LOCAL ACCOMMODATION
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3 min read
by Jaime Garín, Barcelona Market Manager
Published May 31, 2023
| PROPERTY MANAGER | SHORT-TERM RENTAL | PARTNERS | SPAIN |
Previously we have seen how to set up your tourist accommodation and the tax obligations you will face. Now, we are giving you some tips for your long-term management.
Running a tourist accommodation can be a difficult task if you don't have the right tools. In this third and final part, we will focus on those activities that you can automate with solutions available in the sector, with the idea of making your day-to-day life more enjoyable and saving you time and money.
Channel Manager
When promoting your tourist accommodation on as many portals as possible such as Booking.com, Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, Google Vacation Rentals, etc..., offering its actual availability on all of them is impossible if you do it manually. Therefore, the ideal is to hire a Channel Manager, a tool that synchronises the calendars of all your listings in one place. This way, you won't have to worry about blocking dates on the other portals when you receive a booking, avoiding the dreaded "overbookings".
There are Channel Managers such as AvaiBook by idealista or Rentals United that will help you grow while optimising processes.
PMS (Property Management Software)
If we emphasise all those steps you will carry out every time a new guest stays with you, the tool you should consider next is a PMS (Property Management Software).
This all-in-one software will allow you to take on all the tasks for a booking within a single platform, from sending guests automatic e-mails to organising the cleaning or registering travellers' reports to the relevant authorities (police, mossos de esquadra, guardia civil), among many other tasks that require multiple hours if you do them manually.
You can find various providers in the sector that offer PMS, such as Icnea or Avantio.
Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash
Work to improve your guests' experience
Don't do that only before their arrival with the different communications and the online check-in, but also during their stay in your accommodation and the environment. It can be with a welcome gift, a map of the city, a guide from the accommodation in PDF with all the services included. Anything that makes your guests' journey easier makes sense.
Of course, another important factor will be recommending activities at the destination (free tours, guided visits, excursions, etc.). Providers such as Civitatis or GetYourGuide offer a wide range of options for your guests in your city and the surrounding area, being easily integrated into the communication channels with your guests (your website, e-mails, messages).
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Social media
Social networks allow you to show your accommodation and brand to potential clients. In addition, Facebook or Instagram have the chance to include the link to your advert or your website in your description, making them another booking channel to increase your revenue.
Like any other area of your business, it requires a lot of time if you want to get results. Therefore, you need to be aware of your availability and the tasks you consider the most important. Perhaps, in this area, you could consider outsourcing to a marketing agency or freelance expert. If not, start by focusing on a single social media network at the beginning and not wanting to cover all the existing ones.
Photos by Karsten Winegeart (left) and Sara Kurfeß (right) on Unsplash
Management and generation of positive reviews
We know that the topic of positive reviews on your accommodation can also be part of the section on how to improve and work on your guests' experience. We wanted to address it separately because of its importance.
If you manage to automate the generation of positive reviews from your guests, you will have achieved a significant advance. Invite your guests to write about their stay in your accommodation in your e-mails and/or WhatsApp days after their departure, on your social networks, website, Trustpilot, etc...
That way, the comments will help you get new guests to choose your accommodation and not your competitors.
Just remember that it is as important to focus on getting new reviews as well as to manage and answer them in due time.
Solutions such as Revyoos (all-in-one review aggregator) will make this task much easier as you become more professional in your management.
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
Before we say goodbye for good, we want to remind you of yet another repetitive and overwhelming task you will have to face in your day-to-day life as a property manager - managing your guests' luggage before check-in and after check-out.
Do not panic or be afraid!
That is what we are here for. With LUGGit, you will solve your guests' luggage problems in just one click and you will be able to forget about this headache just like that.
We have reached the end of our “How to become a property manager in Spain” series. We hope to have helped you with your business, from start to finish and we have given you good tips to stand out in the market!
