The HolidayHero Blog

Field notes on running the stay.

AI in hospitality, the operations playbook, and honest comparisons — written for mid-market operators.

Release RadarFeatured

Self check-in for hostels, parks and aparthotels

Hostels, holiday parks and aparthotels do not have a queue problem. They have a nobody-is-there problem. Four steps on the guest's own phone, a camera reading a passport, a signature on glass, and the reservation staying correct in the PMS you already run.

Kevin Hoft
21 Sept 2026 · 9 min read
Self check-in for hostels, parks and aparthotels
What's new in HolidayHero: end of September 2026
Product Updates
What's new in HolidayHero: end of September 2026

Guests can now scan a passport with their phone camera and sign the rental agreement before they travel, online check-in has been rebuilt for mobile, and arrivals have their own screen instead of a filter on the reservations list.

Hjalte Niehorster · 2 min read
What's new in HolidayHero: late September 2026
Product Updates
What's new in HolidayHero: late September 2026

Guests can now see their inquiry's approval and payment status right in chat, without messaging you, and experiences that need your approval can finally be sold through Mollie.

Hjalte Niehorster · 2 min read
What an AI agent can actually do to your property
Release Radar
What an AI agent can actually do to your property

The HolidayHero MCP server is generally available. The full tool list, the permission model, the audit trail, and an honest account of what is not ready yet.

Hjalte Niehorster · 8 min read
What's new in HolidayHero: mid-September 2026
Product Updates
What's new in HolidayHero: mid-September 2026

Message templates can now check what's on a guest's itinerary or where a booking came from before they send, and WhatsApp auto-replies can carry your own wording instead of one fixed message for every property.

Hjalte Niehorster · 1 min read
One inbox for all guest communication: SMS, email, WhatsApp and OTA messaging
Release Radar
One inbox for all guest communication: SMS, email, WhatsApp and OTA messaging

A forty-room property answers guests on five surfaces before lunch. What changes when WhatsApp, SMS, email, web chat, Booking.com and Airbnb become one queue — with the reservation showing alongside the conversation, sitting on top of the PMS you already run.

Kevin Hoft · 7 min read
Product Updates
What's new in HolidayHero: August 2026

Operators can now leave internal notes on a conversation that guests never see, including automatic handoff notes from the AI assistant, and filter the inbox by channel. StayNTouch bookings now sync with their true source and room rate.

Hjalte Niehorster · 2 min read
Why keeping an eye on OTA changes should be part of your weekly routine

OTAs change their fees, rankings, and policies constantly — and operators who find out late pay for it in margin and visibility. Here's why monitoring OTA news matters, three recent changes that caught hosts off guard, and how to stay informed in five minutes a day.

Kevin Hoft · 5 min read
What's new in HolidayHero: late July 2026
Product Updates
What's new in HolidayHero: late July 2026

Operators can now filter the Day Board down to just arrivals, stayovers or departures, and guest profiles support custom fields that show up right inside the shared inbox.

Hjalte Niehorster · 1 min read

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