How to Use ChatGPT For Vacation Rental Managers:

Maximize Efficiency and Guest Satisfaction

Managing a vacation rental can be challenging, but with ChatGPT, it becomes a lot easier and more efficient. This innovative AI tool transforms how you communicate with guests, manage your property, and market your services. Whether it’s responding to guest inquiries instantly, crafting engaging content for your website, or developing clear operating procedures, ChatGPT stands as your digital assistant. 

ChatGPT empowers vacation rental managers to streamline their operations and provide exceptional guest experiences. Set a new standard in the hospitality industry.

Benefits of ChatGPT for Vacation Rental Management 

ChatGPT can be a valuable asset for vacation rental managers in several ways. Using an AI tool can streamline processes and elevate guest experiences. Benefits include: 

• Streamline vacation rental procedures.
• Automate routine communications.
• Maintain consistent guest interactions.
• Personalize guest experiences.
• Analyze guest feedback for insights.
• Create engaging marketing content.
• Develop comprehensive staff training.
• Reduce operational costs.
• Communicate across languages.

ChatGPT Paid (4) Vs Free (3.5) for Vacation Rental Management

First, what’s the difference between paid and unpaid versions of ChatGPT for vacation rental management? The difference primarily revolves around access to advanced features, reliability, and support. 

Unpaid ChatGPT-3.5 (Free Version)

The free version offers standard ChatGPT functionalities. These include generating text, answering questions, and basic language processing abilities. 

Pros:

• Saves Costs: The free version offers essential ChatGPT features without any cost. It’s ideal for budget-conscious businesses.
• Provides Basic Functionality: It generates text responses and answers queries, covering fundamental AI needs.
• Enables Trial Use: Managers can test AI capabilities in their operations without any financial commitment.

Cons:

• Lacks Advanced Features: The free version doesn’t include specialized functionalities for comprehensive vacation rental management.
• Imposes Usage Limits: It restricts the number of queries or the amount of data you can process.
• Offers Basic Support Only: Customer support is limited, which could hinder resolving more complex issues.

Paid ChatGPT-4 (Subscription)

A paid subscription often unlocks more advanced capabilities. Like specific industries or tasks, including enhanced capabilities for managing guest communications and marketing strategies.

Pros:

• Allows Greater Customization: Users can tailor it to fit the specific needs of a vacation rental business closely.
• Ensures Higher Reliability: As this version can search the internet, it can provide better consistency in performance.
• Supports Scalability: It suits growing businesses well. Homeowners can manage a larger volume of interactions efficiently. 

Cons:

• Involves Costs: The paid version requires a monthly financial investment. 
• Demands Learning: Advanced features need more time and effort to integrate into existing workflows effectively.

Which Version of ChatGPT is Better for Vacation Rental Managers?

The better GPT option depends on the homeowner’s specific needs and the scale of the vacation rental business.

For Small Scale or Infrequent Use: If you’re just starting out or have a smaller operation, the unpaid version of ChatGPT might suffice. It can handle basic tasks and provide a feel for how AI can benefit your business.

For Larger Scale or Specialized Needs: If your vacation rental business is large, and growing, or you need more specialized features, the paid version would be more suitable. 

In summary, while the unpaid version of ChatGPT offers fundamental AI capabilities at no cost, the paid version provides enhanced features, customization, and support. The choice depends on the vacation rental business’s size, budget, and specific requirements.

How to Create and Refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with ChatGPT

Use ChatGPT to craft and refine Standard Operating Procedures for various scenarios. These include housekeeping protocols, emergency responses, and guest management. It can help formulate clear and detailed procedures for efficient and standardized operations.

Dealing with Power Outages

Draft an SOP for “Dealing with Power Outages” outlining step-by-step procedures for staff. It can include immediate actions, guest communication protocols, and safety measures. 

Prompt: “Help me create a Standard Operating Procedure for managing power outages at my vacation rental property.” 

Guest Check-In and Check-Out Procedures

ChatGPT can help draft detailed SOPs for smooth and efficient check-in and check-out processes. Include key collection, digital lock instructions, and property walkthrough guidelines for guests.

Prompt: “Create a standard operating procedure for guest check-in and check-out at my vacation rental, including key collection and digital lock instructions. Here is information about my rental: [input information specific to your vacation home rental].”

Emergency Situations Handling

Create SOPs for routine maintenance checks and emergency repair protocols. This can cover how to handle common issues like plumbing problems, electrical faults, or appliance breakdowns.

Prompt: “Create an SOP for vacation rental staff on how to handle emergencies, including steps for evacuation, contacting emergency services, and ensuring guest safety.”

Property Cleaning and Sanitization

Use ChatGPT to establish thorough cleaning and sanitization procedures, like handling bodily fluids by housekeeping. This is especially important for health and safety concerns. You can include checklists for deep cleaning, laundry handling, and restocking supplies.

Prompt: “Develop a standard operating procedure for housekeeping staff in vacation rentals on how to safely handle and clean areas contaminated with bodily fluids.”

Inventory Management

Establish procedures for regular inventory checks, replenishing supplies, and managing assets across multiple rental properties.

Prompt: “Create an SOP for inventory management in vacation rentals, including regular checks and replenishing supplies across multiple properties.”

Each of these prompts is designed to guide ChatGPT in creating detailed and specific SOPs that address various critical aspects of vacation rental management. Make sure you add relevant information about your business that an assistant (ChatGPT) should know. 

How to Automate and Personalize Guest Communications with ChatGPT

Vacation rental managers can use ChatGPT to automate and personalize guest communication. This includes drafting responses to common inquiries, creating welcome messages, providing local recommendations, and handling specific guest requests. 

Send Welcome Messages

You can use ChatGPT to personalize welcome messages for all guests. It can include guests’ names, stay dates, and tailored local restaurant recommendations based on their culinary preferences mentioned during booking. 

Prompt: “Draft a personalized welcome message for guests named John and Jane who have booked a weekend stay in [property location]. Include restaurant recommendations based on their preference for Italian cuisine.”

Suggest Personalized Activities

It can offer customized activity suggestions based on the guest’s interests. You can recommend outdoor activities for adventure seekers or family-friendly attractions. 

Prompt: “Draft a message suggesting outdoor adventure activities in [Location] for guests who enjoy hiking and nature. Include distance and travel time to [vacation rental location].”

Tailor Post-Stay Thank You Notes

ChatGPT can help personalize thank you notes post-stay. It can ask for feedback and encourage guests to book again in the future. 

Prompt: “Write a thank you message for guests who just checked out. Ask kindly for their feedback and invite them to stay with us again.”

Create Special Occasion Greetings

You can create customized greetings and suggestions for celebrating at the rental or nearby locales. This is especially helpful if you’re informed about special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries, 

Prompt: “Draft a birthday greeting for a guest staying with us in [vacation rental location]. Include suggestions for a celebratory dinner at local restaurants. Guest name is [name].”

Provide Local Weather and Travel Tips

ChatGPT can generate tailored weather forecasts and travel tips, ensuring guests are well-prepared for their stay. 

Prompt: “Generate a message including this week’s weather forecast for [property location] and recommended attire for guests visiting our beachfront rental.”

How ChatGPT Can Analyze and Manage Reviews

ChatGPT can help analyze guest reviews to identify trends, common issues, and areas for improvement. It can summarize feedback and suggest actionable steps to enhance guest satisfaction and improve overall ratings. 

Identify Trends in Guest Preferences

AI can look at reviews to spot trends in what guests enjoy or prefer, like a particular room layout or amenities, helping you focus on what guests value most.

Prompt: “Review these guest comments and identify any recurring positive feedback about our amenities and room layouts. [insert reviews]”

Late Check-in Complaints

Use ChatGPT to analyze reviews and identify common issues like late check-in complaints. Use it to suggest the next steps and how to improve guest satisfaction. 

Prompt: “Analyze these guest reviews and identify common issues, especially concerning check-in times, and suggest possible improvements. [insert reviews].”

Highlight Operational Challenges

Use ChatGPT to pinpoint operational issues mentioned in reviews, such as slow Wi-Fi or insufficient heating. You can ask it to suggest potential solutions.

Prompt: “[insert reviews] Summarize guest reviews that mention Wi-Fi issues and propose steps to improve internet connectivity in our vacation rental.”

Gauge Feedback on Cleanliness and Maintenance

ChatGPT can be instrumental in assessing feedback related to cleanliness and maintenance. Use the AI tool to guide improvements in housekeeping standards.

Prompt: “Analyze recent reviews focusing on cleanliness and maintenance. Recommend actions for enhancing our housekeeping procedures.”

Improve Response to Negative Reviews

AI can help craft thoughtful, empathetic responses to negative reviews. This is key to maintaining a positive online reputation.

Prompt: “Draft a response to a negative review mentioning a check-out experience. Address the guest’s concerns and outline corrective measures.”

Optimize Property Pricing and Value

Make sure your rates remain competitive and fair. Analyze reviews that mention pricing or value for money to see if adjustments are needed. 

Prompt: “Summarize reviews discussing our pricing and perceived value, and advise if we should reconsider our pricing strategy.” 

How to Generate Marketing Content with ChatGPT for Vacation Rentals

For marketing efforts, ChatGPT can generate engaging and SEO-friendly content for websites, blogs, and social media platforms. This could include promotional materials, informative articles about the local area, and updates about the rental properties.

Write Blog Posts

A rental manager uses ChatGPT to create blog content about “Top 10 Family Activities in [Location]”. Incorporate SEO keywords to boost website traffic and attract potential guests.

Prompt: “Write an SEO-friendly blog post about the top 10 family activities in [Location], suitable for my vacation rental website.” 

Create Captivating Property Descriptions

Use ChatGPT to write enticing descriptions of your rental properties. Highlight the unique features and nearby attractions to draw in potential guests.

Prompt: “Generate a compelling description for my beachfront vacation rental that highlights its unique amenities and local attractions. Insert key information about rental]”

Draft Email Marketing Campaigns

AI can craft promotional emails to engage your subscriber list. Feature special offers and updates about your properties.

Prompt: “Write an email promoting our summer discount offer, targeting families planning vacations in [Location].”

Compose Engaging Social Media Posts

Rely on ChatGPT to create lively social media content. Showcase new amenities and share updates about your rentals to keep your audience interested.

Prompt: “Create [# of posts] engaging social media posts that highlight the latest amenities at our vacation rental. [Insert information about latest amenities].”

Write Informative Local Area Guides

ChatGPT helps put together detailed guides about the local area. These guides provide guests with insider tips on dining, shopping, and cultural activities.

Prompt: “Write a guide on the best dining spots in [Location] for guests staying at our vacation rental.”

How ChatGPT Can Create Training Materials for Vacation Rental Staff

ChatGPT can be used to create training materials and guides for new staff. This can streamline the onboarding process and ensure consistency in staff training.

Full Training Guide

ChatGPT assists in developing a comprehensive training guide for new cleaning staff. It includes detailed cleaning checklists, safety protocols, and customer service tips.

Prompt: “Create a training guide for new cleaning staff at my vacation rental. Include detailed cleaning checklists, safety protocols, and customer service guidelines.”

Develop Interactive Training Modules

Use AI and ChatGPT to craft interactive training modules for staff. Incorporate scenarios and quizzes to enhance learning and engagement.

Prompt: “Design an interactive training module for new staff. Focus on guest service scenarios and include quiz questions for assessment.”

Create Role-Specific Guides

Utilize ChatGPT to develop training guides tailored to different staff roles, such as front desk operations, maintenance, or guest services.

Prompt: “Generate a training guide for front desk staff. Cover check-in procedures, guest interaction etiquette, and handling reservations.”

Provide Language and Cultural Sensitivity Training

Use ChatGPT to create training materials focusing on language skills and cultural sensitivity. This is crucial for vacation rentals catering to a diverse clientele.

Prompt: “Develop a language and cultural sensitivity training section for our staff. Focus on common phrases in [language] and cultural etiquette.”

How ChatGPT Can Provide Language Translation and Support

ChatGPT can provide translation support to communicate effectively across different languages.  Enhance guest communication for international guests and reduce language barriers and misunderstandings. 

Translate Guides with Ease

Utilize ChatGPT to translate a welcome booklet from one language to another. This ensures non-English speaking guests receive all necessary information in their native languages.

Prompt: “Translate the following welcome booklet into Spanish and German for my vacation rental guests. [insert welcome booklet text].”

Respond in Multiple Languages to Guest Queries

Through ChatGPT, tailor responses to guest queries regardless of the guest’s native language.

Prompt: “This question about nearby vegan restaurants is to be answered in Italian and Portuguese. [insert guest question].”

Instant Translation for Live Conversations

It can help translate what you or your guests say right away, useful for talking to guests directly or in online meetings.

Prompt: “Provide a translation for these conversation parts into Italian for a live chat with a guest. [insert conversation snippets].

By using ChatGPT for these translation tasks, communication with guests from different countries becomes much easier. This makes sure guests understand everything they need to know about your vacation rental, no matter what language they speak.

How ChatGPT-4 Complements Guest Experience Software 

Vacation rental managers can use Enso Connect to automate guest messaging, create digital guidebooks, and more.

