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 one property and date range. Overlays that share a name, dates, and type across several villas form one event on the Events tab. 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
Property	The property this overlay applies to
Overlay Name	A descriptive label (e.g., "Christmas Week 2026")
Start Date / End Date	The first and last day of the overlay (inclusive)
Overlay Type	Additive (add to base) or Replacement (replace base)
Amount to Add / Flat Rate	The amount to add, or the flat replacement rate
Min Stay (Arrival) Override	Optional. Changes the minimum stay at arrival for this period
Min Stay (Through) Override	Optional. Changes the minimum stay through for this period
Rate Plan	Multi-unit villas only. Limits the overlay to one rate plan
Internal Note	Optional note explaining the reason for the overlay

Creating a Rate Overlay

1. Go to Rates & Pricing › Events and click New event.
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 Create Rate Overlay.

To apply the same event to more villas, use the copy button on its card (see Managing Multiple Overlays).

Overlay Precedence

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

1. Property season or base rate -- The season covering the date (the shortest one, if seasons are nested), or the villa's base nightly rate.
2. Rate overlay -- If an overlay covers the date, it adds to or replaces that rate.

An overlay needs a season or base rate underneath it. On dates with neither, there is no rate and automatic pricing is unavailable.

If several overlays cover the same date for the same property, a Replacement overlay wins over an Additive one. Among overlays of the same type, the most recently created wins. To avoid confusion, keep overlays for the same property from overlapping.

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 one additive event and copy it to the other villas:

• 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 Events tab lists overlays as cards, one card per event. Each card shows the event's name, a type badge (Add or Replace), the dates, the number of villas, and the range of amounts. Click a card to expand it and edit each villa's amount inline. Use the All Properties, All Types, and From Date filters to narrow the list.

Each card has three buttons:

• Edit overlay -- Change the name, date range, or type for every villa in the event at once.
• Duplicate overlay to another year -- Copy the event and its villas to a different year. Dates shift by the year offset.
• Copy this event to other properties -- Pick more villas to add to the event. Villas already in it are left out.

Each villa's own Pricing tab shows overlays on its calendar alongside its seasons and base rate, so you can spot gaps or unintended overlaps there.

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 villa's calendar. After saving an overlay, open the villa's Pricing tab calendar to confirm it does not conflict with existing overlays.
• 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. Connected channels receive the effective rate (base plus overlay, or the replacement) for each date.

Can I create an overlay for multiple properties at once? Create the event for one villa, then click Copy this event to other properties on its card and select the rest. Each villa gets its own overlay, so you can still give each villa a different amount.

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.