Should My Holiday Pricing Strategy Change If the Holiday Falls on a Weekend Instead of a Weekday?

The day of the week a holiday falls on significantly impacts demand curves and guest behavior. Weekdays, especially Monday through Thursday, are typically workdays for most travelers—meaning holiday demand coming on these days tends to attract different guest profiles, such as business travelers or guests seeking a break midweek. In contrast, weekend holidays shift this behavior toward leisure travelers who are already planning extended leisure trips or weekend getaways.

Weekday holidays can create a surge in midweek bookings and typically higher occupancy during days that otherwise might be slower. But when the same holiday lands on a weekend, the surge often overlaps with an existing peak weekend demand, which can change your competitive pricing dynamics and guest length-of-stay patterns.

Guest booking behaviors differ based on the day holiday falls on. Weekday holidays often see a spike in short-stay bookings by guests taking advantage of the day off between workdays, such as a Friday through Sunday trip. These guests prioritize convenience and proximity, often booking last minute.

Meanwhile, weekend holidays typically attract guests who plan longer stays, often combining the holiday with a weekend getaway. These guests might book further in advance, looking for deals on multi-night stays. The weekend timing also means higher baseline occupancy, which can diminish the effectiveness of typical holiday pricing uplifts if not carefully adjusted to avoid revenue dilution.

Analyzing historical occupancy and demand data is essential to inform whether and how you adjust pricing for weekend versus weekday holidays. Data from various property types shows weekday holidays can increase midweek occupancy by as much as 20-30%, creating a rare midweek peak.

Conversely, weekend holidays typically see a smaller uplift relative to their already high baseline weekend occupancy. Some data indicates weekend holidays might only boost weekend demand by around 10%, suggesting that pricing increases need to be more nuanced to avoid deterring long-stay leisure travelers. These trends underscore the need for dynamic pricing models that factor in day-of-week effects on holiday demand.

Competitive market analysis is crucial when setting prices for weekend holidays. Since weekends generally have higher baseline demand across all properties, the pricing space is competitive, and guests are exposed to more options.

On weekend holidays, your pricing must carefully balance capturing incremental holiday demand without pricing yourself out of the local market. Monitoring competitor pricing on similar weekend holidays can reveal patterns like lower per-night pricing for multi-night stays or bundling offers. This insight helps tailor your strategy to maximize revenue while remaining attractive to the target market.

To optimize holiday pricing strategies, short-term rental revenue managers should take a flexible and data-driven approach. For a weekday holiday, consider increasing prices more aggressively for the holiday midpoint nights, capitalizing on the midweek demand spike.

For weekend holidays, it’s important to evaluate factors like typical weekend occupancy, guest length of stay, and local event calendars. Strategies may include offering discounts for longer stays, using minimum stay requirements, or layering dynamic pricing algorithms that detect booking pace changes. Real-time data monitoring and responsiveness can enhance revenue management performance around holiday weekends.

One common pitfall is assuming holiday demand uplift is the same regardless of whether the holiday falls on a weekday or weekend. Weekend holidays often coincide with peak baseline demand, so overpricing risks low occupancy and lost revenue.

Another mistake is failing to consider guest intent—weekend holiday guests often prioritize value for multi-night stays, so neglecting long-stay offers or discounts can reduce bookings. Additionally, ignoring local event calendars or competitor moves during holiday weekends can result in missed revenue opportunities or price mismatches.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Assuming all holiday demand uplifts are equal
• Ignoring guest intent around multi-night value
• Failing to adjust strategy based on competitor behavior
• Overlooking local event calendars

Measuring success involves tracking key performance indicators such as occupancy rate, average daily rate (ADR), and revenue per available rental (RevPAR) before, during, and after holiday periods. Compare these metrics against comparable non-holiday weekends and weekdays to assess the incremental impact.

Advanced revenue management tools and data analytics can provide insights into booking patterns, price elasticity, and competitor positioning. Post-holiday reviews and lessons learned help improve future holiday pricing approaches, ensuring continual refinement and higher revenue outcomes over time.

Several educational resources and courses provide foundational and advanced knowledge in revenue management and pricing strategy. The YouTube Playlist "Revenue Management Foundations" offers basic concepts and practical approaches ideal for newcomers.

For those seeking deeper insights, "Revenue Strategy Deep Dives" on YouTube breaks down complex pricing tactics including holiday-specific considerations. Additionally, the Active RM Management Course offers hands-on training tailored for short-term rental managers aiming to sharpen their pricing acumen. Leveraging these resources helps develop a more sophisticated, data-informed holiday pricing strategy.

Holiday demand patterns can shift due to external factors like economic changes, travel restrictions, or local event scheduling. What worked in previous years might not hold true today.

Maintaining flexibility with your pricing strategy allows you to respond in real-time to market changes, booking pace fluctuations, and guest behavior shifts. Agile pricing that adapts to the timing of holidays—whether weekday or weekend—enhances competitiveness and maximizes revenue potential.