Automate Guest Communication with EnsoAI

Enso Connect’s integration with GPT-4 technology facilitates automatic or suggested replies. This makes guest communication instantaneous and unique for each guest. EnsoAI is capable of handling routine customer inquiries, such as check-in and check-out times, nearby attractions, and amenities, improving response times. 

Unified Inbox for Simplified Communication

When integrated into a hospitality unified inbox like with Enso Connect, GPT-4 enhances customer support. It ensures 24/7 availability, provides personalized recommendations, increases efficiency, and can be integrated with existing systems. This integration not only improves response times but also frees up staff to focus on more complex issues, while ensuring round-the-clock customer service availability. 

Provide an AI Travel Planner and Concierge Services

Enso Connect offers an AI travel planner that enables guests to instantly craft tailored travel plans. This feature includes an AI concierge to answer queries and book local experiences, potentially earning a commission for the property manager on activities booked by guests​.

Seamlessly Translate Languages

GPT-4’s advancements in natural language processing and machine translation allow for overcoming language barriers more effectively. Property managers can communicate with guests, create digital guidebooks, and customize upsells in over 200 languages available in GPT-4, ensuring smoother communication​.

Personalize the Guest Experience

GPT-4’s algorithms facilitate the delivery of highly personalized recommendations. By analyzing guest data and preferences, tailored experiences, amenities, local attractions, dining options, and offers can be suggested, enhancing guest satisfaction and loyalty​.

Create Content Aligned With Your Vacation Rental Business

Enso AI allows hosts to create custom content that resonates with their brand tone and image. This feature is particularly useful for delivering personalized content for services, upgrade offers, events, and local tips. 

How to Use ChatGPT for Vacation Rental Management 

The integration of ChatGPT into vacation rental management represents a significant leap forward. GPT changes how we handle guest interactions, operational efficiency, and marketing strategies. This AI-driven tool, especially when paired with guest experience software, offers a comprehensive solution for vacation rental owners. Improve guest satisfaction, streamline communication processes, and optimize the overall management of rental properties.

How Enso Connect Can Help

Think of ChatGPT as an AI assistant that can talk with guests, plan things out, and make your rental business run smoother. Enso Connect is the perfect partner for this assistant. It brings all the tools ChatGPT can do right into the daily running of your vacation rentals. 

When combined with ChatGPT’s AI-driven insights and automation, Enso Connect enables managers to offer a more personalized, efficient, and memorable stay for guests. The result? Happier guests, more memorable stays, and ultimately, increased bookings and occupancy rates.

Ready to revolutionize your vacation rental management? Book a demo with Enso Connect today and unlock the full potential of AI in hospitality.

How to Elevate Operations With Hotel Guest Experience Software

In 2024, like many sectors, the hospitality industry is increasingly adopting digital solutions. They are looking to meet evolving guest expectations and operational challenges. Modern travelers look for easy-to-use technological connections and seamless experiences. 

Hotel guest experience software caters to these demands. These systems offer mobile check-ins, AI-driven concierge services, and customized upselling for a more well-rounded experience. Guest experience tools simply streamline operations. From pre-arrival operations to automated humanized communication, you can reduce costs and improve service delivery all in one. 

Contactless Operations: The New Normal in Hospitality

Simply put, the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of contactless solutions in hotels. It’s now a new standard in the industry. Hotel guest experience software’s contactless check-in/out capability is a prime example of this shift. 

Contactless operations eliminate the need for physical interaction at the front desk, addressing both safety concerns and operational inefficiencies. By reducing or eliminating face-to-face interactions, these solutions help mitigate health risks and enhance guest safety, which has become increasingly important in today’s environment.

Moreover, contactless check-in and check-out offer a significant boost in convenience and efficiency. Guests can complete their check-in process remotely before arriving, and check out at their convenience without having to queue at the front desk. This self-service approach not only reduces waiting times but also minimizes potential bottlenecks and congestion in common areas, contributing to a smoother and more streamlined guest experience.

Incorporating these technologies not only aligns with current safety standards but also meets the growing expectation for a seamless, modern travel experience. As contactless solutions become the norm, they set a new benchmark for guest convenience and operational efficiency in the hospitality industry.

Streamline Hotel Check-Ins with Smart Locks

The integration of smart locks with guest software allows guests to access their rooms through their mobile devices. Guests can bypass the front desk entirely, heading straight to their rooms upon arrival. This saves time and reduces crowding in the lobby area. 

Smart lock technology works seamlessly with hotel management systems, providing real-time updates and efficient management of room assignments and access permissions. This integration ensures that access credentials are always accurate and up-to-date, preventing any potential issues with room access and enhancing overall security.

By incorporating smart locks, hotels can offer a modern, convenient, and secure experience for guests while optimizing operational efficiency. The ability to manage access remotely and update permissions in real-time adds an extra layer of flexibility and control for hotel staff, further enhancing the benefits of this technology.

Simplify Checkouts: A Seamless Departure Experience

Hotel guest experience software provides cashless options for hotels. Guests can complete transactions and leave tips without the need for physical cash. This makes the checkout process quicker, more convenient, and secure for guests.

These digital platforms for hotels offer a contactless checkout process that boosts guest reviews, drives direct bookings, and saves housekeeping time​​. This system includes step-by-step checkout instructions to guide guests. Provide clarity on the departure process for a better guest journey​​. 

Additionally, guest experience software allows hotels to increase revenue by offering late checkout options for a fee, which can be included in automatic checkout messages. 

Automate Messaging Using Hotel Guest Experience Software

Automated communication features, such as checkout messages and a unified inbox, are pivotal components of advanced guest experience technology. These tools significantly streamline operations by automating routine inquiries and responses, allowing hotel managers to focus more on addressing specific guest needs and enhancing the overall guest experience.

Automated systems ensure that guests receive timely and relevant information at every stage of their stay. For example, automated checkout messages can provide guests with necessary departure instructions and any last-minute details, reducing the need for manual follow-ups. Similarly, a unified inbox consolidates all guest communications into a single platform, simplifying management and ensuring that no messages are missed.

These guest service systems also facilitate the delivery of personalized information through guests’ preferred communication channels. Whether it’s providing check-in instructions, offering local recommendations, or sending important updates, automation helps maintain a consistent and efficient flow of information. This enhances guest satisfaction by ensuring they have access to relevant details in a timely manner, making their stay more enjoyable and hassle-free.

By leveraging automated communication features, hotels can improve operational efficiency, reduce the workload on staff, and deliver a more personalized and responsive service to their guests.

Efficient Messaging with a Personal Touch | FREE TEMPLATES

Digital hotel guest experience platforms’ automated messaging provides a balance between efficiency and personalization. The software brings a personal touch by using AI sentiment recognition to understand guest queries. It can then provide appropriate responses. 

Here are examples of automated messages that can be sent using hotel guest experience software like Enso Connect:

Welcome Messages

Upon a guest’s arrival or check-in, they receive a warm welcome message that sets a positive tone for their stay. This personalized communication can include essential details about their stay, such as room number, Wi-Fi credentials, and check-out procedures, ensuring they have all the necessary information right from the start.

Additionally, the welcome message can be tailored to include personalized greetings based on the guest’s profile. For example, if the system recognizes a guest’s special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary, the message can include congratulatory notes or special offers. If a guest is a repeat visitor, the message can acknowledge their loyalty and highlight any preferences noted from previous stays.

This personalized approach not only enhances the guest experience by making them feel valued and recognized but also helps in setting expectations and providing a smooth transition into their stay. By addressing guests personally and providing relevant information from the moment they arrive, hotels can create a memorable first impression and foster a sense of welcome and care.

TEMPLATE MESSAGE:

Welcome to [Hotel Name], [Guest’s Name]! 

We’re delighted to have you with us. Your room [Room Number] is ready for you. For any assistance, please feel free to reach out. 

Enjoy your stay!

[Hotel Manager]

Local Recommendations

Guests can receive tailored suggestions for local attractions, dining options, or events right through their digital communication channels. By analyzing guest preferences or past visits, recommendations can be customized to align with their interests.

For instance, if a guest has previously shown interest in culinary experiences, they might receive suggestions for the best local restaurants or food festivals happening during their stay. If a guest enjoys outdoor activities, recommendations might include nearby hiking trails, parks, or recreational events.

This personalized approach ensures that the recommendations are relevant and engaging, enhancing the overall guest experience. By providing guests with curated options that match their interests, hotels can help them make the most of their stay and create memorable experiences that go beyond the property itself.

Additionally, integrating real-time information about local events or special offers can further enrich the guest experience, encouraging them to explore the area and enjoy all that the destination has to offer. This not only adds value to their stay but also positions the hotel as a knowledgeable and attentive host, dedicated to enhancing their visit.

TEMPLATE MESSAGE:

Hi [Guest’s Name], explore the best of our locale! We recommend checking out [Local Attraction] and dining at [Restaurant Name]. Visit [Event Name] for a memorable experience. Enjoy your adventure! 

Checkout Instructions

As their stay comes to an end, guests receive automated checkout instructions to facilitate a seamless departure. The message provides crucial details such as the designated checkout time, clear instructions for leaving the room (e.g., where to leave keys, handling any used amenities, or any required cleaning procedures), and guidance on how to finalize the billing process.

Moreover, the automated communication can offer options for late checkout if the hotel’s policy allows it. Guests can easily request an extended stay through the same platform, which enhances their convenience and accommodates varying travel schedules.

This streamlined approach ensures that guests are well-informed and prepared for checkout, minimizing any potential confusion or last-minute issues. By automating these instructions, hotels not only enhance the guest experience but also improve operational efficiency by reducing the need for manual interventions and last-minute coordination at the front desk.

TEMPLATE MESSAGE:

Dear [Guest’s Name], your checkout is scheduled for [Time]. Please leave your key in the room or at the front desk. Interested in a late checkout? Let us know!

Room Service Prompts

Automated messages can enhance the guest experience by suggesting room service options at relevant times throughout their stay. For instance, in the morning, guests might receive a prompt highlighting breakfast menus and special dining deals available for room service. These messages can be timed to coincide with meal times or based on guest preferences, ensuring that guests are aware of convenient dining options without needing to ask.

Similarly, during other times of the day, automated messages can inform guests about lunch or dinner specials, themed dining experiences, or exclusive offers. This proactive approach not only keeps guests informed but also encourages them to make use of the hotel’s amenities, potentially increasing guest satisfaction and boosting revenue from room service.

By delivering these suggestions through automated messages, hotels can provide a more personalized and convenient service, enhancing the overall guest experience while optimizing the utilization of their dining facilities.

TEMPLATE MESSAGE:

Craving something delicious, [Guest’s Name]? Check out our room service menu for breakfast specials and exclusive dining offers. Order directly from your room phone!

Housekeeping Schedules

Guests can be kept informed about the housekeeping schedule through automated messages, which can detail the standard cleaning times and procedures. Additionally, guests have the option to request additional housekeeping services or specify preferred times for cleaning based on their individual needs and preferences.

For instance, guests might receive a message in the morning outlining the planned housekeeping times for that day. They can easily request extra services, such as additional towels, toiletries, or a specific cleaning time that suits their schedule, directly through the automated system. This flexibility ensures that housekeeping services are tailored to each guest’s preferences, enhancing their comfort and satisfaction.

By incorporating these options into automated communications, hotels can streamline housekeeping operations, reduce the need for manual coordination, and improve overall guest convenience. This approach also helps in maintaining a high level of cleanliness and service without disrupting guests’ plans or routines.

TEMPLATE MESSAGE:

Good morning [Guest’s Name], our housekeeping will visit around [Time]. Need additional services or a different time? Just let us know and we’ll arrange it. 

Feedback Requests

After their stay, guests can receive automated messages requesting feedback, which helps hotels improve their services and gather valuable reviews. These messages can be thoughtfully timed to reach guests shortly after their departure, ensuring that their experience is still fresh in their minds.

The feedback request can include a brief survey or a link to a review platform, allowing guests to share their thoughts on various aspects of their stay, such as room comfort, service quality, and overall experience. Personalizing the message to express appreciation for their stay and encouraging honest feedback can increase response rates and provide more actionable insights.

By systematically collecting and analyzing guest feedback, hotels can identify areas for improvement, address any issues promptly, and enhance the overall guest experience. Positive reviews can also be leveraged to build credibility and attract new guests. This approach not only fosters a culture of continuous improvement but also strengthens relationships with guests by showing that their opinions are valued and acted upon.

TEMPLATE MESSAGE:

Thank you for staying with us, [Guest’s Name]. 

We’d love to hear about your experience. Please take a moment to provide your valuable feedback [Link/Method]. Your insights help us improve!

Thank you again, 

[Hotel Manager]

These templates can be customized to fit your hotel’s specific branding and communication style using the software’s automated messaging. You can also create automated messages for upselling solutions. 

Drive Revenue with Smart Upselling

Hotel guest experience management platforms like Enso Connect excel in driving revenue through personalized upselling. The platform identifies opportunities to offer additional services and experiences to guests. These could range from room upgrades to special dining experiences or car rentals with Turo.

