Seasonal Rates

Seasonal pricing is the foundation of the Argonautas rate system. You define named date ranges (season templates), then assign specific nightly rates, minimum stays, and discounts to each property for each season. This two-layer approach lets you manage dozens of properties without duplicating date ranges.

Overview

Seasonal rates are built from two components that work together:

1. Season Templates -- Company-wide date ranges that define when each season occurs (e.g., "High Season 2026" runs Dec 15 -- Apr 15).
2. Property Seasons -- Per-property pricing records that define how much to charge and what rules apply during each season template.

This separation means you set your calendar once and then configure pricing independently for each property.

Season Templates

Season templates are shared across all properties in your company. They contain no pricing information -- just a name, year, start date, and end date.

Navigate to Rates > Season Templates to manage them.

Field	Description
Name	A descriptive label (e.g., "High Season 2026", "Green Season 2026")
Year	The calendar year, used for filtering and grouping
Start Date	First day of the season (inclusive)
End Date	Last day of the season (inclusive)
Color	Optional hex color for calendar display

Creating a season template:

1. Go to Rates > Season Templates and click Add Season Template.
2. Enter the season name, year, and date range.
3. Optionally choose a color for the calendar view.
4. Click Save.

[Screenshot: The Season Templates list showing High Season, Green Season, and Holiday Peak with their date ranges and color swatches.]

Typical Season Structure for Costa Rica

Most vacation rental managers in Costa Rica use three to four seasons:

Season	Typical Dates	Character
High Season	Dec 15 -- Apr 15	Peak demand, dry weather
Green Season	Apr 16 -- Nov 30	Lower demand, lush scenery
Holiday Peak	Dec 20 -- Jan 5	Premium pricing within high season
Shoulder	Nov 1 -- Dec 14	Transitional period

You can define as many seasons as your pricing strategy requires. The system prevents overlapping templates within the same company and year.

Property Seasons

Once your season templates exist, you assign pricing to each property for each season. Navigate to Rates > Property Seasons or use the main Rates page.

Each property season record includes:

Field	Description
Nightly Rate	Base price per night (rack rate)
Weekend Premium	Optional surcharge for Friday and Saturday nights
Minimum Stay	Minimum number of nights for a booking arriving during this season
Minimum Stay Through	Minimum number of nights for a stay passing through dates in this season (mid-stay restriction — see Minimum Stay Rules)
Maximum Stay	Optional upper limit on booking length
Currency	ISO currency code (e.g., USD, CRC)
LOS Discounts	Length-of-stay discount tiers
Last-Minute Discounts	Discounts for bookings made close to arrival

Assigning a season to a property:

1. Go to Rates > Property Seasons and click Add Property Season.
2. Select the property and the season template.
3. Enter the nightly rate, minimum stay, and any discounts.
4. Click Save.

Each property can have only one property season per season template -- the system enforces this with a unique constraint.

[Screenshot: The Property Season form showing nightly rate, weekend premium, minimum stay, and LOS discount tiers for Casa del Sol during High Season 2026.]

Bulk Assignment

When you create a new season template, you can assign it to multiple properties at once using the bulk create action. From the Season Templates detail view, click Assign to Properties, select the properties you want, enter default pricing values, and the system creates property season records for all of them in one step.

You can then adjust individual property seasons as needed -- the bulk action is a starting point, not a permanent link.

Seasonal Strategy Tips

• Cover the full year. Gaps in season coverage prevent automatic pricing for those dates. Make sure every day of the calendar year falls within at least one season template.
• Start with three seasons. High, green, and a holiday peak overlay is enough for most Costa Rica properties. Add more granularity only if your pricing genuinely varies.
• Use minimum stays strategically. Set 5-7 night minimums during high season to maximize revenue per turnover. Drop to 2-3 nights during green season to improve occupancy.
• Add LOS discounts in green season. Offering 10-15% off for weekly stays during slower months fills gaps that short bookings cannot.
• Plan a year ahead. Create next year's season templates and property seasons before your competitors. Guests booking 6-12 months out need rates available.
• Review annually. Market conditions shift. Compare your rates against competitors each year and adjust property seasons accordingly.

Key Concepts

• Season Template -- A named date range shared across all properties. Defines when, not how much.
• Property Season -- The pricing record that ties a property to a season template. Defines how much and what rules apply.
• Rack Rate -- The published nightly rate charged to guests.
• Net Rate -- The rate paid to the property owner or partner (used for commission tracking on imported rates).
• Weekend Premium -- An additional nightly charge applied to Friday and Saturday nights.

Common Questions

Can two season templates overlap? Season templates themselves can overlap (e.g., a "Holiday Peak" within "High Season"), but a property can only have one property season per template. The pricing engine resolves overlaps by using the most specific (shortest) season for any given date.

What happens if I delete a season template? You cannot delete a season template that has property seasons assigned to it. Remove or reassign the property seasons first, then delete the template.

Are seasonal rates synced to OTAs? Yes. Property season rates are pushed to connected channels (Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO) through your channel provider. Changes to property seasons trigger a rate sync automatically.

Can different properties have different currencies? Yes. Each property season has its own currency field. You can price beachfront villas in USD and mountain cabins in CRC if needed.

Related

• Pricing Guide -- How the full layered rate system works, including LOS discounts and booking price calculations.
• Rate Overlays -- Creating holiday and event-specific pricing overrides.
• Rate Import -- Bulk importing rates from a spreadsheet.
• Fees and Taxes -- Configuring cleaning fees, service fees, and tax rates.