Onboarding for 2026 high season:
8 villa spots · 1 filled (Casa Cheetah) · 7 remaining
For villa owners on the Guanacaste coast
Stop being on-call for your own villa.
We list it, we sell it, we run the concierge - for a flat 10%. No setup fee. No monthly cost. No exclusivity required.
If you manage a luxury villa on this coast, you already know…
The villa is the easy part. The rest of it is what wears you out.
Constant guest messagesThe 2am WhatsApp asking how to work the AC. The 7am question about coffee. The week-long thread before they arrive.
Generic listing presentationYour $1,500-a-night villa looking like the studio next door because Airbnb gives you the same template.
18% combined platform feesHost fee plus guest service fee plus payment processing plus payout delays. The math grinds you down.
Guests who do not know the areaThey book the wrong week, expect what is not there, leave a 3-star review because they could not find a taxi.
Cleaning & logistics chaseCoordinating turnovers, restocking, broken faucets, deliveries, while you are trying to live your life.
The face behind your bookings
Hi, I am Jenny. I live in Tamarindo with a small local team. PlayaCR is what we built so that the guests who fly into Liberia for a villa week actually get the trip we promised them - and so the owners who trusted us with their villa do not get called at 2am about a remote control.
When you list with PlayaCR, I am the one who handles your guests. The airport pickup, the breakfast setup, the surf lesson, the chef night, the day at Llanos de Cortez, the broken door handle, all of it. You get the booking income; I run the trip.
Your villa, presented like a boutique hotel
Every villa we list gets its own cinematic mini-site at playacr.com/villas/[your-villa]/ - editorial copy, full gallery, rates, location, "things to do from here" cross-links to all our activity pillars, and an inquiry form that lands in our concierge inbox.
This is the page we just built for our first villa partner, Casa Cheetah. Your villa would look exactly like this - your photos, your story, your rates.
PlayaCR vs Airbnb / VRBO / property managers
A side-by-side of what your villa gets with us vs the platforms you are likely already on.
| PlayaCR | Airbnb / VRBO | |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Cinematic editorial mini-site, professional copy, drone & sunset photos | Cookie-cutter listing - looks like every other Tamarindo villa |
| Commission | 10% on booking - that is it | ~3% host + ~15% guest service + payment fees + payout delays |
| Concierge for guests | Jenny handles arrival, activities, problems - you do not get 2am calls | You are on-call |
| Guest quality | Vetted through our concierge funnel | Anyone with a card |
| Cross-sell income | Every guest books $1-3K of activities through us - you earn a referral cut | None |
| Direct relationship | You keep guest contact, build repeat bookings | Airbnb gates the relationship |
| SEO traffic | Your villa name ranks on Google for "[Villa] Tamarindo" | Buried under Airbnb’s brand |
| Onboarding | You give us photos + iCal URL, we build the mini-site | Self-serve, mostly text |
The math: 3 villa owners, real numbers
Three indicative villa profiles on the Guanacaste coast - what they earn through Airbnb today vs through PlayaCR.
Owner profile
3-BR in Langosta$600 / night · 20 weeks / yr
Airbnb-equivalent: ~$120K Airbnb gross
With PlayaCR: ~$132K via PlayaCR + cross-sell
+$12K and the concierge headache off her plate.
Owner profile
4-BR in Tamarindo$1,000 / night · 24 weeks / yr
Airbnb-equivalent: ~$192K Airbnb gross
With PlayaCR: ~$216K via PlayaCR + cross-sell
+$24K and a listing that finally looks like the home it is.
Owner profile
6-BR oceanfront Las Catalinas$2,200 / night · 22 weeks / yr
Airbnb-equivalent: ~$338K Airbnb gross
With PlayaCR: ~$385K via PlayaCR + cross-sell
+$47K and one local point of contact for every guest.
Indicative scenarios based on typical occupancy and platform fee structures. Actuals depend on villa quality, season, and booking velocity.
What kind of villas we feature
We are intentionally selective - we promote 8 to 10 villas at a time across the gold coast, not a directory of hundreds. Quality bar:
- ✓3 or more bedrooms, fully modern interior
- ✓In the gold-coast corridor: Tamarindo, Langosta, Conchal, Flamingo, Brasilito, Potrero, Las Catalinas, or Coco
- ✓Private pool (or shared luxury complex amenities)
- ✓WiFi, AC throughout, full kitchen
- ✓Existing professional photos OR willingness to use ours
- ✓Active booking calendar (Airbnb, VRBO, Lodgify, Hospitable, OwnerRez, or similar)
Borderline qualifications? Apply anyway and we will tell you within 48 hours if there is a fit.