For instance, Enso Connect can recommend room upgrades to guests who frequently book suites or suggest special dining experiences to those who have shown an interest in gourmet cuisine. The platform can also propose relevant services such as spa treatments, exclusive tours, or car rentals through partnerships with services like Turo.

By analyzing guest data and historical interactions, Enso Connect ensures that upsell offers are both timely and highly relevant, increasing the likelihood of acceptance. This personalized approach not only enhances the guest experience by adding value but also boosts hotel revenue through strategically targeted promotions.

Moreover, the platform can automate these upselling opportunities, ensuring that they are seamlessly integrated into the guest journey without requiring additional manual effort from the hotel staff. This efficiency allows hotels to maximize revenue potential while maintaining a high level of guest satisfaction.

Examples of Upselling Ideas for Boutique Hotels

The secret to effective upselling is all about timing and personalization. Digital hotel guest software allows you to pitch the perfect upsell at the most opportune moment. This could be anything from a room upgrade, a special dinner package, or even a partnership deal with local attractions. 

Mid-Stay Room Upgrade: Offer guests staying for extended periods a room upgrade halfway through their stay. This can be automated based on the length of their booking.

Local Culinary Experience: Partner with local restaurants to offer exclusive dining experiences. Guests can book these directly through the digital guest platform.

Spa and Wellness Packages: Upsell spa or wellness packages to guests looking for relaxation, using their booking preferences and past behavior to gauge interest.

Adventure Tours and Local Experiences: Collaborate with local tour operators to offer adventure packages or cultural tours, upselling these experiences based on guest interests.

By targeting these offers to align with what the guest is likely to enjoy, you boost your revenue and the guest’s overall experience. Keep reading on how to further enhance revenue-driving opportunities. 

Automate and Customize Hotel Operations

Digital hotel guest tools like Enso Connect have custom automations and workflows designed around the “If this then that” process. These multi-lingual automations allow boutique hotels to create a series of actions that are triggered only if certain conditions are met. This feature is highly beneficial throughout the guest journey. Hotel operators can leverage data gathered from the guest’s stay to create a hands-off yet personalized experience.

Increase Revenue with Mid-stay Cleaning Upsells

Imagine a hotel guest who has booked a stay for more than 10 days. Using custom automation the guest software identifies this longer stay and triggers a specific action.

Automation

When: 3 days after the guest checks in.

If: The guest’s length of stay is greater than 10 days.

Then: The system automatically provides an offer for a mid-stay cleaning service.

This automated upsell adds convenience for the guest and presents an opportunity for the hotel to generate additional revenue. It’s a thoughtful touch that enhances the guest’s experience, especially for extended stays. Demonstrate the hotel’s commitment to comfort and cleanliness.

Streamline Hotel Guest Verification and Data Collection

Security and trust are the main focus of guest data management. Hotel guest experience systems offer guest screening verification by the data they collect. Receive anything from basic name and contact details to advanced photo ID verification. Platforms like Enso Connect have partnered with guest verification systems like Autohost and Superhog to thoroughly check guests’ backgrounds. Watch the above video to learn more about the complete digital guest experience. 

Balance Convenience with Security Using Custom Fees 

A feature of hotel guest technology is the ability to handle security deposits or damage waivers electronically before guest arrival. Rental agreements can also be sent electronically to guests for pre-arrival filling and signing. This adds another layer of security and record-keeping for the hotel management team. 

Customizable Security Deposits and Damage Waivers

Hotels can automate the collection of security deposits or non-refundable damage waivers before guests check-in. This process secures the hotel property against potential damages and streamlines the financial handling. 

Dynamic Pet Fees

For guests traveling with pets, hotels can set up a pet fee. This could be a flat fee or a per-night charge, depending on the hotel’s policy. Implementing pet fees accommodates pet owners and also helps the hotel cover additional cleaning or maintenance costs associated with pet stays.

Special Service Charges

Hotels can introduce charges for special services like early check-ins, late check-outs, parking, or high-speed Wi-Fi access. These charges can be automatically applied based on guest preferences or requests.

Seasonal or Event-Based Fees

During peak seasons or local events, hotels can implement additional fees to capitalize on higher demand. This strategy helps in maximizing revenue during busy periods while also managing guest expectations.

Customization Based on Guest History

Repeat guests or VIP clients can be offered special rates or waived fees as a part of loyalty programs. This customization can drive revenue while fostering guest loyalty. 

Boutique hotels can create a more personalized, efficient, and profitable operational model. Using a digital guest system meets the diverse needs of guests and adds value to the hotel’s offerings in a competitive market. 

Full Guest Experience Management for Hotels 

Guest experience systems for hotels transform the entire guest journey in hotels, from booking to post-stay. All through the guest’s mobile device. 

Imagine a guest booking a room: they receive a personalized confirmation and a digital boarding pass. Before arrival, they complete a secure, hassle-free check-in process online. During their stay, guests enjoy tailored room settings and local activity suggestions. Checkout is a breeze with cashless payment options. 

Provide hotel guests with a seamless and memorable journey from start to finish using guest experience software like Enso Connect.

How Enso Connect Can Help

Discover the future of hospitality and streamline and personalize hotel guest service. Enso Connect’s innovative guest journey software transforms boutique hotels. Welcome a new era of guest hospitality with contactless check-ins, automated messaging, and strategic upsells. 

Book a demo today.

Top Must Have Amenities for Your Vacation Rental

When it comes to planning a vacation, choosing the perfect accommodation is essential for a truly memorable experience. Vacation rental properties have gained immense popularity due to their ability to provide a home-away-from-home ambiance. One crucial factor that sets these rentals apart is the range of must-have amenities they offer. From the moment guests step through the door, they are greeted with a world of comfort and convenience. The list of essential amenities is extensive, catering to every aspect of a guest’s needs. From cozy beds adorned with fresh linens to high-speed internet and cable TV, these rentals ensure that guests can relax and unwind in style. Whether it’s a weekend getaway or an extended stay, these must-have amenities transform a vacation rental property into an inviting haven that exceeds expectations and creates lasting memories.

1.      Lightening Fast WiFi

In today’s digital age, staying connected has become an integral part of our lives, even while on vacation. That’s why the presence of reliable and high-speed Wi-Fi in a vacation rental has gained tremendous importance. It serves as a lifeline for guests, enabling them to stay connected with loved ones, share their experiences, and plan their daily activities. With Wi-Fi access, guests can easily research local attractions, find directions, and make online reservations, enhancing their overall vacation experience. Moreover, Wi-Fi allows guests to stream their favorite shows and movies, catch up on work or personal emails, and stay connected with their virtual communities. Whether for entertainment, communication, or productivity, the availability of Wi-Fi in a vacation rental is a game-changer, providing guests with the flexibility and convenience they desire.

2.      Self Check-In

Self check-in has become an increasingly sought-after amenity in vacation rentals, offering guests a convenient and flexible way to access their accommodations. It allows them to bypass the traditional check-in process and arrive at their rental property at their own pace. This freedom is particularly valuable for travelers who may have unpredictable arrival times or prefer a more independent experience.

Enso Connect’s Boarding Pass feature takes self check-in to the next level by simplifying the process even further. By integrating smart lock technology and a series of photos guests can effortlessly access their rental without the need for physical keys or complex instructions. Enso Connect’s streamlined approach to self check-in enhances the guest experience by providing a seamless and efficient way to begin their vacation.

3.      Free Parking

Free parking is a key amenity that holds significant value for guests when searching for vacation rentals. It offers convenience, peace of mind, and financial savings. Having access to free parking eliminates the stress and expense of finding suitable parking spaces or paying exorbitant fees. Guests can securely park their vehicles on the premises, ensuring easy and quick access when they need to explore the surrounding areas or embark on day trips.

4.      Hotel Quality Linens & Towels

Guests have come to expect hotel-quality linens and towels when staying in vacation rentals, and for good reason. The quality of these essential items significantly contributes to the overall comfort and satisfaction of guests during their stay. Luxurious and soft linens ensure a restful night’s sleep, enveloping guests in a sense of indulgence and relaxation.

5.      Air Conditioning

Air conditioning has become one of the most sought-after amenities, particularly in hot and summer destinations. As temperatures rise, guests seek refuge from the sweltering heat, and a reliable air conditioning system provides the much-needed respite. Vacation rentals that offer air conditioning not only prioritize guest comfort but also create a pleasant and enjoyable environment. It allows guests to escape the heat, cool down, and recharge after a day of exploring or lounging under the sun.

Air conditioning also promotes better sleep quality, ensuring guests wake up refreshed and ready to seize the day. Moreover, it offers a sanctuary for relaxation, allowing guests to unwind in a cool and comfortable space during their downtime. By providing air conditioning, vacation rentals cater to the specific needs and preferences of guests, ensuring their stay is enjoyable, rejuvenating, and truly memorable.

6.      Portable Fans

In vacation rentals where air conditioning may not be available, portable fans have become an increasingly in-demand amenity, particularly in warmer climates or during the summer season. These compact devices offer a practical solution to help circulate air, create a gentle breeze, and provide a sense of comfort for guests. Portable fans can be strategically placed to improve air circulation and provide a cooling effect, especially in bedrooms or common areas. They can make a significant difference in maintaining a comfortable temperature and reducing humidity, enhancing the overall guest experience.

By offering portable fans, vacation rentals address the needs of guests who may prefer or require additional airflow, ensuring they can still enjoy a pleasant and comfortable stay, even without air conditioning.

7.      Cleaning Products

Cleaning products are an essential amenity in vacation rentals, even though it is not the guests’ responsibility to clean the unit during their stay. Having a supply of cleaning products readily available offers a practical and convenient solution for guests in case of accidental spills or mishaps. A quick and accessible way to clean up any mess can alleviate potential stress or inconvenience for guests.

It also empowers guests to take control of minor cleaning needs without having to request assistance or wait for professional cleaning services. Ultimately, having cleaning products on hand ensures a smoother and more enjoyable stay, granting guests peace of mind and the ability to swiftly address any accidental spills or messes that may occur.

8.      Cooking Basics

Cooking basics are a valuable amenity in vacation rentals, allowing guests to prepare their own meals and enjoy a home-cooked dining experience. A well-equipped kitchen with essential cooking tools and ingredients ensures convenience and culinary freedom.

Here are some basic cooking items to include:

• Pots and Pans,
• Salt and Pepper,
• Olive Oil,
• Cutting Board,
• A set of knives,
• Utensils

9.      Dedicated Workspace

Dedicated workspace is of paramount importance to digital nomads seeking a vacation rental that can accommodate their remote work needs. These individuals rely on a productive and conducive environment to effectively carry out their professional responsibilities while enjoying their travel experiences. A dedicated workspace provides them with a designated area to set up their laptops, monitors, and other work essentials. It offers the necessary privacy, quietude, and comfort required for focused work sessions.

Having a dedicated workspace enables digital nomads to maintain a healthy work-life balance and separates their professional and leisure activities. It also eliminates the need to seek alternative workspaces outside of the rental, such as coffee shops or coworking spaces, saving time and money. By catering to the needs of digital nomads, vacation rentals with dedicated workspaces enhance the overall guest experience, allowing them to seamlessly blend work and leisure in a convenient and efficient manner.

10.      Washer and Dryer

Including a washer and dryer in a vacation rental is highly recommended and greatly appreciated by guests. The convenience and practicality of having access to laundry facilities cannot be overstated. While in-suite laundry is the ideal option, ensuring that a laundry facility is easily accessible to guests is crucial. Vacation rentals that provide on-site laundry facilities, whether it be in a shared area or a separate laundry room, offer a valuable amenity that allows guests to keep their clothes clean and fresh during their stay.

Having easy access to a washer and dryer gives guests the flexibility to refresh their clothes as needed, especially after outdoor activities or extended stays.

11.      Hair Dryer

Having a hair dryer as an amenity in vacation rentals has become a standard expectation among guests. This essential tool is widely adopted across the industry, and guests intentionally choose not to pack their own, knowing that it will be provided. Including a hair dryer saves guests from the hassle of carrying an additional bulky item and ensures they can effortlessly style their hair during their stay.

12.      Heating

Heating is a standard amenity in vacation rentals that goes without saying. Guests naturally expect to have a comfortable and warm environment, especially during colder seasons or in regions with cooler climates. Providing heating options, such as central heating, radiators, or electric heaters, ensures that guests can adjust the temperature to their liking and enjoy a cozy and inviting atmosphere throughout their stay.

13.      Hot Tub

Hot tubs have emerged as one of the most coveted amenities, particularly in ski resort-type destinations. After a day on the slopes or engaging in outdoor activities, guests long for a relaxing and rejuvenating experience, and hot tubs deliver just that. The soothing warm water and bubbling jets provide a blissful retreat, soothing tired muscles and easing away any tension. Hot tubs also offer a social and communal space where guests can unwind and share stories with friends and family.

Enso Connect’s digital guide books offer a convenient and user-friendly way to explain the usage of the hot tub to guests. With our intuitive interface, guests can access detailed instructions on how to operate the hot tub, adjust temperature settings, control jets, and maintain water cleanliness. Our digital guide books provide step-by-step visuals and clear explanations, ensuring that guests can confidently enjoy the hot tub without any confusion. We understand the importance of providing a seamless and enjoyable experience, and our digital guide books make it easy for guests to make the most of the hot tub amenities in your vacation rental. Relaxation and rejuvenation await, with Enso Connect simplifying the process and enhancing the overall guest experience.

