Free ebook
The homestay room pricing handbook
A practical handbook for homestay owners who want prices based on something better than guesswork: a floor worked out from costs, seasons, weekend and holiday surcharges, early and last-minute bookings, minimum stays, OTA list prices versus direct prices, and measuring results with ADR and RevPAR, plus a 2027 rate calendar.
Free PDF · 10 chapters ·
Get the PDFWhat's inside
- 1Start with a price floorHow to work out the lowest price you will accept for a night, so every later discount has a clear limit.
- 2Base rates by seasonSplit the year into a few seasons using your own booking data, and set one base rate for each.
- 3Prices by day of the weekWeekend surcharges, softer midweek prices, and how to test a new price without guessing.
- 4Holidays and Tet: pricing a holiday periodRules of their own for long holidays: publish prices early, minimum stays, deposits and cancellation terms, shoulder nights before and after.
- 5The 2027 pricing calendarThe 2027 public holidays with their weekdays, the general travel seasons, and a month-by-month pricing guide to mark on your calendar now.
- 6Early and last-minute bookingsRead your pace of bookings at set points before the arrival date, when an early-booking offer makes sense, and when a last-minute discount pays.
- 7Length of stay: minimum stays and long-stay discountsWhen to require a minimum stay, what to do with single nights stuck between two bookings, and how to set a long-stay discount that still pays.
- 8OTA list prices and direct booking pricesWork backwards from what you want to receive to the price to list on an OTA, handle stacked promotions, and keep direct prices attractive without breaching parity terms.
- 9ADR, RevPAR and occupancyThe three numbers that measure every pricing decision: formulas, worked examples in dong, and how to read them after OTA commission.
- 10A monthly pricing reviewA 30-minute monthly routine and a yearly to-do list, so your rate sheet keeps up with real demand.
Who it is for
- Homestay owners using one price all year who sell out too early at some times and sit empty for weeks at others.
- New owners who need a first rate sheet with a real basis.
- Hosts selling on Booking.com, Agoda, Airbnb or Traveloka who want to know what an OTA booking really brings in.
- Managers of several properties who want a monthly pricing review routine.
Read a sample
From chapter 2: Base rates by season
Every destination has its own rhythm. Beaches are busy in summer; Da Lat, Sa Pa and Ha Giang have flower seasons and cold seasons; old towns fill up during festivals; homestays near big cities live on weekend guests all year round. There is no single season calendar for the whole country, so do not copy someone else’s.
Find your seasons in last year’s data
- Open the booking calendar for the last 12 months (or your notebook, spreadsheet or booking messages if you have no software yet).
- For each month, note the occupancy and the average number of days between booking and arrival.
- Mark the months that filled up weeks ahead, the ones that filled at weekends but stayed empty midweek, and the ones that needed discounts to bring guests in.
- Group similar months into three bands: low, normal and peak.
Three bands are enough for a small homestay. Too many bands are hard to track and make your rate calendar look confusing to guests.
| Season | Signs | Suggested base rate | Example with a VND 817,000 floor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Occupancy under 50%, guests book close to the date | The floor or a little above | ≈ VND 820,000 |
| Normal | Full at weekends, empty midweek | Floor + 15–25% | ≈ VND 940,000–1,020,000 |
| Peak | Full weeks ahead, constant enquiries | Floor + 40–80% | ≈ VND 1,140,000–1,470,000 |
The rest of this chapter and 9 more are in the PDF. Get the PDF
Frequently asked questions
What size of homestay is this ebook for?
Homestays from a few rooms to a few dozen. The examples use a 5–6 room homestay, and every formula can be worked out by hand or in a spreadsheet, with no specialist software.
Is the 2027 holiday calendar in the ebook official?
The holidays set by the Labour Code and the 2027 Tet and National Day breaks for civil servants have been announced (October 2026). Days in lieu for the other holidays are announced separately each year, so check the official notice before you fix your prices.
Are the OTA commission rates in the ebook right for my homestay?
They are reference rates, updated 11/2026. Actual commission depends on your contract, region and the programmes you join; enter your own rate in the OTA price calculator.
Do I need software to use this handbook?
No. A spreadsheet is enough to start. Software such as HostBooking saves time once you have many price rules, sell on several channels and want reports worked out for you.