Holidays like this make the case for developing a good yield management strategy. I've been reading over the past year how airlines and other larger hotel chains handle rate adjustments.
What seems to work for me is to set aggressive but not outrageous rates initially, getting a good yield from early bookers. Then 20-40 days beforehand, when bookings for me take a siesta, I drop rates on dates where I still have low occupancy.
What I should do for last-minute bookers is raise my rates slightly 5-7 days before arrival. Unfortunately, I lack the courage to do that, fearing empty rooms. If I could develop the self-discipline to do that, I'd probably get slightly higher room rates from those last-minute panicked bookers.
The other thing is to constantly keep tabs on your competition. When other hotels or inns websites show them full-up, you'd better be upping your rates or you're leaving money on the table..