You’ve set your rates, built your calendar, and now... the bookings aren’t rolling in like they used to.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone. This season has thrown many operators for a loop, and midseason pivots are now more essential than ever. That’s why PriceLabs and Hosteeva teamed up for a powerful webinar: Midseason Moves: How to Pivot When the Season Doesn’t Go as Planned.
Our speakers—Amber Knight (PriceLabs), Talia Lockard (Hosteeva), and Chris Curry (Hosteeva)—shared actionable insights from thousands of units managed across the Gulf Coast, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, and beyond. Here's what you need to know (and actually do) when your plan needs a course correction.
📊 1. Know Your North Star (and When to Adjust Course)The first question to ask: “What metric am I actually optimizing for?”
- Occupancy? Push heads in beds during low demand.
- ADR (Average Daily Rate)? Maximize revenue per booking during peak periods.
- RevPAR? Your best friend—it’s the true measure of performance, blending occupancy and ADR into one simple KPI.
🎯 Pro Tip: Compare to last year—but not blindly. Adjust for changes in market supply, traveler behavior, and special events. (Looking at you, Taylor Swift Tour 2024 👀.)
⚙️ 2. Use Technology to See What Humans MissIf your gut says something’s off, trust the data first. And if you don’t know where to start—ask your tech.
- Use PriceLabs’ Market Dashboards to spot changes in booking windows and pacing.
- Let Hosteeva’s platform use AI to surface review-based listing changes (broken AC? misleading walk-to-beach claim?).
- Connect AI with HubSpot or your CRM to analyze trends, deal pacing, and season-over-season conversion changes automatically.
🧠 “Tech doesn’t replace you—it gives you time back to be the strategist, not the spammed-out operator,” says Talia.
📷 3. Visibility First. Price Second.Before you slash rates, ask: Can guests even find you?
Amber put it bluntly: “It’s not always a rate issue. Sometimes it’s a visibility issue. Or a calendar logic issue. Or a listing photo issue.”
Hosteeva sees this every day. A few simple actions that move the needle:
- Switch your lead photo to a pool shot (if you have one) in summer.
- Highlight top 3 value props (e.g., pool, beach access, backyard)—and repeat them in the headline, first 3 photos, and top of the description.
- Use OTA visibility boosters (higher commission vs. deep discounts = smarter ROI).
Don’t wait until your booking window closes to panic-discount. Instead:
- Incentivize longer stays (e.g., 10% off 4-night stays vs. your typical 3-night bookings).
- Adjust minimum stay settings proactively based on pacing, day-of-week patterns, and market supply.
- Layer in occupancy-based adjustments automatically via PriceLabs, so rates respond before you manually slash.
💡 This is what Amber calls "optimization, not desperation."
🧳 5. Think Like the Modern TravelerPeople aren’t booking like it’s 2019. Midweek stays, road trips, multiple stops per vacation—they’re flexible.
Talia summarized it perfectly: “The era of Saturday-to-Saturday is over for most markets. If you’re still enforcing it, ask yourself—does the data actually support it anymore?”
Test alternative stay patterns. Revisit check-in/check-out rules. And above all, reflect the traveler’s experience in your listing content and pricing logic.
🔁 6. Build Your Pivot Plan Before You Need ItChris reminded us: “Revenue management is selling the right product, to the right guest, at the right time, for the right price.”
But what happens if that strategy fails?
That’s where a pivot plan comes in:
- Review your pacing weekly (compare YoY and WoW trends).
- Have a 30-day fallback strategy (length of stay, visibility, discounting, listing edits).
- Communicate clearly with owners and leadership using RevPAR and expected pacing metrics, not just raw revenue.
And maybe... stay off the Facebook groups. 🫣
👥 You Don’t Have to Do It AloneIf you’re overwhelmed—juggling pricing, listings, maintenance, guest communication, and revenue strategy—it might be time to delegate.
🔧 Tools like PriceLabs help automate pricing and insights.
🤝 Services like Hosted by Hosteeva can take over guest messaging, pricing, OTA management, and more.
"Technology doesn’t remove control,” said Talia. “It gives you space to breathe and act like a business owner again.”
💬 Watch the Full WebinarWant more detail, jokes, and actionable tips?
👉 Watch the recording here
🎁 Special Offers from Our Partners:
- PriceLabs is offering 15% off your first 3 months if you’re new and sign up by July 31.
- Hosteeva is offering 3 months of free AI-powered listing optimization when you sign up to use the software.
Let’s pivot together. STR success isn’t about having a perfect plan—it’s about knowing when and how to flex.
If you're feeling stuck or want a second set of eyes on your current setup, connect with our team at Hosteeva or PriceLabs.
We’re in this with you. Every booking, every tweak, every RevPAR win.