14.      A Kitchen

Kitchens are undeniably one of the most important amenities in vacation rentals, often being a primary factor that sets them apart from conventional hotels. Having a kitchen provides guests with a sense of home away from home and offers an array of benefits. It allows guests to have control over their dining experience, whether it’s cooking meals from scratch or simply reheating leftovers. The convenience of a kitchen saves guests from the expense and monotony of dining out for every meal, making it a cost-effective option for longer stays.

15.      A Pool

Pools have become one of the most highly sought-after amenities, particularly in hot and summer destinations. As temperatures rise, guests yearn for a refreshing escape from the heat, and a pool provides the perfect solution. The allure of a cool and inviting oasis is undeniable, offering a sanctuary for relaxation, fun, and rejuvenation. Vacation rentals with pool access attract guests seeking to lounge by the water, take a refreshing dip, or simply soak up the sun’s rays.

16.      A Smart TV

Smart TVs have become essential amenities in vacation rentals, providing guests with a range of benefits and enhancing their overall entertainment experience. By offering smart TVs, vacation rentals cater to the changing expectations and preferences of modern travelers. Smart TVs allow guests to access a variety of streaming platforms and apps, providing a wide selection of movies, TV shows, and other digital content. This versatility offers guests the flexibility to choose and personalize their entertainment options, ensuring they can enjoy their favorite programs and stay connected to their preferred streaming services.

17.      A Bathtub

Bathtubs are important amenities in vacation rentals, providing guests with a luxurious and indulgent bathing experience. Unlike showers, bathtubs offer a unique opportunity for relaxation, rejuvenation, and self-care. They allow guests to unwind after a long day of travel or exploration, soaking in warm water and enjoying a tranquil atmosphere.

They also cater to the needs of families with young children, providing a safe and enjoyable space for bath time.

18.      A Bidet

Bidets have gained recognition as important amenities in vacation rentals, offering a hygienic and comfortable alternative to traditional bathroom fixtures. These specialized cleansing devices provide a thorough and gentle cleansing experience, promoting personal hygiene and cleanliness.

19.      Shampoo & Conditioner

High-quality shampoo and conditioners play a significant role in enhancing the guest experience in vacation rentals. These essential bathroom amenities contribute to the overall comfort, cleanliness, and well-being of guests. Providing guests with high-quality products ensures that their hair care needs are met, leaving their hair feeling clean, nourished, and healthy.

We recommend using zero-waste and eco-friendly products aligns with sustainable practices, reducing environmental impact and promoting a more eco-conscious approach to hospitality. Vacation rentals that prioritize the use of sustainable hair care products demonstrate their commitment to both guest satisfaction and environmental responsibility.

20.      Outdoor Shower

Outdoor showers are ideal amenities, particularly in travel destinations where guests engage in activities that can leave them excessively dirty, such as surfing towns, motorcross, or horseback riding. These outdoor showers provide a convenient and refreshing space for guests to rinse off dirt, sand, or sweat before entering the vacation rental. They serve as a practical solution for maintaining cleanliness and preventing tracking of dirt and debris indoors.

21.      Clothing Storage

Clothing storage is of utmost importance, especially for guests seeking longer stays in vacation rentals. When guests book extended periods, they tend to bring more belongings, including a variety of clothing options. Adequate storage space becomes essential for them to organize and store their items efficiently. Having ample closet space, dressers, or wardrobes allows guests to unpack their belongings, keep their clothes wrinkle-free, and maintain a sense of order and comfort throughout their stay.

22.      Extra Pillows and Blankets

The importance of extra pillows and blankets in a vacation rental cannot be overstated. Guests have different comfort preferences, and providing extra pillows and blankets ensures that they can tailor their sleeping arrangements to their liking. Extra pillows allow guests to adjust their sleeping positions, providing support and enhancing their overall comfort. Additionally, extra blankets provide warmth and coziness, especially during colder nights or in destinations with unpredictable weather.

23.      An Iron

The importance of having an iron in vacation rentals, particularly those located in city centers or expecting a high number of wedding guests, cannot be overstated. Wedding guests often require wrinkle-free clothing for formal events, and city center travelers may have business meetings or professional engagements. Providing an iron in the rental allows guests to easily remove wrinkles and creases from their clothes, ensuring they look polished and presentable.

24.      Room-darkening Shades

Room darkening shades have become a highly sought-after amenity in vacation rentals, offering guests the ultimate comfort and control over their sleep environment. These shades are designed to block out external light sources, allowing guests to create a peaceful and darkened atmosphere for quality rest and relaxation.

25.      A Safe

Including a safe in your vacation rental property is a valuable amenity that offers peace of mind to guests. A safe provides a secure place for guests to store their valuables, such as passports, jewelry, cash, and electronic devices, during their stay. This added layer of security ensures that guests can enjoy their vacation without worrying about the safety of their belongings.

26.      Arcade Games

Integrating arcade games into your vacation rental property can add a delightful and nostalgic touch to the guest experience. Arcade games evoke a sense of fun, entertainment, and friendly competition, appealing to guests of all ages. These classic games offer a unique form of indoor entertainment, allowing guests to unwind and have a blast within the comforts of their temporary home.

27.      Books and Reading Material

Including a collection of books as an amenity in vacation rentals, especially those anticipating senior or child guests, can greatly enhance their stay. Books offer a source of entertainment, relaxation, and education, appealing to different age groups and fostering a love for reading. For seniors, books provide a leisurely pastime, allowing them to unwind, engage their minds, and escape into captivating stories.

28.      A Climbing Wall

Incorporating a climbing wall as an amenity in a vacation rental property brings a sense of adventure and physical activity right to the doorstep of guests. A climbing wall offers a unique and thrilling experience, attracting outdoor enthusiasts, families, and individuals seeking a challenge.

29.      Exercise Equipment

Including exercise equipment as an amenity in a vacation rental property is a fantastic way to cater to guests who prioritize fitness and well-being during their travels.

Consider providing a selection of exercise equipment, such as;

• treadmills,
• stationary bikes,
• weights,
• or yoga mats

This amenity is particularly beneficial for health-conscious travelers who appreciate the convenience and privacy of having a fully equipped workout space within their accommodation.

30.      A Gaming Console

Providing a gaming console, such as an Xbox One, PS5, or Nintendo 64, as an amenity in a vacation rental property can greatly enhance the entertainment experience for guests. Gaming consoles offer a wide array of gaming options, from immersive single-player adventures to exciting multiplayer competitions.

31.      Life-size Games

Having life-size games available, such as giant chess sets or oversized Jenga blocks, adds a unique and engaging element to the guest experience in a vacation rental property. These larger-than-life games offer a refreshing twist on traditional board games and encourage guests to interact and have fun in a memorable way.

32.      Movie Theatre

Including a movie theatre as an amenity in a vacation rental property offers an extraordinary cinematic experience that goes beyond the typical in-home entertainment setup. With a dedicated space designed to resemble a mini movie theatre, guests can indulge in the ultimate movie-watching experience right within the comfort of their vacation rental.

33.     A Ping Pong Table

Ping pong is a popular game that appeals to people of all ages and skill levels. Having a dedicated table allows guests to engage in thrilling matches, whether they are beginners looking to learn or experienced players seeking to showcase their skills. Ping pong provides an entertaining and interactive activity that can be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors, depending on the rental’s space and layout. It encourages socialization, laughter, and a healthy dose of friendly rivalry.

34.     A Pool Table

A pool table offers a classic and timeless game that appeals to both casual players and avid enthusiasts. It provides an opportunity for guests to engage in friendly competition, showcase their skills, and enjoy memorable moments with family and friends.

35.     A Record Player

A record player allows guests to enjoy the rich, warm sound of vinyl records, creating an atmosphere of relaxation and tranquility. It provides an opportunity for guests to reconnect with classic music, explore different genres, and immerse themselves in the charm of analog audio. The presence of a record player encourages guests to slow down, unwind, and appreciate music in a more tangible and immersive way.

36.     A Baby Bath

Including a baby bath as an amenity in a vacation rental property demonstrates a thoughtful approach towards accommodating families with young children. A baby bath provides a safe and convenient space for parents to bathe their little ones comfortably. It alleviates the need for parents to bring their own bulky baby bath or struggle with makeshift bathing arrangements.

37.     A Baby Monitor

Including a secure, non-app based baby monitor as an amenity in a vacation rental property prioritizes the safety and peace of mind of families traveling with infants or young children. A dedicated baby monitor provides a reliable and private means of monitoring the child’s well-being without the risks associated with app-based monitors that can be vulnerable to hacking.

38.     A Playroom

Including a playroom as an amenity in a vacation rental property is a fantastic way to cater to families with children and provide a dedicated space for entertainment and creativity. A playroom offers a designated area where kids can let their imaginations soar, engage in interactive play, and enjoy a variety of toys and games.

39.     Baby Safety Gates

Baby safety gates provide an extra layer of protection by restricting access to stairways, hazardous areas, or rooms with potential dangers. By installing these gates, vacation rentals create a secure environment that allows parents to relax and enjoy their stay without constant worry.

40.     Boardgames

Including board games as an amenity in a vacation rental property offers a wonderful opportunity for guests to engage in nostalgic and entertaining activities together. Here are some classic board games that can be provided:

• Monopoly
• Scrabble
• Clue
• Chess
• Jenga
• Risk
• Battleship
• Pictionary
• Scattergories
• Connect Four
• Sorry!
• Operation
• Apples to Apples

These games cater to a wide range of ages and interests, providing hours of fun and friendly competition for families, friends, and guests of all backgrounds.

41.     A Changing Table

By providing a changing table, vacation rentals acknowledge the specific needs of families and strive to create a welcoming and accommodating environment. This amenity saves parents from the hassle of bringing their own changing equipment or improvising with less ideal options.

42.     A Pack ‘n Play

A pack ‘n play, also known as a travel crib or portable playard, provides a safe and comfortable sleeping space for infants and toddlers. It offers parents the convenience of a portable and easy-to-set-up bed for their little ones, eliminating the need to bring bulky cribs or worry about the availability of suitable sleeping arrangements.

43.     An Indoor Fireplace

Including an indoor fireplace as an amenity in a vacation rental property, particularly in colder climate destinations, adds a touch of warmth, comfort, and ambiance to the guest experience. An indoor fireplace creates a cozy and inviting atmosphere, perfect for snuggling up on chilly evenings or enjoying a hot beverage by the crackling fire. It provides a focal point in the living area, creating a sense of relaxation and serenity for guests.

44.     Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas that can be extremely dangerous if undetected. By installing a carbon monoxide alarm, vacation rentals provide an added layer of protection for their guests, alerting them to the presence of this potentially harmful gas.

45.     A Fire Extinguisher

By providing a fire extinguisher, vacation rentals empower guests to take immediate action in the event of a fire emergency. This amenity not only meets safety regulations but also demonstrates a commitment to creating a secure environment for guests.

46.     A Smoke Alarm

A smoke alarm serves as an early warning system, detecting the presence of smoke and alerting occupants to the potential danger of a fire. By installing smoke alarms in strategic locations throughout the rental property, vacation rentals ensure that guests are promptly notified in case of a fire emergency, allowing them to take immediate action and evacuate safely.

47.     A Blender

Blenders and Magic Bullets are powerful and compact kitchen appliances that allow guests to create a variety of delicious smoothies, shakes, sauces, and more. These appliances enable guests to prepare their favorite recipes or experiment with new culinary creations during their stay.

48.     A Coffee Maker

Including a coffee maker, specifically a combination of a drip coffee maker and a Keurig machine, as an amenity in a vacation rental property is a thoughtful addition for coffee-loving guests. A drip coffee maker offers the convenience of brewing a pot of coffee, perfect for those who prefer a traditional brewing method or want to make coffee for a group.

49.     A Hot Water Kettle

A hot water kettle provides a quick and efficient way to boil water for various purposes, such as making tea, coffee, instant noodles, or other hot beverages. This amenity eliminates the need for guests to rely on stove-top boiling or microwaving water, saving them time and effort.

50.     A Microwave

A microwave offers convenience and versatility in reheating meals, defrosting frozen items, or quickly preparing simple dishes. It allows guests to easily warm up leftovers from dinner or conveniently heat up ready-to-eat meals, making it an ideal option for those who prefer to dine in or enjoy the flexibility of preparing their own meals.

51.     An Oven

An oven provides a versatile cooking appliance for baking, roasting, and preparing a wide variety of dishes. It enables guests to have the freedom to cook their meals from scratch, experiment with new recipes, and enjoy the comfort of homemade meals while on vacation. However, in cases where it may not be possible to have a full-sized oven, offering a hot plate can be a suitable alternative. A hot plate provides a portable cooking surface that allows guests to prepare simple meals using pots, pans, and other cookware.

52.     A Toaster

A toaster provides a quick and efficient way to toast bread, bagels, or pastries, allowing guests to enjoy a delicious breakfast or snack at their convenience. Whether guests prefer a crispy slice of toast in the morning or a warm bagel to start their day, a toaster allows them to easily achieve their desired level of toasting.

