In recent years, the vacation rental industry has become highly competitive. Most experts point out that only automated businesses will be able to remain competitive as automation allows for greater process efficiency, reduced human error and the ability to adapt quickly to changes in the market.

The vacation rental business involves complex management of accommodations, reservations and guests, which can be overwhelming if done manually and without the right tools. In this sense, process automation becomes a fundamental strategy to streamline your processes and save time, while allowing you to focus on what really matters: improving your guests’ experience and building loyalty.

On this occasion, in collaboration with our partner AvaiBook by idealista, we will deepen in the following article on the relevance and benefits of automation.

Why is it important to automate tasks?

Task automation in the vacation rental industry is essential to improve efficiency, productivity, guest experience and business scalability, while reducing costs and minimizing errors In addition, automation improves the overall guest experience.

Although the benefits of automation are obvious, it is common to not know where to start and ask the question: how can I start automating my business?

AvaiBook by idealista has more than 12 years of experience in the vacation rental sector, something that has allowed them to know first-hand the challenges faced by property managers and owners of tourist accommodations.

From ABAL Consulting we know that one of the priorities of the owners is to optimize time and have the security and confidence that everything is under control, in short, to sleep with peace of mind. For this reason, we have prepared a list of key areas in your management that can be automated to simplify your work and help you scale your business.

Key tasks to automate in your vacation rental business

Centralize your reservations from a single calendar:

one way to simplify internal processes is to centralize your bookings in a single calendar through a Channel Manager with premium connections. This way, you will be able to synchronize your ads in the different channels (OTAs and booking engine) in real time and bidirectionally. In addition, you will be able to execute quick actions from the same calendar, such as moving bookings, ordering them, editing them and creating invoices and contracts instantly.

 

Manage your content:

another way to simplify internal processes is by using a content management system that allows you to create and modify your ads only once. This way, you will be able to synchronize elements such as images, descriptions and amenities across all your main channels. By defining them once, they will be automatically updated in all your channels, avoiding having to fill them in each portal individually.

 

Improve the experience of your guests’ check-in :

tools that automate registration are a great option to improve customer outreach. In addition, you can incorporate technologies such as smart locks to allow remote access to the accommodation, providing greater convenience and security for both you and your guests..

 

Personalize your customers’ experience:

Personalized marketing is a reality, and the best way to implement it is through personalized email marketing campaigns. You can send emails to your customers with information of interest before their arrival, during their stay, offer them suggestions for activities and excursions in the area and after their departure, send them promotions to encourage them to return in the future.

 

Assigns tasks appropriately:

Take advantage of the multi-user modules of the PMS (property manager systems) to send email or SMS notifications to your employees and share with them the schedule of tasks, including cleaning, key delivery, check-in and check-out. This way, you can keep your team informed and organized in an efficient way.

 

Automates collections, deposits and returns:

Efficiently manage collections, deposits and returns in compliance with current regulations, such as PSD2 and PCI Compliance, through a quality online payment gateway.

 

Maximize your revenue by working on your revenue management strategy:

Define your pricing policy by adapting it to market demand and your competitors, and make sure you control your cost structure. There are tools on the market such as ABAL My Reports or Smart Pricing that can help you achieve this.

 

Vacation rentals face a number of challenges. Fortunately, there are many tools and strategies that businesses can adopt to stay current and make the most of their properties. In a joint webinar organized by ABAL Consulting & AvaiBook by idealista, we discussed these topics and many others. If you are interested, you can access the webinar for free by registering at the following link: “Every property is unique, what about the way you manage it?”