What we offer the villa owner
- ✓Cinematic mini-site at playacr.com/villas/[your-villa]/ - editorial copy, gallery, rates, map, FAQ, inquiry form
- ✓Full concierge for every guest - we handle arrival, activities, restaurant bookings, transfers, complaints
- ✓Featured placement on the /stay-villas/ landing alongside other curated luxury villas
- ✓Cross-listing in our editorial content - blog posts, social, newsletter, the Plan-My-Trip tool
- ✓Inbound from our 8 activity pillars (fishing, catamaran, chef, surf, wellness, ATV, wildlife, snorkel) - each cross-links villas
- ✓iCal-based availability sync - we plug into your Airbnb / Lodgify / Hospitable / OwnerRez calendar
- ✓A cross-sell commission back to you on every activity your guests book through us
What we ask in return
- ●10% commission on the booking total (no markups, no hidden fees)
- ●Rate parity - you do not undercut us by selling cheaper through other channels at the same dates
- ●Access to your photos (you supply, we crop & grade) or your existing Lodgify/Airbnb gallery
- ●A public iCal URL from your booking system so we can show availability
- ●2-3 week onboarding window to build the mini-site and set up the inquiry pipeline
What happens in the next 3 weeks
From the moment you apply to your first booking.
Week 1
Discovery call & brief30-minute call with Jenny. You share photos, rates, iCal URL, house rules. We draft an outline of your mini-site.
Week 2
We build your mini-siteWe write the editorial copy, lay out the gallery, set rate ranges, write the FAQ, build the inquiry form, plug in your iCal feed.
Week 3
Launch + first inquiriesYour page goes live at playacr.com/villas/[your-villa]. We promote in our newsletter and social. First inquiries usually land in week 3 or 4.
Ongoing
We send guests, you keep the incomeConcierge runs the arrival and the activities. You collect payments through your system. We invoice 10% net 30 after each booking.
Why this is low-risk for you
✓ No setup feeWe do the page build, copy, photo processing, and concierge onboarding at no cost. Zero upfront.
✓ No monthly costYou pay nothing month-to-month. We are paid only on confirmed bookings.
✓ No exclusivity requiredKeep your Airbnb, VRBO, direct listings. We just ask rate parity on the same dates.
✓ Cancel with 30 days noticeNot a fit? We de-list with 30 days notice. No clawback, no penalty. You keep all your content.
✓ You own everythingYour photos, your bookings, your guest relationships, your content. We hand the keys back if you ever leave.
Apply to list your villa
60 seconds. No charge to apply. Jenny replies within 48 hours.
Owner FAQ
How much do you charge?
A flat 10% commission on the booking total. No setup fee, no monthly fee, no markup on the price you set. We are paid only when a guest actually books.
Do I have to give you exclusivity?
No. You can keep your Airbnb, VRBO, and direct listings active. We just ask for rate parity - you do not undercut us on the same dates. Most owners go exclusive on their own once they see the conversion difference.
How does calendar sync work?
You give us one public iCal URL from your existing booking system (Airbnb, VRBO, Lodgify, Hospitable, OwnerRez, even Google Calendar). We pull it every few hours. Your calendar is the single source of truth - zero double-booking risk.
Who handles the booking and payment?
We capture the inquiry, confirm availability with you, then pass the booking through your existing system (Lodgify, Stripe, whatever you use). You keep the booking relationship and the payment processing; we are paid our 10% on confirmed bookings.
What do you need from me to get started?
Photos (or access to your existing gallery), an iCal URL, your standard nightly rates, and any house rules / quirks we should know. We do the page build, the copy, the FAQ, the concierge setup. 2 to 3 weeks onboarding.
Who manages guests when they arrive?
We do. Jenny handles airport transfers, arrival check-in, activities, restaurant bookings, problems, and departure. You only hear from us if there is a genuine villa issue (broken AC, plumbing) we cannot fix on our own.
What if I already use a property manager?
That is fine - we work in parallel. Many of our partner villas have a local PM handling cleaning and maintenance while we run the marketing and concierge. We coordinate with them.
How do you screen guests?
Every booking comes through our concierge intake first - we know the group size, ages, purpose of the trip (family, surf, wellness, bachelorette) before they ever land. No surprise rowdy parties or people who do not know where they are going.
What if I want to stop listing?
30 days notice and we de-list, no penalty, no clawback. You keep all your content. We are not in the lock-in business.
Do I get a contract to review?
Yes - a simple two-page listing agreement covering the 10% commission, rate parity, calendar feed, and 30-day cancellation terms. No surprises.
What kind of guests do you send?
Mid-to-luxury travelers from the US, Canada, and Europe - families, couples on honeymoon, wellness retreats, surf groups, bachelorette parties, and corporate retreats. All come in through our concierge so they are pre-screened by group type.
When do I get paid?
You collect payment from the guest through your normal system (Lodgify, Stripe, whatever you use). We invoice the 10% to you after each booking confirms - typically 30 days net.
7 villa spots remaining
High-season onboarding closes when the 8 spots fill.
Apply now →