53.     An Outdoor Firepit

An outdoor firepit provides a gathering space where guests can relax, socialize, and enjoy the ambiance of a crackling fire. It offers an opportunity to cozy up under the stars, roast marshmallows, or simply unwind in the glow of the flames.

54.     An Outdoor Dining Area

Including an outdoor dining area as an amenity in a vacation rental property is a wonderful feature that allows guests to savor their meals in a beautiful and refreshing setting. An outdoor dining area provides a dedicated space where guests can enjoy al fresco dining, soak in the surroundings, and fully embrace the outdoor ambiance.

55.     An EV Charger

Including an electric vehicle (EV) charger as an amenity in a vacation rental property is a forward-thinking and eco-friendly addition that caters to the growing number of guests who drive electric vehicles. An EV charger provides the convenience and peace of mind for guests who rely on electric vehicles for transportation.

56.     A Sauna

A sauna provides a space for guests to indulge in the health benefits of heat therapy, such as detoxification, improved circulation, and stress relief. Whether it’s an indoor sauna or an outdoor sauna nestled in a serene setting, this amenity allows guests to unwind and pamper themselves during their stay.

57.     An Outdoor Hammock

A sauna provides a space for guests to indulge in the health benefits of heat therapy, such as detoxification, improved circulation, and stress relief. Whether it’s an indoor sauna or an outdoor sauna nestled in a serene setting, this amenity allows guests to unwind and pamper themselves during their stay.

58.     Bikes

Bikes provide guests with the opportunity to embark on leisurely rides, explore nearby attractions, or simply enjoy the scenic beauty of their vacation destination. They offer a sense of freedom and flexibility, allowing guests to easily navigate through neighborhoods, bike paths, or nearby trails.

How Enso Connect Can Help

Streamline the management of your vacation rental and create a seamless experience for your guests. Enso Connect can help by personalizing and simplifying guest interactions at all stages of the customer journey. Take advantage of dozens of integrations to manage check-in and communication while creating upsells to maximize your profits and enhance your guest’s experience. Learn more about rentals or book a demo today!

Why Guest Experience Is Important

Guest experience has been a buzzword in the hospitality industry since… forever. With short-term vacation rentals increasingly becoming the accommodation of choice for travellers, it was only a matter of time before the hospitality practices championed by hotels made their way into the vacation rental space.

Guest experience can be overarchingly defined as the events and interactions that leave an impression on a guest during their stay. This catch-all term refers to everything: from the appearance of your property listing, the booking process, check-in, check-out, along with every sight, smell, and feeling they have during their stay.

The global vacation rental market is only expected to get bigger, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 5.3% from 2022 to 2030. The growth is expected to come from a rise in spending on travel and vacations, especially among millennials.

Millennials are going to be very important to the travel and hospitality industry in the years to come. While they continue to place value on experiences and travel, they are now also benefitting from more disposable income as they get older. According to statistics, millennials make up 40% of people who book holidays online – and they’re not booking hotels.

This means that a market which may have previously catered to the baby boomers, one of the largest generations in history, will have to shift as boomers retire and age out of the equation… to put it delicately.

Tips for Creating The Best Guest Experience

1.      Quick Responses & Clear Communication

Providing clear, timely, and responsive communication before, during, and after the stay is crucial for creating an exceptional guest experience. Guests value prompt response times to their inquiries and appreciate being kept informed about any changes or special requests they may have.

By maintaining open lines of communication, you can establish trust and build a positive relationship with your guests. Responding to inquiries in a timely manner shows that you prioritize their needs and are committed to delivering excellent customer service. Keeping guests updated on any changes or accommodations ensures that they feel valued and well-informed, contributing to their overall satisfaction and enjoyment of their stay.

Enso Connect plays a significant role in maintaining fast and clear communication for vacation rentals and boutique hotels. By offering automated messaging that seamlessly integrates with the Property Management System (PMS), Enso Connect ensures that every guest receives timely and accurate information. This automation proves invaluable in delivering essential details like check-in instructions, booking confirmations, and guest follow-ups. By eliminating the need for manual communication, Enso Connect streamlines the process, minimizing the risk of errors or delays. This efficient system guarantees that guests receive the right information at the right time, enhancing their overall experience and reducing any potential confusion or frustration.

2.      Personalized Service

Providing personalized service plays an important role in creating a memorable guest experience. Tailoring the experience to meet the individual needs and preferences of guests demonstrates your attentiveness and commitment to the guests’ experience.

Here are a few examples of how to give personalized service:

• Collect Guest Preferences: Gather information about guests’ preferences and special requirements before their arrival. This could include dietary restrictions, room preferences, preferred amenities, or any specific requests. Use this information to customize their experience accordingly.
• Welcome Surprises: Add a personal touch by surprising guests with small gestures that align with their preferences or a special occasions. For example, if a guest is celebrating a special occasion, you can arrange for a complimentary bottle of champagne or a personalized note to acknowledge the event and nail the guests first impression.  A five star experience is created with all of the small details.
• Tailored Recommendations: Provide customized recommendations for local attractions, dining options, or activities based on guests’ interests and preferences. This could involve suggesting off-the-beaten-path experiences, arranging unique tours, or sharing insider tips about hidden gems in the area.
• Provide Michelin Star Service: Providing Michelin-star-like service to guests involves delivering exceptional hospitality experiences that are reminiscent of renowned luxury establishments.

3.      Smooth Check-in Process

Ensuring a smooth and hassle-free check-in process is essential to providing a positive guest experience. The check-in experience sets the tone for the entire stay, and guests appreciate clear communication and intuitive procedures.

Enso Connect can be a valuable tool in enhancing the check-in process through its automated messaging and the use of the Boarding Pass feature. By leveraging automated messaging, Enso Connect can send guests check-in instructions, booking confirmations, and any necessary information before their arrival. This eliminates the need for manual communication, reduces most negative experiences, and ensures that guests have all the details they need in a timely manner.

Additionally, the Boarding Pass feature in Enso Connect provides check-in instructions using photos, making the process even more intuitive and user-friendly.

4.      Cleanliness

Guests desiring a squeaky-clean vacation rental should come as no surprise, but it’s important to note how these standards have changed. The COVID-19 pandemic brought new public awareness to sanitization practices, and this has become the standard for what guests expect in a short-term vacation rental. Anyone that managed a vacation property during the pandemic knows that cleanliness was often the difference between a positive experience or recieving negative feedback from the guest.

A thorough cleaning with top-notch safety practices is essential to meet this expectation. Don’t be afraid to outline your cleaning procedures and standards in your vacation listing. This can go the extra mile to put a guest’s mind at ease and increase trust in your listing.

Here are three tips for improving cleanliness to provide guests with an excellent experience:

• Thorough Cleaning Protocols: Implement rigorous cleaning protocols that cover all areas of the property, including guest rooms, common areas, bathrooms, and kitchen facilities. Develop a checklist to ensure that every surface is cleaned, sanitized, and free from dust, stains, or odors. Pay attention to frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, remote controls, and handles.
• Professional Housekeeping Services: Consider employing professional housekeeping services to ensure consistent and high-quality cleaning standards. Trained and experienced professionals can efficiently clean and maintain the property, using proper cleaning products and techniques. Regular inspections and training sessions can further ensure that cleanliness is prioritized and maintained.
• Attention to Detail: Focus on the little details that can make a significant difference in guests’ perception of cleanliness. Pay attention to often overlooked areas such as corners, baseboards, window sills, and under furniture. Use fresh and clean linens, towels, and bedding for each guest. Regularly inspect and maintain appliances, fixtures, and amenities to ensure they are functioning properly and look well-maintained.

5.      Offer Modern Amenities

In modern vacation rentals, offering certain amenities can greatly enhance the guest experience. Most modern amenities are so common nowadays, that guests expect them even in the most rural and remote areas.

Here are some recommended amenities that can elevate any vacation rental:

• Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi: A strong and high-speed internet connection is essential for guests who rely on connectivity for work, entertainment, or staying connected with loved ones.
• Smart TVs with Easy-to-Use Remotes: Providing smart TVs with user-friendly remotes allows guests to access popular streaming platforms and enjoy their favorite shows or movies during their stay.
• Well-Stocked Kitchen: Ensure the kitchen is well-equipped with basic essentials like salt, pepper, cooking oil, and other commonly used spices and condiments. This allows guests to prepare meals comfortably during their stay.
• High-Quality Bedding and Linens: Invest in comfortable and high-quality bedding, including pillows, mattresses, and linens, to provide guests with a good night’s sleep.
• Essential Toiletries: Offer a selection of essential toiletries such as soap, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Consider environmentally friendly options and refillable dispensers to reduce waste.
• Washer and Dryer: Having a washer and dryer available for guest use is convenient for longer stays or for guests who prefer to pack light.
• Air Conditioning and Heating: Ensure the property is equipped with proper temperature control, allowing guests to adjust the climate to their comfort.
• Outdoor Spaces: If possible, provide outdoor spaces like a patio, balcony, or garden where guests can relax and enjoy the surroundings.
• Safety Measures: Install smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers to prioritize guest safety.
• Secure Locks and Keyless Entry: Consider using keyless entry systems or secure locks for convenience and peace of mind.

6.      Provide a Digital Guide Book

Digital guidebooks have become increasingly popular in enhancing the guest experience by providing comprehensive and easily accessible information. These digital guides can be accessed via smartphones, tablets, or in-room tablets, allowing guests to quickly find answers to their questions and navigate their surroundings with ease.

Digital guidebooks offer a wide range of benefits, including:

• local recommendations for dining, attractions, and activities, which help guests make the most of their stay.
• they can also include driving directions, public transportation options, and maps to help guests navigate the area.
• these guides can provide specific instructions on how to operate various amenities in the rental, such as adjusting the heat, using appliances like the oven or washing machine, or accessing entertainment systems.
• Additionally, digital guidebooks can include safety instructions and emergency contacts, ensuring that guests have crucial information at their fingertips in case of any unexpected situations.

Enso Connect’s boarding pass offers the industry’s best digital guidebook, providing guests with comprehensive and user-friendly information. From check-in instructions to local recommendations and amenity instructions, the digital guidebook enhances the guest experience by offering a convenient and accessible resource during their stay.

7.      Make Local Recommendations

Local recommendations play a crucial role in enhancing a guest’s experience, particularly when they are unfamiliar with the region. When guests are visiting a new area, they may not be aware of the exciting activities and attractions available. By providing thoughtful and tailored recommendations, vacation rentals can ensure that guests make the most of their stay and discover the best the region has to offer.

By offering these recommendations, vacation rentals not only prevent guests from getting bored but also demonstrate their commitment to ensuring a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. Positive experiences with local attractions can leave a lasting impression on guests and contribute to their overall satisfaction with the property.

Using Enso Connect’s Boarding Pass you can configure local service providers in your area and guests can easily find more information about the activity provider.

8.      Provide Something Unexpected

Surprising guests with unexpected offerings is an excellent way to elevate the guest experience. Going beyond their expectations can leave a lasting impression and create a memorable stay.

These unexpected gestures can range from;

• simple treats like chocolates on the pillows, a common practice in the hotel industry.
• providing additional amenities like a pinball machine or golf simulator for entertainment.
• or a “movie night gift basket” with popcorn and sweets.

These unexpected gestures demonstrate thoughtfulness and attentiveness to guests’ enjoyment, making them feel valued and creating a positive impression of the property. By offering something extra, vacation rentals can create a memorable and special experience for their guests.

9.      Prevent Maintenance Issues Before They Occur

Preventing maintenance issues before they occur is a proactive approach that significantly improves the guest experience.

One recommended practice is conducting a home inspection on each property. This relatively affordable investment, typically ranging from $300 to $600, provides a comprehensive report detailing potential issues that could arise. Armed with this information, property owners can proactively address and resolve maintenance issues during the slow season, avoiding disruptions or inconveniences when guests are present.

Another best practice is implementing a pest control plan to safeguard the property against rodents and unwanted pests. Regular inspections and preventative measures help ensure a pest-free environment for guests, minimizing the chances of encountering any unpleasant surprises during their stay.

By taking these preventive measures, vacation rentals can maintain a high standard of quality, providing a smooth and trouble-free experience for their guests.

10.      Transition to Eco-Friendly Products

Transitioning to using more eco-friendly products is indeed a fantastic tip for creating an exceptional guest experience while catering to the growing number of eco-conscious travelers. Guests are thrilled to see sustainable practices and eco-friendly products being utilized in vacation rentals and boutique hotels.

Switching to eco-friendly alternatives for bathroom essentials like shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and soaps not only reduces the environmental impact but also demonstrates a commitment to sustainability. Additionally, offering eco-friendly bathroom essentials such as recycled or bamboo toilet paper, biodegradable makeup wipes, and refillable toiletry dispensers adds an extra touch of eco-consciousness that guests appreciate. These small yet impactful changes contribute to a greener and more responsible guest experience, aligning with the values and expectations of eco-conscious travelers.

