How to Use Flexible Stays to Fill Calendar Gaps and Earn More

Understanding Flexible Stays

With Holidu's Flexible Stays feature, you can open up bookable nights between bookings — the gaps shown in purple on your calendar that wouldn't usually be bookable due to your minimum-stay rules or fixed check-in/out days. Activating Flexible Stays makes those nights available without changing your standard settings, helping you capture short-stay demand you'd otherwise miss.

This innovative feature allows you to maximize your property's earning potential by transforming typically unbookable gaps into revenue-generating opportunities. Whether you have a 7-night minimum stay requirement or specific check-in days, Flexible Stays lets you accept shorter bookings during high-demand periods without compromising your main booking strategy.

How to Activate Flexible Stays

Getting started with Flexible Stays is straightforward. First, log in to your Holidu account and select the property you want to update. You can configure these settings from either the Discounts section or the Calendar section — the outcome will be the same.

Activation Method 1: From the Discounts Section

1. Go to "Configuration" on the left-hand side of your dashboard
2. Scroll down and click on "Discounts"
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page where you'll find the Flexible Stays section
4. Click on "Configure"
5. Choose between 1, 2, or 3 nights as the minimum stay for the gap period
6. Increase the price per night by up to 50% over your currently set price
7. Click on "Activate" to confirm the configuration

Activation Method 2: From the Calendar Section

1. Go to the calendar view of your property
2. Click on the purple indicator showing the gap period
3. Choose between 1, 2, or 3 nights as the minimum stay for the gap period
4. Increase the price per night by up to 50% over your currently set price
5. Click on "Activate" to confirm the configuration

Key Benefits of Flexible Stays

Activating Flexible Stays offers multiple advantages for your vacation rental business:

• More bookings: Short-stay nights become bookable during high-demand periods, capturing guest segments you'd otherwise miss
• Better visibility: Over 20% of peak-season searches are for short stays — Flexible Stays helps you reach this significant market segment
• More reviews: Every booking is another opportunity for guest feedback, which enhances your property's reputation and credibility
• Higher ranking potential: Filled bookings and reduced vacancy support your performance in Holidu's search results, improving your discoverability
• Less manual work: No need to adjust your calendar by hand for each gap — automation handles the configuration once you set it up
• Additional revenue: Price flexibility allows you to capture premium rates during peak demand periods while filling otherwise empty nights

Important Considerations and Best Practices

How Flexible Stays Works

• The feature only affects calendar gaps where your current minimum-stay settings don't allow bookings
• This setting overrides your current minimum-stay requirements and check-in/check-out rules for qualifying gap periods
• Check-in and check-out will be possible on any day for these special Flexible Stay nights
• If a booking is made, the special pricing and stay rules apply only to that specific booking period
• Flexible Stay bookings will appear tagged in your calendar for easy identification and clarity

Managing Your Settings

• You can deactivate the feature anytime from the same configuration menu if your strategy changes
• Price adjustments can be modified per gap, allowing flexibility based on demand fluctuations
• The feature works seamlessly alongside your existing booking rules and property settings

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I exclude certain dates from Flexible Stays?

For now, activating Flexible Stays applies to all gap nights that match your settings. However, you can still manually block any dates you don't want to open for short stays. Simply use your calendar's blocking feature to prevent bookings on specific dates while keeping Flexible Stays enabled for other gaps.

Do guests see the purple gaps on the calendar?

No. The purple gaps are visible only to you as a host — they highlight where bookings are currently being missed due to your existing minimum-stay rules. Guests see only the available and unavailable dates on your property listing; they don't see your internal gap analysis.

Can I change the Flexible Stays settings later?

Yes. You have complete flexibility to update or disable Flexible Stays at any time. Whether you want to adjust the minimum-stay requirement, change your pricing premium, or deactivate the feature entirely, you can do so from the same configuration menu where you set it up initially.

What happens if I set a price increase above my standard rate?

The price increase (up to 50%) applies only to bookings made during the Flexible Stays gap periods. Your standard nightly rate remains unchanged for regular bookings outside these gaps, ensuring your pricing strategy stays consistent across your calendar.

Will Flexible Stays affect my property's search ranking?

Yes, positively. By filling previously unbookable gaps, you reduce vacancy and increase your booking frequency. Properties with better occupancy rates and strong booking performance typically rank higher in Holidu's search results, making your property more visible to potential guests.

How do I know if a booking is from a Flexible Stay?

Flexible Stay bookings appear tagged in your calendar, making them easy to identify and manage separately from your regular bookings if needed. This helps you track the effectiveness of the feature and understand which periods are generating short-stay demand.

Can I use Flexible Stays for all seasons?

Yes. While Flexible Stays is particularly effective during peak-season periods when demand for short stays increases by over 20%, you can configure the feature year-round. Adjust your pricing premiums based on expected demand to optimize earnings across different seasons.

What's the minimum stay requirement for Flexible Stays bookings?

You can choose between 1, 2, or 3 nights as the minimum stay requirement for gap periods. Select the option that aligns with your property's needs and market demand — a 1-night minimum captures maximum short-stay demand, while 2-3 nights may suit properties with specific operational preferences.