The common ways to price exclusive use
Most houses use one of these structures, or a mix of them. The right one depends on how much your costs change with the number of guests.
| Model | How it works | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat whole-house fee | One price per night or per weekend for the property | Self-catered group stays with a fixed capacity | Small groups feel overcharged; large groups get a bargain |
| Base fee plus included guests | A fee that covers up to a set number of guests, then a rate per extra guest | Most exclusive-use houses; scales fairly with the group | Set the included number so the base fee still covers your fixed costs |
| Per-person package | A price per head covering accommodation, food and drink | Corporate retreats and weddings with catering | Needs a minimum number of guests |
| Venue fee plus packages | A venue hire fee for the day, with menus and bar packages per person | Weddings | Keep the venue fee and the per-person packages clearly separate on the quote |
| Minimum spend | Exclusive use is granted once the booking reaches a set total | Venues with a restaurant or bar | Guests need to see how close they are to the minimum |
The rules that sit on top of the price
- Season and peak dates: summer Saturdays and the Christmas period priced differently from a February Tuesday.
- Day of the week: midweek retreats and Sunday weddings can carry a lower rate, which fills the quiet days.
- Minimum nights: two nights at weekends is common for group stays; weddings often book the whole weekend.
- Lead time: an early-decision discount for groups who pay the deposit quickly, or a late-availability rate for dates that are about to go unsold.
- Add-ons: chef dinners, bar packages, hot-tub slots and experiences priced individually, so the guest can build up from the base.
A worked example
Illustrative figures only. A house that sleeps 30 might set a weekend base fee that includes 20 guests, then a rate per extra guest per night up to 30, a higher base for peak Saturdays, a two-night minimum, and dinner priced per head. A group of 26 for two nights in May gets a price from four numbers: the base, six extra guests for two nights, the season rule and the dinners they choose.
Written like that, nobody has to work the quote out by hand, and two enquiries for the same dates get the same answer.
How to build an exclusive-use rate card
- 01
Work out the floor
Add up what a booking costs you to deliver at the smallest group you would accept: staff, cleaning, utilities, laundry, and the value of the date. The base fee should never fall below it.
- 02
Choose the included guests
Pick the number of guests the base fee covers, usually the group size at which most of your bookings arrive.
- 03
Price the extra guest
Set a per-person or per-person-per-night rate for guests above the included number, up to your capacity.
- 04
Add season, day and minimum-stay rules
Peak dates, midweek rates and minimum nights, written as named rules rather than exceptions.
- 05
Price the add-ons separately
Food, bar, experiences and extras each with their own price, so the guest can choose and the quote stays transparent.
- 06
Put the price on the website
Let guests build their stay and see the total before they enquire. A live-priced configurator reads the same rate card your quotes use.
Why the price belongs on your website
Most exclusive-use venues hide the price behind a contact form, so every enquiry starts with a question the website could have answered. Showing it, or letting the guest build it, filters out groups whose budget does not fit and gives the right ones a reason to enquire now.
On Steward, the rate card is data in Listings and pricing. The website configurator, staff quotes and automatic quotes all read it, so a change made in the morning applies to every new quote that day.
Questions
- What does exclusive use mean?
- Exclusive use means one group hires the whole property, usually the house, grounds and bedrooms, for the length of the booking, with no other guests on site.
- Should exclusive-use pricing be per night or per person?
- Most houses combine the two: a base fee for the property that includes a set number of guests, then a per-person rate above that. It keeps small groups from overpaying and large groups from underpaying.
- Should I publish my exclusive-use prices?
- Showing a price, or letting guests build one, brings better-qualified enquiries sooner. Venues that prefer not to publish a fixed number can still show a live price for the guest's own dates and group size.
- How do I price midweek exclusive use?
- Many estates set a lower midweek rate to win corporate retreats and smaller groups on days that would otherwise be empty. At Ballinderry Park, 87% of corporate enquiries ask for midweek dates.
Updated 24 October 2026