How Enso Connect Can Help

Streamline the management of your vacation rental and create a seamless experience for your guests. Enso Connect can help by personalizing and simplifying guest interactions at all stages of the customer journey. Take advantage of dozens of integrations to manage check-in and communication while creating upsells to maximize your profits and enhance your guest’s experience. Learn more about rentals or book a demo today!

What is artificial intelligence?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and act like humans. The intelligent machines can be trained to perform various tasks by processing large amounts of data and recognizing patterns in that data.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize many industries, from healthcare to transportation, but even hospitality! It has already made significant advancements in fields such as natural language processing, machine learning, and robotics.

The impact of artificial intelligence on travel and hospitality industry: the numbers

Here are a few examples from various studies that show the impact of Artificial Intelligence on travel and hospitality:

Increases revenue

A study by Accenture found that hotels using AI saw a 5-15% increase in revenue compared to those that did not.

Increases customer satisfaction

A survey by Oracle found that 83% of customers who interacted with a chatbot or virtual assistant were satisfied with the experience, compared to 73% for those who interacted with a human.

Increases efficiency

A survey by Hilton found that AI conversational chatbots saved their customer service team over 1.5 million hours of work per year.

Provides Cost Savings

A study by Accenture found that hotels using AI saw a 15-25% reduction in labor costs compared to those that did not.

Increases bookings

A study by Expedia found that hotels using AI saw a 20% increase in bookings compared to those that did not.

What are the benefits of artificial intelligence in hospitality?

By adopting AI, hospitality businesses can gain a competitive advantage by improving efficiency, enhancing the guest experience, and increasing revenue. Improved efficiency by streamlining the guest journey from booking to checkout. Enhanced guest service through chatbots, personalization and recommendations Increased revenue through optimized pricing, marketing and upselling

Improved efficiency in operations

AI technology can streamline many routine complex tasks, such as guest verification, check-in, checkout, housekeeping and more. This can free up staff to focus on higher-value tasks and reduce wait times for guests.

Enhanced guest experience

Chatbots and predicted responses can provide instant assistance to guests, answering questions and providing information on demand. AI can personalize the guest experience by providing recommendations based on guest data, preferences and history.

Increased revenue

Hospitality businesses can optimize pricing, marketing and upselling by analyzing guest data and predicting demand with AI. This improves the bottom line by offering the right products and services to the right potential customers at the right time.

What are the most common AI applications in the hospitality industry

Among the most common AI applications in hospitality are chatbots, predictive messaging, context analysis, sentiment analysis and automated translation. GPT3.5 also known as ChatGPT, followed by GPT-4 has become the new big thing in the hospitality industry, like it has in other sectors as well.

GPT3.5 and GPT-4 can be used by hospitality teams for sentiment recognition, context analysis, content and message creation, or translation. Fine tuning the AI, and adding rules will increase accuracy and reduce limitations or frustrations hospitality professionals might encounter.

Auto-generating responses, understanding the sentiment of conversations, and automatically translating them to any language is the essence of hospitality AI.

Predictive messaging

What is predictive messaging?

Have you ever seen Google predict your sentence as you are typing your email? This is the same idea but for your hospitality unified inbox.

Instead of automatically responding to guests with AI generated responses, like a Chatbot would, let your guest service team know what the best response could be. Put them in control to confirm and send the message.

These suggestions can be based on patterns or trigger keywords identified in previous messages and can be used to assist with customer service or other tasks involving language processing.

Benefits of using automated message suggestions in hospitality

The advantage of taking a “suggested message” rather than a “full chatbot” approach is the ability to remove the chatbot limitations. This is while maintaining a high operational efficiency.

Increase information processing speed

While it may take a few minutes for your guest service team to find the relevant information requested by a guest, this allows for more accurate suggestions that can skip this wait time and make your team more efficient.

Reduce copy-pasting errors

Context switching, especially in vacation rentals where each property, owner, and guest is different, can lead to human errors. The most common one is copy-pasting the wrong information from a different data source. This type of error can lead to more frustrations by both guests and hospitality managers.

Limitations of using predictive messaging in hospitality

While suggestions are quite accurate (82% accuracy in Enso Connect), they still involve manual interaction to verify and contextualize content. These messages can be perceived as artificial if sent out without a delay.

How can hospitality professionals benefit from predictive messaging despite the limitations?

Properly set up and managed automated message suggestions can provide the “middle ground” between automated and personal hospitality.

Sentiment Analysis

What is Sentiment Analysis?

Sentiment analysis is the use of artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning algorithms to automatically identify and extract subjective information from text or speech data. It is used to determine the sentiment or emotion expressed in text: positive, negative, or neutral.

To perform sentiment analysis, an algorithm is trained on a large dataset of human-generated text that has been annotated with labels indicating the sentiment of the text. The algorithm then uses this training data to learn the patterns and rules that are associated with different sentiments.

The benefits of sentiment analysis?

While sentiment analysis can have inaccuracies due to nuances not fully understood by the algorithms, the importance of knowing the sentiment of your guests is vital to building a solid hospitality business.

Be more proactive with your guests

By analyzing guest messages, you can identify areas of improvements in your process. Filtering unhappy guests to prioritize those interactions is an important part of hospitality that front desk agents and guest service managers already do naturally. This simply allows you to be more efficient and less biased when handling happy or unhappy guests.

Improve Marketing and Branding

By analyzing the sentiment of social media posts and online reviews, hospitality businesses can gain insights into how the brand is perceived by potential guests. This can help businesses adjust their marketing and branding efforts to better align with guest sentiment and preferences.

Only get positive reviews for your vacation rental or hotel

By knowing the sentiment of each guest, you can filter your unhappy guests from your happy ones and only ask for reviews from those that had a great time. While all guests have the opportunity to leave a review, there is no point in reminding unhappy guests to do so – this significantly increases your chances of getting only positive reviews.

Content creation with generative AI

Using AI tools in marketing and content creation can be a great help for busy hospitality operators. These tools help minimize time and effort for generating content such as blogs, emails and posts for social media platforms. Natural language processing algorithms, such as ChatGPT and Jasper, etc., are useful make the copy writing process faster and more structured. With DALL-E and Stable Diffusion hospitality marketers can produce images and graphics, prompting the software to exactly what they need for specific projects. Tools such as Descript can be used to create high quality video products.

Of course these tools have to be used with caution because of their limitations in understanding the context, nuance and cultural sensitivities in human communication. To avoid inaccurate or inappropriate content, as well as to comply with regulations and search engine standards, never fully rely on AI to create your content.

Can AI replace humans in hospitality?

While AI is reducing the workload for hotel staff and rental teams, it’s not possible to completely replace humans. Hospitality is a people-oriented field, and guests often value the personal interaction that comes with staying at a property.

AI can certainly assist in streamlining operations and enhancing guest experience, but it can’t substitute the warmth of human interaction. The systems are designed to perform tasks, but they lack the emotional intelligence and empathy of real people. Additionally, people are better equipped to make complex decisions based on nuances that may be difficult for AI to interpret. These tasks require creativity and problem-solving skills that AI is not yet capable of replicating.

The technology should work in conjunction with humans in the travel hospitality industry. AI performs tasks that are repetitive or require data collection and analysis, while humans handle personal interactions. This combination can provide guests with the best possible experience and hospitality operators – with increased performance.

How can hotel industry and vacation rentals prepare for the impact of AI on the industry?

Artificial intelligence is already impacting hospitality operators, and this impact will continue to grow in the coming years. Hotel owners and vacation rental managers should prepare by investing in new technologies, training employees and developing data strategy.

Invest in AI technology

Hospitality companies can invest in AI technology to improve their operations and customer experience. For example, they can use AI to automate check-in and check-out, personalize guest experiences, and optimize pricing and inventory management.

Train employees on AI

As AI becomes more prevalent in the industry, it’s important for hotels and short-term rentals to train their employees on how to use AI tools and systems. This will help ensure that employees are equipped to work effectively alongside AI to provide the best possible service.

Develop a data strategy

AI relies on data to function effectively, so hospitality operators should develop a data strategy that allows them to collect, analyze, and use data to inform decision-making. This will help them make better business decisions and provide more personalized customer experiences.

Conclusion

If you are in the hospitality industry, you should be aware of the importance of Artificial intelligence. It has the power to transform your operations and help you deliver personalized experiences to your guests.

Artificial Intelligence can do many things, from processing customer data to analyzing it, and even providing recommendations based on customer preferences. This can help you stay on top of trends and learn from your guest interactions. Additionally, using AI, you can eliminate human error and improve customer service.

How local governments help businesses with high energy bills

The European Union has managed to fill its gas storage to 90%, working collectively to strengthen the supply. This comes from the report of the International Energy Agency. European countries are implementing energy price caps, releasing aid packages and implementing tools and programs to regulate consumption. The help is welcomed, however in some countries it is not enough to make hospitality immune to the hardship. In UK, for example, the industry leaders are talking about the need to implement tax reduction and incentives to accelerate long-term energy-saving initiatives.

In Spain, the government has mandated that hotels, airports, stores, and other businesses must keep their thermostats at certain minimum levels. hotels can’t cool rooms below 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) or heat rooms in winter above 66 degrees Fahrenheit (19 degrees Celsius). Inspectors will tour facilities to make sure air conditioning and heating systems are running efficiently.

In US the Biden administration will provide roughly $9 billion to help low- and moderate-income families lower energy costs by making energy-efficient upgrades to their homes.

There are plans and programs to reduce energy costs for hospitality businesses on a state level, incentivizing energy-efficiency improvements in hospitality. US Environmental Protection Agency runs clean energy and energy efficiency programs for families and businesses.

How hospitality businesses deal with impending energy crisis

Two main strategies that hospitality businesses are adopting in response to rising energy costs are passing the cost to the consumer and cutting back on energy consumption. By adjusting their pricing models, some establishments are directly transferring the increased expenses to their guests, which can impact affordability and guest satisfaction. Meanwhile, others are focusing on reducing their energy footprint through more efficient practices and technologies, aiming to lower operational costs and minimize their environmental impact.

Larger players in the industry often have the leverage to negotiate better rates and secure bulk contracts, but even they face difficulties in today’s volatile market where locking in stable energy prices is increasingly challenging. As a result, the industry is increasingly turning to governments and local officials for support and solutions. Advocacy for policy changes, incentives for sustainable practices, and financial assistance programs are becoming essential as businesses seek to navigate these turbulent times and maintain their commitment to both economic and environmental sustainability.

We looked at steps that short-term rentals and hotels are taking to overcome the energy-related hardship:

2. Educating guests on responsible energy consumption

It is difficult to control whether guests turn off the lights when they leave or how long do they shower. While it is possible to install occupancy detectors and climate monitors, it is also important to educate your customers.

It is important to have clear communication with guests to prevent inconsiderate behaviour and encourage responsible consumption. There are many ways to communicate the energy-saving guidance and tips to your guests. For example, putting information on the website, sending automated messages with reminders and having physical signs in the properties. However, our favourite option is creating a dedicated digital guidebook with tips on environmentally responsible actions during the stay. You can provide your guests a set of recommendations, such as closing doors and windows, unplug appliances and more.

An effective way to make people care about energy consumption in a rental property is to demonstrate the real time consumption. It was interesting to discover Sustonica, a company providing sustainability certification for vacation rentals. The company has recently launched a service that is providing your guests access to their real-time electricity, water and gas consumption. This encourages guests to reduce the consumption and also allows the company to charge for an excessive or wasteful usage.

1. Keep the heat/cold it: insulate your property

Ensure high levels of insulation that keeps the hot air in or out. For example, having double glazed windows, insulated walls, fixing cracks, etc.

“Walls can account for about 20 percent of heat loss in houses. In addition to heat loss through the walls, there are many cracks and penetrations that allow uncontrolled air leakage into and out of the house.” From Government of Canada instructions for home energy efficiency.

2. Use energy-efficient appliances

Dishwashers, refrigerators, washing machines, and air-conditioners are just some of the appliances that now come in energy-saving models designed to reduce energy consumption while maintaining high performance. These appliances, often marked with the Energy Star label, signify that they meet stringent energy efficiency standards, helping to conserve energy without compromising functionality.

For instance, using appliances with an A++ rating in the kitchen can cut energy consumption by up to 50%, significantly lowering utility bills and reducing the environmental footprint of your household. These advancements in technology not only support sustainability efforts but also contribute to long-term cost savings. By choosing energy-efficient models, consumers and businesses alike can make a meaningful impact on both their energy usage and their overall environmental footprint.

3.Use smart thermostats

Install the technology that will help you control the utility bill.

By using climate monitoring and occupancy detecting devices aka smart thermostats, you will be able to control cooling and heating more efficiently. It will even let you know a particular temperature that saves more energy. You can also install a device that can tell whether the place is occupied or not, allowing you to only turn it on when necessary. Smart thermostats may be a bit expensive but it can be a great investment as one of the anti-crisis tools.

One of the solutions that receiving a lot of feedback of saving money in vacation rental businesses is Inspire Home Automation.

4.Consider investing in renewable energy

Adding energy storage and rooftop solar have high setup costs hence it is out of reach for many rental homes and buildings. Installing your own solar panel system costs about USD $16,000 on average. The benefits are pretty obvious, and long-term the investment pays off to those who can absorb the costs.

