Short-term rental and vacation rental operators know that introducing smart automations into their operations is necessary for business survival and growth. In an increasingly competitive industry, such automations help operators achieve more and deliver better service, even with fewer resources and staff. Operational automations go beyond keeping up with tasks; leveraged to the fullest, smart operations enhance guest experiences, boost revenue, and ultimately allow for growth.
At Guesty, we see opportunities for smart automations in three main areas:
- Operations including check-in check-out, laundry, cleaning, security, and maintenance
- Revenue management and reservations economy
- Communications, guest experience, and reducing guest friction
This article will explore opportunities to introduce smart automations in these areas throughout the guest journey to promote efficiency, higher revenue, and happier guests.
Leveraging automation throughout the guest journey
From discovery and booking to checkout and loyalty-building activities, hosting is a succession of countless steps and touchpoints. The business of property management software (PMS) is to streamline and simplify hosting to enable property managers to achieve more, with less. By introducing smart technological solutions and automations into the workflow, today’s smart automation solutions are revolutionizing how property managers deliver exceptional experiences while maximizing revenue.
Advanced automation doesn’t just streamline tasks – with the proper technology, it orchestrates sophisticated sequences of actions that work together seamlessly to transform every aspect of property management. Let’s explore how these intelligent systems create value at every stage of the guest journey:
Pre-stay excellence: Setting the stage for success
From the moment a potential guest discovers your property, smart automations begin working to optimize their experience and your revenue:
1. Dynamic pricing intelligence
Advanced AI-powered dynamic pricing tools continuously analyze market conditions, automatically adjusting rates across all channels in real time. For example, during high-demand periods such as local events, the system intelligently optimizes pricing by raising rates to maximize revenue opportunities. Alternatively, during the low season, pricing will be lowered to match the rates of similar listings in the area to maintain competitive rates. This constant market analysis ensures your properties maintain competitive positioning while maximizing revenue potential across all booking channels. Employing dynamic pricing tools that automate this process saves countless hours and avoids human errors that can occur during manual pricing analysis. They are also proven to lift revenue. Guesty data shows that users who leverage our built-in price optimizer see an average +7% increase in revenue after one year.
2. Strategic gap night management
Smart automation transforms potentially lost revenue from gap nights into profitable opportunities. Dynamic pricing tools can proactively identify these gaps and implement attractive nightly rate pricing and availability restrictions that can be built according to pre-set rules and parameters to maximize revenue and bookings.
3. Streamlined communication
Advanced guest communication flows ensure every interaction builds towards positive sentiment and trust in your property. Even before a booking is confirmed, automated yet personalized message sequences can guide guests through their booking and pre-stay journey. Smart response systems handle common inquiries instantly, while proactive communication delivers check-in information and customized welcome guides based on guest profiles. This comprehensive communication strategy ensures guests feel informed and valued while reducing the operational burden on your team. The quick and relevant responses can often make the difference in securing a booking.
4. Personalized upsells
Intelligent upsell communications that suggest personalized offers can enhance both guest experience and revenue. Such automated communication could offer relevant add-ons and services including early check-in/ late check-out or tailored concierge services based on guest preferences and historical booking data. This sophisticated approach to upselling creates additional revenue streams while demonstrating attentiveness to guest needs and travel preferences.
5. Operational excellence
Team coordination automations create seamless operations behind the scenes. Optimize turnover schedules, coordinate maintenance and cleaning teams, and manage special requests with precision. By automatically adjusting schedules to maximize early check-in availability and ensure property readiness, these automations maintain high operational standards while increasing revenue opportunities through flexible check-in times.
During the stay: Creating seamless guest experiences
The heart of exceptional hospitality lies in responsive, attentive guest communication. Advanced automation practices transform this critical touchpoint into a powerful tool driving guest satisfaction. For example, when a guest checks in, a smart automation put in place can prompt a welcome message, verify successful entry, and schedule a comfort check for two hours later. Furthermore, throughout the stay, smart communication automations ensure guest inquiries receive immediate attention at any hour.
Smart systems can also predict and prevent potential issues. Noise detectors and smoke monitors that automatically alert the property manager when levels are elevated enable intervention before damage is done, conflict arises, and neighbors get upset. Smart locks and thermostats can be set to automatically activate during the scheduled times of stay, increasing guest convenience and comfort.
Communication automations and smart, connected systems allow you to provide the experience of constant open lines without needing to actually be on call 24/7.
Post-stay: Converting great experiences into lasting relationships
The end of a guest’s stay offers an opportunity to check in, build a long-term relationship to drive future bookings and of course, gain a positive review. Following a positive guest experience, you can set into motion a series of correspondence to increase satisfaction and nurture repeat bookings. Within hours of check-out, automations can initiate a personalized thank-you message, including promotions or discounts for future bookings, followed by a strategically timed review request. Based on the guest’s interaction history, the system can tailor its approach. For instance, guests who experienced minor issues during their stay might receive additional attention and special offers to ensure their satisfaction and may not include a review request. Leaving guests reviews a set number of days after checkout can also be automated according to pre-set templates which can be turned on or off as needed.
Operational excellence continues behind the scenes through sophisticated turnover management. Automated task management for cleaning and maintenance allows you to create templates for tasks around specific events such as guest check-out to ensure successful turnovers and that nothing falls through the cracks.
The power of smart automation
Smart automation transforms property management from a series of manual tasks into a seamlessly orchestrated operation. By deploying intelligent property management systems, operators can scale their businesses while delivering consistently exceptional experiences. These sophisticated tools do more than just save time—they revolutionize how properties operate, enabling precise resource allocation, streamlined communications, and optimized revenue generation.
The real power of automation lies in its ability to handle routine operations with precision, freeing property managers to focus on what matters most: creating consistent and memorable guest experiences and strategic business growth. From intelligent pricing to automated guest communications, these systems work in harmony to eliminate operational friction and drive business success and growth.
At Guesty, we regularly survey our users which has shown that our automation tools have been reported to cut their workloads by as much as 50 to 80 percent. These savings give them more time to tend to growth-oriented tasks such as providing consistently higher-quality experiences and expanding their portfolios. Another benefit of using automation tools is that they eliminate the risk of human error or oversight which can often cause guest dissatisfaction and loss of revenue.
A comprehensive property management system will enable you to implement automations to make your operations more efficient to enable growth and success. Book a demo today to learn more about how Guesty automations can help you streamline your short-term rental management.
