Start with the hole, not the discount
Most hosts approach Offers backwards. They think, "I should probably post a deal," type in "10% off," and call it a day.
There's nothing wrong with 10% off. But it's a bit like a restaurant running a discount on Saturday night, when the place is already packed. You gave away margin you didn't need to.
The hosts who get the most out of Offers start with a different question: where's the hole in my calendar?
Empty Tuesdays? A dead stretch in April? A Saturday that just opened up after a cancellation? Each of those is a different problem, and each one calls for a different Offer. A good Offer isn't a sale. It's a tool aimed at one specific gap.
So let's go gap by gap.
A Quick Refresher on How Offers Work
Offers are built into every Listing Page on Stays. Here's what you're working with:
- Offer Title: up to 35 characters
- Offer Description: up to 80 characters
- Redemption Instructions: up to 150 characters
- An expiration date and an optional link
Every property can display one Offer at a time, and Host Premium adds a second slot. You can save up to ten and swap which one is live whenever you like. New Offers get a quick review from the Stays team before they can go live.
And Offers don't just sit on your page waiting to be found. They show up in the feeds of travelers who've favorited your stay or follow your region. So a well-timed Offer is a little like sending a note to everyone who's ever shown interest in your place.
Every example below fits inside those character limits, so you can copy them straight in.
Goal 1: Fill Your Weekdays
Weekends tend to take care of themselves. It's Monday through Thursday that sits empty.
Title: Midweek Escape
Description: 20% off Sunday through Thursday stays
Redemption: Use code MIDWEEK when you book on our direct site.
Why it works: You're discounting the nights that would otherwise earn nothing. Remote workers, retirees, and couples without kids have more flexibility than you'd think. They just need a nudge.
Goal 2: Wake Up Your Slow Season
Every property has one. For a lake house it's March. For a ski cabin it's May.
Title: Quiet Season Special
Description: Stay 3 nights in April, pay for 2
Redemption: Discount applies automatically when you book direct.
Why it works: A free night feels bigger than a percentage, and it stretches the stay. Naming the month tells travelers exactly when the deal applies.
An April Offer posted in February gives travelers time to plan around it. That same Offer posted on April 10th is mostly a nice gesture. Get ahead of your slow season by six to eight weeks.
Goal 3: Plug a Last-Minute Gap
A cancellation just landed and you've got an empty weekend nine days out.
Title: This Weekend Only
Description: 25% off Oct 17-19 after a cancellation
Redemption: DM us on Instagram and mention this Offer to book.
Why it works: It's specific and it's honest. Travelers love feeling like they caught something, and "after a cancellation" explains why the deal exists without making your place look desperate. Set it to expire the day of.
Two timing notes. Since new Offers are reviewed before they go live, post it the moment the gap opens. And this is the type of Offer where speed matters most on the traveler side too: Stays Premium travelers see new Offers the minute they post, so your most deal-hungry audience sees it first.
Goal 4: Get Longer Stays
Two-night bookings mean more turnovers, more cleaning, and more awkward one-night gaps left over.
Title: Stay a Little Longer
Description: Book 4 nights, get the 5th on us
Redemption: Book 5 nights direct and the last night is free.
Why it works: You trade one discounted night for one less turnover and a fuller week. For a lot of hosts that math comes out ahead.
Goal 5: Move Travelers to Direct Booking
This is the most common Offer on Stays, and for good reason.
Title: Book Direct and Save
Description: 10% off any stay booked on our own site
Redemption: Use code STAYS10 at checkout on our direct booking site.
Why it works: Your Listing Page shows all of your booking options side by side. This gives travelers a clear reason to pick yours. And since you aren't paying a platform fee on a direct booking, the discount often costs you nothing extra.
Pair this one with the Best Value star on your direct booking link so the message lands twice.
Goal 6: Win the Special Occasion
Anniversaries, birthdays, proposals. These travelers aren't shopping on price. They're shopping on how it'll feel.
Title: Anniversary Package
Description: Wine, firewood, and late checkout included
Redemption: Mention your anniversary when you book and we'll set it up.
Why it works: It costs you maybe $30 and makes the stay feel like an event. Extras like these are remembered, photographed, and posted.
Goal 7: Offer a Perk Instead of a Discount
Not every Offer has to touch your nightly rate.
Title: Bring the Dog for Free
Description: We'll waive the $50 pet fee on any stay
Redemption: Mention this Offer when booking and the pet fee comes off.
Why it works: Waiving a fee feels generous without discounting the stay itself. Other versions: free early check-in, free kayak rental, a free bundle of firewood.
Goal 8: Team Up with a Local Business
Title: Dinner's on Us
Description: $50 to our favorite local spot with 3+ nights
Redemption: Book 3+ nights direct. Your gift card will be waiting at check-in.
Why it works: It makes the trip better, supports a neighbor, and gives you a reason to build a relationship with that restaurant. Ask if they'll keep your card by the register in return.
Goal 9: Bring Back Past Guests
Title: Welcome Back
Description: 15% off for returning guests, any dates
Redemption: Email us from the address you booked with last time.
Why it works: A guest who's already stayed is the easiest booking you'll ever get. Share your Stays link in a past-guest email and this is the first thing they'll see.
Goal 10: Lock In Peak Season Early
Title: Plan Ahead for Summer
Description: Book July by March 1 and save 15%
Redemption: Use code EARLYBIRD on our direct booking site before March 1.
Why it works: Early bookings mean predictable revenue and less scrambling later. A deadline gives planners a reason to commit now instead of "thinking about it."
Four Rules for Any Offer
1. Keep it simple
A traveler should understand the deal in one glance. "20% off weeknights" works. "Save up to 20% on select qualifying dates, restrictions apply" makes people's eyes glaze over.
2. Make redeeming it obvious
A code, a link, or "mention this Offer." If someone has to email you to ask how to claim it, you've already lost a few of them.
3. Keep it fresh
A "Winter Special" still up in June tells travelers nobody's home. Rotate with the seasons, and let old Offers expire.
4. Honor it. Every time.
This one isn't optional. If a traveler shows up to book and the Offer isn't honored, or it turns out to be a bait-and-switch, your stay will be removed from Stays. Only post what you're ready to stand behind.
One More Thing: Save Your Best Stuff for Invites
A public Offer is for everyone who lands on your page. A private Invite is for one traveler who's already shown interest in your stay.
So think of them as a one-two punch. Your public Offer is the sign in the window. Your Invite is the handshake. Post something solid publicly, and keep something a little better in your back pocket for the Leads who've viewed or favorited your place.
Where to Start
Pull up your calendar for the next 90 days and find the biggest hole. Then pick the one Offer from this list that's aimed at it, and post that.
One well-aimed Offer beats three generic ones. Watch what happens for a few weeks, then swap in the next.