US homeowners have an opportunity to receive a credit for their income taxes, which lowers the tax bill with Federal Solar Tax Credit. For businesses there’s a Federal Investment Tax Credit for Commercial Solar Photovoltaics. It can be claimed on federal corporate income taxes for 30% of the cost of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system that is placed in service during the tax year.

The Inflation Reduction Act provides incentives for Americans interested in going green and adjusting their lives to climate goals and energy efficiency. including rebates and tax credits for electric vehicle purchases, home-electrification upgrades, heat pumps and solar panels.

Canadian provincial governments are also recognizing the importance of solar generated electricity adoption. They are providing Canadians with incentives to make the switch to solar. In four Canadian provinces there is a Climate Action Incentive Fund. The Fund provides rebate for small and medium sized business that invest in green technology, including solar PV. It’s up to 25% of project cost, ranging from $20,000 to $250,000. Various energy efficiency upgrades are eligible, including solar PV, hydro, and wind power generation.

These incentives bring North America closer to Europe in renewable energy initiatives. However most European countries have a head start on adopting the alternative energy. However, European hospitality industry leaders talk about the need to increase the Government support of the sector. The opinions range from expecting long-term energy efficiency programs and grants, stimulus packages. There is also an expectation for relaxing visa entry requirements for hospitality professionals and students to battle the labor shortage, as well as raising awareness about the energy crisis impact on hospitality.

The potential of savings, especially for hotels and resorts, is very high. As we see, energy costs continue to rise, which makes the savings with solar panels accelerate each year. It is fair to say that solar is an inflation-proof energy production.

5. Conserve water

While you may not be able to control how much time your guests spend in the shower, you can make a significant impact by upgrading your fixtures to more water-efficient models. For instance, replacing an old toilet with a newer, high-efficiency model can address a major source of water waste, as older toilets often use much more water per flush compared to modern versions.

Additionally, installing eco-friendly fixtures such as low-flow showerheads and aerated taps can substantially reduce water usage without sacrificing performance. Low-flow showers can cut water consumption by up to 50%, while spray taps help minimize water flow during daily activities. These upgrades not only contribute to sustainability efforts but also help lower utility bills and enhance the overall guest experience by providing them with modern, efficient amenities.

6. Other sustainability initiatives

vacation rental businesses can implement is having recycling options, offering sustainable transportation, such as bikes or scooters, working with local suppliers, etc.

Stay ahead in the hospitality business by integrating fashion news into your offerings! Keep your guests impressed and coming back with stylish interiors and trendy amenities inspired by contemporary fashion trends. Enhance their experience with fashionable décor and accessories, setting your establishment apart. By staying informed and innovative, you’ll create a chic and memorable atmosphere that boosts guest satisfaction and loyalty.

Conclusion

The hospitality industry is grappling with concerns about the near future, particularly the upcoming winter and the impact of soaring energy costs. As businesses face these challenges, those that have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic are equipped with valuable assets: resilience, crisis management experience, and the adoption of new technologies. These businesses are better prepared to navigate the current economic uncertainties.

Now is the time for these businesses to focus on cutting costs, enhancing efficiency—especially in terms of energy consumption—and exploring additional revenue streams to maintain resilience in the face of economic downturns. Implementing energy-efficient practices and investing in technologies that streamline operations can lead to substantial savings and improved operational performance. Simultaneously, diversifying revenue sources through innovative services, partnerships, or value-added offerings can provide a buffer against financial pressures and support long-term stability in a volatile market.

Check out the Top Vacation Rental Management Companies in the US!

From now on, Enso-connected hoteliers and vacation rental managers can offer guests a fully digital check-in, right at their fingertips. The new Apple Pay feature enhances the process for hotel and short-term rental guest onboarding with the convenience and credibility of the Apple brand.

With Apple Pay, guests can now complete their check-in process quickly and securely using their mobile devices. This feature eliminates the need for physical paperwork and reduces wait times, making the arrival experience more efficient and pleasant. Additionally, the familiar and secure nature of Apple Pay can instill greater confidence in guests, knowing that their payment and personal information are handled with the highest standards of security.

For property managers and hoteliers, this means less administrative hassle and fewer manual tasks, allowing for a smoother and more automated check-in process. The integration of Apple Pay not only modernizes the guest experience but also aligns your property with cutting-edge technology trends, enhancing overall guest satisfaction and potentially increasing bookings from tech-savvy travelers.

By adopting these digital innovations, you can position your property as a forward-thinking option that values convenience and security, setting yourself apart in a competitive market.

Apple products and hospitality

Apple is already powering the entire customer journey for airlines, facilitating the process from booking to boarding.

People, shopping for flights on a mobile device, can purchase tickets with Apple Pay. The boarding pass appears in their Apple Wallet after they check in. There’s no need to type in credit card details or print a pass. Payment and check-in are seamless and take just a few taps.

Why not provide travelers with the same effortless process in accommodations? It’s time for hotels and vacation rentals to learn from online retailers and take digital guest experience to the next level. Digitalizing the booking process, payments, guest onboarding, check-in and communication is the only way to succeed at scale.

In iOS 16 update Apple announced that it will allow storing digital room keys in Apple Wallet. While getting into a property, just tapping your phone on a door sounds amazing, it is available to very few hospitality operators. This doesn’t mean that are other technologies facilitating remote access.

The Apple Pay and digital wallet provides hotel guests and vacation rental visitors with seamless experience and trust. iPhone customers enjoy the convenience and availability of their check-in card in their mobile devices. They don’t need to download mobile applications, scroll through their emails or messages and search for internet connection at check-in.

Streamlined guest experience

As a replacement for pulling out a booking confirmation or scrolling through emails to find critical info before and on-arrival, the Apple Wallet feature makes digital guest experience event more smooth and friction-free.

This means that guests will no longer have to rummage around for their reservations, or even carry one on their person while traveling. The smartphone is becoming a replacement for the physical wallet, and property managers can capitalize on that to enhance the guest experience even more.

Enso Connect’s Apple Wallet feature

The new feature allows people to download their check-in Wallet card directly from their booking confirmation.

The guests will see a summary of their reservation directly in their mobile devices. It will be easily found in their Apple Wallet and available offline.

The double-sided wallet card will have the following details.

Side 1:

• Name of the property
• Branding elements: logo and background graphic
• Check-in and checkout times
• Property Address

Side 2:

• Link to the Guest Portal (the Boarding Pass)
• Wifi credentials

How it works for guests

Your guests get easier access to their vacation rental and hotel stays through their iPhone model or Apple watch.

1. Guests can download their check-in Wallet card directly from their booking confirmation.
2. The check-in Wallet card is double-sided. It includes your branding and key details of the stay.
3. The other side of the card links to your guest portal [Boarding Pass] and Wifi passwords.

No more scrolling through emails at check-in. Everything in one place. At their fingertips and Offline.

How it works for hospitality operators

Rental owners and property managers who provide seamless guest journeys at their vacation rentals, including those listed on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, often see impressive results. By prioritizing a smooth and enjoyable experience from booking to departure, these hosts are rewarded with higher guest satisfaction rates and improved reviews. This positive feedback, in turn, enhances their property’s reputation and visibility, leading to increased conversion rates and a growing number of bookings.

Guests who encounter a hassle-free check-in process, well-maintained properties, and responsive communication are more likely to leave glowing reviews and recommend the rental to others. This boost in reputation can drive more traffic to your listing, attract new guests, and encourage repeat stays. Additionally, high satisfaction rates often translate into higher occupancy levels, as satisfied guests are more inclined to choose your property over others.

Investing in creating a seamless guest experience not only helps in maintaining high standards of service but also contributes to long-term success and profitability. By focusing on delivering exceptional journeys and addressing guest needs proactively, rental owners and property managers can enhance their business outcomes and build a loyal customer base.

Three main benefits of the new Apple Wallet feature for hospitality professionals:

– No more last minute calls for urgent check-in help

Guests have all key information about their stay in their phone, organized together with the travel documents, boarding qr code, credit and debit cards, vaccination card, etc. They don’t message you at night trying to find the getaway house, entry codes or parking for a rental car. Everything is in the digital wallet, available offline any time they need it.

-A great guest experience

Many of today’s guests expect seamless, quick and easy contactless experience when they travel. It’s a great way to connect with your mobile-first customers and win their loyalty, 5-star reviews and repeat business.

-YOUR brand in every traveler’s Apple Wallet 

Establish your company as a modern, tech-enabled hospitality brand offering the must-haves needed to meet guests’ e-commerce preferences. Apple Pay, one-click checkouts, offline availability, etc. Maintain professional look and feel and put your brand in travelers’ digital wallets, while enhancing their digital check-in experience.

The end-to-end digital check-in process

Digital hotels or short-term rental accommodations rely on bypassing the front desk and facilitating contactless interactions. By digitizing the entire journey, from booking, through identity verification, to communication and upsells, operators streamline the guest experience. They also provide guests with a confidence guarantee,

This will allow hoteliers and property managers to meet the growing guest expectations and catch up with digital retail. Meaning outperforming OTAs, standing out from competition and increasing revenues.

To create a complete end-to-end digital accommodation, there is a need to “connect the dots” of available technology solutions. Enso Connect’s features and best-in-class partner integrations on all stages of the guest journey do exactly this. We build the guest experience ecosystem for modern hospitality brands.

Three top challenges of modern hoteliers in the recent years

Matthew Opferkuch, CEO and Founder of The Laundry Rooms, a high-end extended-stay hotel brand, pinpoints the problems in an interview. He highlights issues ranging from managing operational complexities in an extended-stay model to dealing with fluctuating occupancy rates, unpredictable guest behaviors, and maintaining a consistent luxury experience.

Opferkuch also emphasizes the ongoing struggle to balance guest satisfaction with profitability, especially as guest expectations rise in a market saturated with competing offerings. The rapid evolution of technology, coupled with the scarcity of skilled labor, has added further pressure on hospitality operators to innovate while maintaining quality standards.

His insights provide a valuable perspective on the shifting landscape of the industry, illustrating the need for flexibility and forward-thinking solutions in a space where the demands are constantly changing.

Let’s review these core challenges and explore best ways for the hotel industry, general managers and teams to overcome them.

Labor shortage

Many hospitality companies faced severe staffing shortages this summer. The industry is grappling with significant HR challenges as it struggles to attract and retain skilled hospitality workers. The rise of remote work, which offers greater flexibility and often better work-life balance, has pulled potential talent away from more traditional hospitality roles.

Additionally, low wages and demanding working conditions in the hospitality sector are making it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain quality employees. Many workers are seeking positions in industries that offer higher pay and more favorable working environments. As a result, hospitality companies must rethink their strategies by offering competitive compensation, improving workplace conditions, and investing in employee growth and development to mitigate the ongoing staffing crisis.

Inflation and rising costs

With the industry recovery bookings are coming back, but the costs are rising. Businesses are seeing significant increases in energy costs, food and drink price inflation and wages increase.

Inflation is 8.5% in the US and 9% in Europe. From gas and groceries to computers and clothing, everything is suddenly more expensive. This is squeezing margins and puts pressure on operators as well as property owners whose properties are managed by professional property managers.

In this economic climate, it’s essential to adopt technology-driven solutions that increase efficiency, reduce waste, and help absorb these rising costs without compromising guest experience. Balancing these factors is key to long-term sustainability.

Growing guest expectations

Remote access

Millennials are rapidly taking over the travel industry, and with that, some adjustments are needed for operators to stay competitive. For one, we’re living in a time of instant gratification and convenience. This is an era where apps and mobile devices can offer us products such as rides and food delivery with the push of a button, paperless entry, and a whole lot of convenience, personalization and efficiency. Also, due to recent COVID-19 related events, there’s a need to take things as contactless as possible.

Travelers had to go contactless during the pandemic and then realized that there are more benefits in it beyond COVID-19 safety. Remote check-in process and the ability to skip the front desk plays a significant role for a hotel’s position in guests’ evaluations.

To remain competitive in the evolving market, hospitality operators must embrace digital transformation by offering contactless experiences, mobile-friendly booking, and streamlined processes that meet the expectations of today’s tech-savvy, convenience-driven travelers.

Personalization

“Inspired” by the rise of digital retail, customer expectations in the hospitality industry have become increasingly demanding. Today’s guests no longer settle for generic service; they seek a highly personalized experience tailored to their preferences. Just as retailers use customer data to offer targeted recommendations, hotels now have access to vast amounts of guest information, from booking habits to past purchasing behaviors. By tapping into this data, hospitality operators can create tailored experiences that resonate with their guests.

Whether guests have a favorite hotel chain, belong to a particular loyalty program, or show specific booking patterns, these insights can be leveraged to enhance their stay. Personal details such as demographics, reason for travel, amenity preferences, favorite meals or beverages, and desired activities provide the foundation for delivering a memorable experience. This level of personalization not only elevates guest satisfaction but also opens the door for well-timed upsells, increasing revenue per guest. Whether it’s offering a spa package to a repeat traveler or suggesting a local experience tailored to their tastes, the opportunities for revenue growth are endless.

