How do I create a flexible calendar?

Why calendar flexibility matters

Creating a flexible calendar is one of the best ways to attract more guests and maximise your bookings.

Properties with more flexible calendars consistently perform better. In fact, the top 20 per cent of the most flexible listings receive almost twice as many bookings as the least flexible 20 per cent.

Flexibility also improves your search ranking and visibility across booking sites, making it easier for guests to find and book your property.

Allow check-in and check-out on as many days as possible

Many hosts choose fixed changeover days during busy holiday periods, such as Friday to Friday or Saturday to Saturday, with a minimum seven-night stay. While this approach can work during high season, it’s important to offer more flexibility at other times of the year.

Think about guests who might want to arrive on a Monday or stay mid-week. If your property only allows arrivals on certain days, it will not appear in those guests’ search results, which means you could miss out on potential bookings.

By allowing check-in and check-out on all days of the week, your property will appear in more searches and appeal to a wider range of travellers.

Allow short stays

Short stays are one of the most effective ways to increase your number of bookings. The most popular booking lengths are one, two and seven nights.

If your minimum stay is set to three nights or longer, your property will not appear to guests searching for weekend breaks or short business trips. Reducing the minimum number of nights can significantly increase your booking potential.

Travelnest tip:

Consider your target market when setting your minimum stay.

• If you have a larger property that attracts groups or families, longer stays may work best.
• If your property is smaller and primarily suited to couples or solo travellers, offering shorter stays will make it more competitive.

Be flexible with check-in and check-out times

While cleaning and turnaround times often determine when guests can check in or out, offering some flexibility can greatly improve the guest experience.

If possible, consider providing early check-in or late check-out options. You can offer this as a complimentary service or charge a small fee to cover the additional time or staffing required.

Even allowing an extra hour for check-out can leave a lasting positive impression on your guests and encourage better reviews.

Offer discounts and promotions

Guests always appreciate good value, and discounts can help fill gaps in your calendar, especially during quieter periods or last-minute cancellations.

You could offer:

• Last-minute discounts to fill available dates close to arrival
• Early bird discounts to reward guests who book well in advance

Discounts not only help increase bookings but can also improve your visibility and ranking on major booking platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb.

On Booking.com, promotions such as Mobile Rates, Last-minute Deals, the Genius Programme, and the Preferred Partner Programme are particularly effective. You can activate these directly from your Travelnest account under the Promotions section.

On Airbnb, features like New Listing Discounts, Early Bird Offers, and Last-minute Deals can help attract more guests. These can also be managed from your Travelnest Promotions page.

Be realistic when blocking dates for personal use

It’s understandable to want to use your property for personal stays or to host friends and family. However, blocking out too many popular travel dates can have a negative effect on your booking potential.

Try to strike a balance between personal use and guest availability. Avoid blocking large sections of your calendar, particularly during peak travel seasons or public holidays, as this can reduce your property’s appeal and visibility on booking sites.

A flexible calendar helps your property stand out, appear in more searches and attract a wider range of guests.