3 vacation rental software tools that help you save time
Vacation rental management can be a profitable business. However, managing an Airbnb property is also very time-consuming. The to-do list is always filled with tasks like managing guests and housekeepers, tracking and maintaining the availability calendar, and updating listings when things change. And when you run multiple properties at the same time, it can seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day! Fortunately, there is software available that takes this work off your hands by digitizing and automating it. But which vacation rental software tools are the most suitable? Here, we’ve listed three of the best to help you save time.
Channel management software
Of course, you want as many bookings as possible. But to get bookings, you need to be visible. One way to be more visible is by listing your property on multiple booking platforms at the same time. That sounds easy, but this way of working can become time-consuming because you need to keep your listings up-to-date across the various platforms. Furthermore, it can be a challenge to keep track of all the separate tools. On top of those issues, you could face problems such as double bookings.
There is a solution so you can be active on multiple platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking, and not run into these drawbacks: channel managers. With channel managers, you can easily:
Create listings and push them live on all platforms.
Synchronize your rates across platforms, with updates executed automatically.
Synchronize your calendar across platforms automatically to avoid double bookings.
Unify your inbox. In other words: collect messages from all your platforms in one place. Easy!
Depending on the booking platforms you use, you can select different channel managers. Are you curious to start using one? Try it out! Most channel managers offer you a 14-day trial for free.
Vacation rental software
Vacation rental or property management software can help you manage most aspects of your vacation rental property. By using vacation rental software, you can automate a variety of processes. This is the core software tool for most hosts or property managers.
Most vacation rental software:
Features a direct booking engine
Uses a central reservation system
Helps you build your website
Enables communication with guests
Contains analytics and reporting
A broad range of vacation rental software is available with different features – from managing reservations to customer support and marketing. Some vacation rental software solutions even include a channel manager feature.
Depending on how you like to run your business, you can compare different types of vacation rental software. Do you need some help choosing? Hotel Tech Report, Capterra, and Software Advice have a great guide to help you decide!
Guest experience software
While most vacation rental software systems manage aspects of your business as a host, the features are tailored to the management of your property, not to the guest experience. That is a missed opportunity. After all, guest experience is one of the key elements of building a successful hospitality business. Guest experience software could be a good solution if you want to deliver the best guest experience during all parts of the guest journey – from booking to check-in, through to check-out, and beyond.
Guest experience software usually features:
The availability of a guest app
Digital house manual
A smart chatbot
Local recommendations
Proactive and personalized offers
Smart lock integration
Guest verification
Digital check-in and check-out
Using a guest app, you can digitize and automate all guest interactions beyond the booking. Furthermore, you offer your guests a way to personalize their stay. If you are hosting short-term rentals, you’ll need to spend less time on guest management. You’ll also delight your guests with unique offerings. Consequently, the chance that they will return or recommend your spot to others increases dramatically. By using guest experience software, you thus maximize your revenue.
It’s up to you!
Running a vacation rental brings a variety of challenges. The three tools mentioned here help you digitize and automate most of the processes involved – processes you’re probably doing manually now. Of course, it’s up to you how you want to run your short-term rental and how much time you want to spend on it. Just be aware that there are tools out there that can help you save time!