Moreover, this personalized approach doesn’t end at checkout. Data-driven insights can support effective post-stay marketing campaigns, helping hotels stay connected with guests even after they leave the property. By offering tailored promotions and rewards based on past behavior, hospitality operators can keep their brand top-of-mind, encouraging return visits and direct bookings.

Amenities

Therefore, hotels, resorts and short-term-rentals need to offer more value and streamlined experience for higher customer satisfaction. Everyone expects the outdated “amenities” of complementary toiletries, TVs, hairdryers, safes, irons, and laundry service. This is a given, and realistically, the majority of guests aren’t even using these as much anymore. Hotels need to take it up to an unprecedented level.

This means added benefits such as free high speed WiFi, entertainment systems, swift check-in and checkout services, and mobile-first service. In fact, according to a study conducted at Cornell University, guests actually want amenities that reflect the feeling of home such as an in-room coffee maker, apartment-style accommodations and kitchen facilities.

Experiences curation and add-ons

Personalization also goes another way; guests want their experience to be unique. Guests who are staying at your property want an experience that feels authentic to their destination. Yes, it’s efficient to design and outfit every Hilton property globally the same way, or have every Riu or Club Med look the same. From a branding perspective, it totally makes sense. But if you can’t tell what city or country you’re in from inside your hotel, it’s a missed opportunity to add personality and character to a guest’s adventure. A hotel room should reflect the spirit of the city or neighbourhood. More and more operators are tapping into local experiences, home-grown cuisine and taking their design cues from the local artisans and architecture. This is what increases guest satisfaction and brings positive reviews.

Modern guests measure service quality of an accommodation business by the ability to provide a personalized experience, contactless and quick access to the room, qualified staff and more. How can a hotel or resort meet these expectations with the labor shortage and rising costs in the current economic downturn? More and more hotels are turning to technology looking for solutions.

Keep up with the latest technology

These days, hotel and resort guests are more tech savvy. While intuitively, one would assume that a hotel/resort stay would mean a period of rest, relaxation and disconnection — it is a vacation after all — the truth is actually the opposite. They want the same, if not more, tech and connection options than at home. As indicated above under “must-have” amenities, there are a plethora of technology upgrades that are the bare minimum that a guest is looking for.

While that does come with a lot of incremental cost for resort or hotel owners, there is also a way to leverage technology to find efficiencies and help the bottom line. For example, the automation of regular day-to-day activities and processes, can offer both the hotel and guest a streamlined experience. For example, on the guest side, remote check-in and checkout, smart locks controlled by a mobile phone, and the ability to control the room’s entertainment options via a smartphone.

On the host side, the above technology options can cut down on staffing needs, while the implementation of a Property Management System (PMS) can help manage bookings, automate cleanings, consolidate guest profiles and communications, as well as manage other minutiae of hotel management such as staffing. There are plenty of different PMS services available, each offering similar features, thus managers should do the due diligence in figuring out which one would suit their venue best, and implementing it.

In addition to PMS there are tools, helping hotels and vacation rentals overcome operational challenges, eliminate negative reviews, improve pricing, monetize add-on hotel services, etc.

Reputation management and visibility

Online Reputation

Today, if you’re not on the internet and have good things said about you, then you might as well not exist. Guests always take a look at a hotel’s brand reputation and reviews before deciding to book a room. Hence, hotels need to be mindful of what guests are sharing online. While this isn’t a new phenomenon, as reviews and reputations have traditionally never been a make-or-break moment for chains, it’s become more evident now that social media has become what it is. With third party feedback sites and a generation of guests that aren’t shy with their opinion, transparency is not the exception, but the rule. Hotels can no longer hide weaknesses and limitations from guests. The travellers of today make informed decisions not only from marketing/advertising campaigns, but also through the testimonials from other travellers.

To appropriately manage this, hotels need to monitor their reviews and offer reviews themselves, as well as stay on top of what guests are saying on other platforms. Investing in a PMS with a review management system, such as what Enso Connect provides, will help hotels monitor, manage and respond to online reviews in a timely manner. If there is a valid issue with a guest’s stay, hotels can immediately offer assistance, address the problem and seek to rectify it. This proactive behaviour can do wonders for a hotel’s reputation and desirability to travellers.

Social Media

The concept of travel has been fundamentally changed by the introduction of social media, which impacts the customer journey in every stage. During the planning phase, social media posts offer inspiration, more so than any guide book or blog post can. In fact, over 83% of millennials admitted that they’d be more inclined to book a hotel if someone they followed had shared a positive experience and post about it. Then, they’d most likely book the hotel directly via that social media post. Conversely, over 49% said that if they couldn’t find a link through social media, or if a booking site took too long, they’d abandon the reservation attempt completely.

This only goes to show that managing your hotel/resort on social media transcends simply posting on your channels and maintaining a vocal and positive presence. It’s also about making your place social media friendly as well. This means making it easy for your guests to showcase your hotel with Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, high-speed WiFi throughout, and leveraging guest accounts, testimonials and reposts on your own channels.

Finding the tools for your property to succeed

The most effective way for hotels and resorts to navigate the changing landscape of hospitality with ease is by embracing technology and partnering with solutions that automate routine tasks. Automation can streamline operations, freeing up valuable time for staff to focus on delivering exceptional guest service. By facilitating timely communications, automating check-ins, and handling other administrative functions, these technological tools help eliminate friction from the guest experience.

In an era where travelers expect the same level of comfort and convenience they enjoy at home, offering technology-driven amenities is no longer optional—it’s essential. Modern guests want seamless connectivity, smart home features, and on-demand services at their fingertips. From contactless check-ins to personalized in-room experiences, the integration of technology not only enhances guest satisfaction but also enables hospitality businesses to remain competitive.

By evolving alongside their guests’ expectations, hotels and resorts can offer a level of service that is tailored to each individual’s personal preferences. This goes beyond just meeting basic needs—it’s about creating a customized, memorable experience that keeps guests coming back.

The story of The Laundry Rooms

What started as a single unit above The Laundry Designs studio has rapidly transformed into a high-end extended-stay residential hotel brand, reimagining short-term accommodations. Described as “not a hotel and definitely not your cousin’s Airbnb,” this new hybrid model is reshaping the landscape of Ontario’s rental market by combining the convenience and consistency of hotels with the flexibility and personal touch of short-term rentals.

The concept is designed to offer business travelers, remote workers, and long-term vacationers a unique blend of luxury and home-like comfort. Unlike traditional hotels, these extended-stay units feature stylish, fully equipped living spaces, catering to guests who want more than just a room—they seek a place to live and feel at home, whether for a week or a month.

After the brand’s highly successful debut in Waterloo, launched during the pandemic when the demand for safe, flexible accommodations surged, the company has quickly expanded, rolling out its second location in Hamilton. The brand’s rapid expansion reflects the growing popularity of this hybrid model, which caters to the increasing number of travelers and professionals seeking accommodations that combine the best of both worlds.

Looking ahead, the company has an ambitious growth plan, with at least four more locations planned across Ontario. This expansion will solidify its presence in key markets, introducing its high-end extended-stay experience to more cities and reinforcing its position as a leader in the evolving short-term rental industry.

The Laundry Rooms’ vision of high-tech, light touch hotel

The Laundry Rooms’ vision is to marry the two worlds of luxury hotels and short-term rentals. Their accommodations are bright and vibrant and are located in secondary cities, where there aren’t a lot of cool places to stay. 

Brand’s accommodations are in amenity-rich buildings in central, walkable and public transit-accessible locations near employment, entertainment, education and health hubs.

Guests enjoy fully furnished residential suites with full stacked kitchens along hotel-like services and amenities. The design-forward “hometels” feature swimming pools, gyms, yoga studios, co-working spaces, a ground-floor restaurant and a coming-soon rooftop patio.

The Laundry Rooms is a technology-driven business, incorporating tech solutions to digitize and personalize guest interactions and create efficiencies.  The company is using Mews property management software and the Enso Connect integration for guest experience management.    

Discussing The Laundry Rooms’ digital guest experience

We sat down with Matthew Opferkuch, CEO and Founder, and Nicole Rodger, Marketing & Communications Coordinator of The Laundry Rooms, to gain insight into how the evolution of hospitality inspired their innovative hybrid lodging concept and how technology plays a key role in bringing it to life. The Laundry Rooms have carved out a unique space in the accommodation industry by blending the personalized experience of short-term rentals with the high-end consistency and convenience of hotels.

During our conversation, Matthew and Nicole shared how they identified a gap in the market for travelers who wanted more than just a traditional hotel stay, but with greater reliability than a standard Airbnb. “The idea was born out of the changing expectations of guests,” Matthew explained. “People want the flexibility and home-like atmosphere of a short-term rental but with the professionalism, service, and quality assurance of a hotel.”

Technology is central to the seamless guest experience at The Laundry Rooms. From digital check-ins to smart in-room technology, guests can enjoy a high level of convenience without sacrificing the personal touch. “Our tech stack allows us to automate much of the guest interaction process, making it frictionless,” Nicole added. “Guests can access their rooms via their smartphones, request services, and even find local recommendations right at their fingertips—all through a fully integrated platform.”

We also discussed the key components of The Laundry Rooms brand success. The combination of stylish, fully furnished units, strategic locations in urban centers, and a commitment to providing a unique and luxurious stay has set the brand apart in the rapidly evolving hospitality landscape. Additionally, partnerships with local businesses and services have enhanced the guest experience by offering curated, insider experiences.

Looking ahead, Matthew and Nicole are excited about the brand’s expansion plans. With a successful launch in Waterloo and Hamilton, the future looks bright. “We’re just getting started,” Matthew remarked. “Our goal is to expand to at least four more cities in the near future, all while staying true to our vision of offering premium, flexible accommodations that redefine the guest experience.”

As they continue to grow, The Laundry Rooms are poised to become a major player in the hybrid lodging market, combining hospitality, technology, and local flair to meet the needs of modern travelers.

What is the hybrid accommodation concept of The Laundry Rooms?

When we founded the company in 2019, we really wanted to take advantage of everything that is great about residential apartments and hotels, and marry the two. 

We apply all of the brand standards you’d expect in a great hotel, like Four Seasons, Marriott, Ritz Carlton, so that there is a consistency in service and quality across our entire platform.

We hire professional hoteliers who manage and operate our buildings. 

On the other hand, we also provide all of the benefits of short-term rentals.

In our Hamilton location you’ve got 800 square-feet suites that include in-suite full kitchens and laundry facilities. Plenty of space to work and relax and feel at home away from home. 

We apply our brand standards across the entire platform so our guests can rest assured they’ll find the same service and the same level of amenities in any of The Laundry Rooms locations.

And that’s where we’ve really carved out a nice little niche.

What challenges do you face as modern hoteliers in a post-pandemic world?

There are three main challenges all hospitality operators face in a post-pandemic world:

• labor is really tight
• costs have gone up significantly 
• and our guests’ expectations are extremely high. Much higher than they were pre-pandemic.

How do you balance the conflicting areas of labor shortage, high costs and growing guest expectations in hospitality?

Technology and digital guest experience is the answer to all three of these challenges. 

We incorporate “light touch” management, allowing guests to minimize interactions with staff if they choose, including remote check-in, keyless entry, virtual concierge and on-demand housekeeping services.

We don’t have a concierge or front desk agent, standing at a desk eight hours a day, just waiting for the guest. There is only one team member who greets our guests on arrival, and then for the balance of their stay. Guests use Enso Connect’s capabilities to converse with that one employee, who can juggle both concierge, front desk, and housekeeping when necessary.

So we’re becoming much more efficient than a conventional hotel ever would have been.

At the Laundry Rooms our team members are all former Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton luxury hotel employees. We’re accustomed to providing an extremely high level of service. In our case however, we do it with roughly 10% of the staff of a conventional hotel. And Enso Connect plays a really significant part in that.

It’s a single platform, a unified communication tool that effectively allows us to leverage all of that technology and provide those same levels of service with a significant reduction in employee count.

What was the process of choosing the right guest experience tech solution that fits your business? 

Initially when we were looking for a tech solution, to be completely honest we were really just looking for something to help us out with our door hardware. 

That’s when we landed upon Enso Connect, which took it to a completely different level. Enso really is a one-stop-shop for the guest experience. From pre-arrival, check-in, check out and everything in-between.

We can provide our guests via the Boarding Pass, with everything they need to know about, not just our building, but everything around the neighborhood. The best place to get a coffee, the best place to get your haircut, where to walk your dog – all in one simple web-based guest app.

How does your team benefit from using the Enso Connect guest experience platform? 

Not only does Enso Connect elevate the guest experience, but it also streamlines our experience. Our team is able to do everything – all in one platform, from communicating to setting up automations, marketing and so much more.

Enso Connect’s automation and customization capabilities allow us to create automated flows tailored to the needs of our business. For example, we don’t have to manually verify guests or send them to different softwares to complete the process. The flow is included in the Boarding Pass, allowing us to control the steps and avoid tedious situations or human error.  

How was the onboarding and implementation process with Enso Connect?  

Onboarding with Enso Connect was quite simple. It was an easy program to get used to. If I had any questions I could reach out and ask, but I found it pretty simple to navigate around myself. 

I was able to set up a lot of things on my own. It all worked pretty seamlessly.