Start with a defensible base
Every pricing plan needs an anchor. You can fix your own base rate, or let JokerPrice derive it from the market by choosing where you want to sit among nearby comparables: the 25th, 40th, 50th, 65th or 75th percentile. A newer listing with few reviews usually starts lower and climbs as reviews arrive; a standout property can hold a higher position. Always set a minimum and a maximum so no automatic adjustment can surprise you.
Let the calendar shape the rate
Demand is not flat. In most markets we cover, weekend nights (Thursday and Friday, or Friday and Saturday in the UAE) behave very differently from early-week nights, and holiday periods move every year with the Hijri calendar. JokerPrice compares each night's market prices with a year-long reference, learns a weekday pattern once it has enough fresh dates, and blends the two depending on how many comparables were seen that night. Thin data leans on the pattern; rich data leans on the night itself.
Watch supply, not just price
When fewer comparable listings are open than usual for a date, the market is filling up. Where the source reports totals (Gathern), JokerPrice nudges the rate up when open supply drops below its usual level and down when it rises, within limits. You choose how strongly it reacts.
Use lead time deliberately
- Last minute. An unbooked night two days out is worth more at a discount than empty. A gradual last-minute discount lowers the rate step by step as the date approaches.
- Far out. Nights months away often book at a premium from planners and families. A far-out premium protects you from selling early peak dates too cheaply.
- Booking pace. If you record your own booked share, JokerPrice can compare it with simple targets for the next 14, 30 and 60 days and adjust open nights up or down.
Fill the gaps
Short gaps between bookings, such as a single night between two stays, are hard to sell at full price. A gap rule can discount those nights or relax the minimum stay so they get booked instead of wasted.
Review before you publish
JokerPrice recommends a rate for every date and explains each adjustment, but it never publishes a rate automatically. Review the plan and check special dates, then export it and update your listings, or, if you use Hostaway, review the nights and approve the send.