced at $400/night becomes $500/night. The relative pricing is preserved.

Event Pricing (Replacement)

A major fishing tournament runs Jan 15-22 near one of your beachfront properties. You want to set the rate to exactly $600/night with a 3-night minimum, regardless of the underlying season.

Create a replacement overlay:

• Name: Fishing Tournament 2026
• Dates: Jan 15 -- Jan 22, 2026
• Type: Replacement
• Amount: $600
• Min Stay Override: 3

Flash Sale (Replacement)

You have a vacancy next week and want to offer a discounted rate to fill it quickly.

Create a replacement overlay with a lower-than-season rate:

• Name: Flash Sale -- Casa del Sol
• Dates: Mar 10 -- Mar 16, 2026
• Type: Replacement
• Amount: $175 (down from $250 season rate)

Managing Multiple Overlays

The Rates > Rate Overlays page lists all overlays with their property, date range, type, and amount. You can filter by property and sort by date to review upcoming adjustments.

The Calendar View on the main Rates page visualizes overlays alongside season rates, making it easy to spot gaps or unintended overlaps. Overlays appear as colored bands on top of the season background.

[Screenshot: The calendar view showing a High Season base with a Christmas Week overlay highlighted in a contrasting color.]

Best Practices

• Use overlays sparingly. If you find yourself creating dozens of overlays, consider whether your season structure needs refinement instead.
• Name overlays clearly. Include the event name and year so they are easy to identify months later.
• Add internal notes. A brief note explaining why an overlay exists helps your team understand pricing decisions.
• Review after the season. Delete expired overlays periodically to keep the list manageable.
• Check the calendar view. Before saving an overlay, use the calendar view to confirm it does not conflict with existing overlays for the same property.
• Consider minimum stay overrides. Holiday periods often warrant longer minimum stays to reduce turnover costs.

Key Concepts

• Rate Overlay -- A date-specific pricing adjustment that takes precedence over the property season rate.
• Additive Overlay -- Adds a fixed dollar amount to the base season rate.
• Replacement Overlay -- Replaces the base rate with a flat amount.
• Min Stay Override -- An optional minimum-stay change that applies only during the overlay period.
• Net Amount -- For replacement overlays on partner properties, the rate paid to the owner (used for commission tracking).

Common Questions

Do overlays sync to OTA channels? Yes. Overlays are pushed to connected channels where the channel supports date-specific rate adjustments. The channel provider receives the effective rate (base plus overlay or replacement) for each date.

Can I create an overlay for multiple properties at once? Currently, each overlay targets a single property. To apply the same adjustment across multiple properties, create one overlay per property. Bulk overlay creation is on the roadmap.

What if I set an additive overlay with a negative amount? Overlay amounts must be zero or positive. To reduce pricing below the season rate, use a replacement overlay with the desired lower amount.

Do LOS discounts still apply on top of overlays? Yes. LOS discounts from the property season are calculated on the effective nightly rate, which includes the overlay adjustment.

Related

• Pricing Guide -- Full overview of the layered rate system and booking price calculations.
• Seasonal Rates -- Setting up season templates and property seasons.
• Rate Import -- Bulk importing rates from a spreadsheet.
• Fees and Taxes -- Configuring cleaning fees, service fees, and tax rates.