Pricing & Calendar
Getting the most out of your property.
Maximising booking value — not just revenue.
Most pricing tools chase the highest number on the calendar. We chase the number that's actually left in your pocket once the costs of running the property are accounted for. That distinction changes everything.
Revenue is a vanity number. Booking value is the real one.
Two owners can show the same revenue on paper and walk away with completely different amounts — because one of them is paying for it in cleaning fees, turnovers, and wear on the property.
Total booking income before costs. Looks impressive on a screenshot — says nothing about what you actually keep.
What's left once turnover costs, cleaning fees, and running costs are accounted for. The number that actually matters.
Four pricing mistakes we see constantly
Most of these look like wins on the surface. They're not — and they're quietly costing owners money every single month.
Chasing short stays
Shorter stays mean more bookings — but also more cleaning fees, more turnovers, and more wear on the property. Revenue can look high while running costs quietly eat it alive.
Bragging about 90%+ occupancy
A calendar sitting at 90%+ occupancy isn't a win — it's a sign your prices are too low. If demand is that strong, price should be rising to meet it, not filling every night at a discount.
Flat midweek and weekend pricing
Midweek and weekend demand aren't the same, so the price shouldn't be either. Charging one flat rate ignores supply and demand entirely.
Copying the competition
Most hosts check what nearby listings charge and match it — which just means blending into the crowd and competing on price.
Using smart technology to keep pricing and calendars optimised
A common mistake we see is hosts either setting one flat price all year, or relying entirely on dynamic pricing software with no human oversight. Both approaches leave money on the table.
At Field Heritage, we combine best-in-class pricing technology with active, hands-on management to ensure your pricing, availability, and minimum stays stay aligned with real-world demand.
Experience tells us how to use it.
Automations that keep the calendar sharp
This is not “set and forget”. Our system watches demand, tracks booking pace, and updates pricing rules and minimum stays in real time — with human judgement sitting over the top.
Rate sync across channels
Rates update across OTAs and direct bookings so pricing stays consistent and optimised.
Demand & event detection
Local demand spikes, seasonality and nearby events trigger price and stay-length adjustments.
Gap monetisation rules
We open or tighten minimum stays to capture awkward gaps without sacrificing peak nights.
Controlled last-minute offers
Visibility boosts without giving away profit. Discounts are controlled, not random.
Pace monitoring
If bookings are ahead/behind target, the strategy shifts — pricing and availability move with it.
Human judgement applied
We adjust with intent: protect peak nights, prioritise longer stays, and manage gaps.
Dynamic pricing with human judgement
We use dynamic pricing software as the foundation — but we don’t let software make decisions in isolation.
Pricing is continuously adjusted based on:
- Local demand and seasonality
- Nearby events and peak travel periods
- Booking pace and lead time
- Property type and guest behaviour
- Gaps, cancellations, and calendar shape
It’s to secure longer, higher-value bookings at the right times.
Minimum stay adjusted • gap monetised • peak nights protected
Different properties need different strategies
Not all holiday lets book the same way, so we don’t use one generic approach. Choose a property type below to see how the system shifts.
Large family homes often book well in advance
advance demandThese guests plan early, stay longer, and are less price-sensitive. We use this to our advantage by pricing confidently further out and prioritising high-value bookings.
Hold value further out and protect peak weeks.
Longer stays encouraged during peak demand windows.
Stable, high-value blocks — less churn, fewer issues.
Cabins & short-stay getaways often book last minute
last-minute logicFor these, we may:
- Price slightly higher initially
- Use controlled last-minute discounts closer to arrival
- Allow OTAs to boost visibility without sacrificing net income
Longer stays, smarter calendars
two-track setupFor properties that prefer longer-term stays, we use two separate listings:
Marketed for longer stays (stable occupancy, cleaner operations).
Higher nightly rates designed to fill gaps when long bookings aren’t in place.
It’s a flexible approach that protects revenue without locking the property into one rigid strategy.
Technology is only as good as the operator
All of the tools we use are publicly available. The difference isn’t the software — it’s knowing how and when to use it.
We actively monitor performance, review data, and make ongoing adjustments throughout the year. Your pricing strategy evolves with the market, rather than staying static or reactive.
In short
- We don’t set prices and forget them
- We don’t let software run unchecked
- We don’t use one strategy for every property
- We use smart tech with intent, backed by experience
This is, by far, one of the biggest things we bring to a listing.
Photography gets a property noticed. Branding makes it memorable. But the right pricing strategy and calendar optimisation, applied properly, can make more difference to what a property actually earns than almost anything else we do — night after night, week after week, for as long as it's live.
Get the pricing wrong, and everything else is working against you. Get it right, and it quietly compounds — every single night.