How to prepare your vacation rentals for the post-pandemic season

Doinn gives vacation rentals and Airbnb hosts tips to understand and adapt to new tourist demands. We have so many challenges within the vacation rentals industry right now, either you have an Airbnb flat or a cute cabin to relax. That’s why in the past few posts we have addressed the incredible and inevitable impact in our industry but today we want to give you some positivity. Today, we are prepared to introduce you to some of the upcoming trends for vacation rentals which users are expecting. We already know what customers want to save flights (For god’s sakes!) But within the Doinn team, we wanted to take it a step further and share some of the top needs the “new-old tourists” will look for in the near future. As we like to say “Doinners” are here to help! Let’s dig into it! 

 

1. Go the extra mile on Safety & Hygiene.

One common thought that is guaranteed is that travelers will be asking for more strict measures to ensure their safety. This means, try to reduce to the maximum any encounter with other people outside the bubble, so take some of these actions: · Temporarily close all of the common areas within your rental. · Make a guidebook of all of the restrictions and important covid-19 information in your city or country (Update regularly) · Make sure you are automating most of the processes for the vacation rental itself. Using vocational software or upgrading your housekeeping tasks to a service like Doinn  Try to maximize your efforts in terms of deep cleansing and having a visual way to demonstrate it to your customers, write a blog post about it or share a video of new measures in your rental. The stricter your guidelines while travelers stay in your rental, the more possibilities of positive feedback you will have. 

 

2. Transform your vacation rental options. 

You will need to reinvent your services from global to local, this means that you can develop new uses for your vacation rental as per the market needs. For example: · Transform one room into an office and attract remote job workers. (Which regularly look for new places to move). · Adding activities to your rental description tells travelers why your destination is more special than others. (There is a huge impact on leisure in post-pandemic scenarios · Also add some touches of home to your spaces as people will travel within their bubbles and close family members. Another important fact is to adapt and incorporate flexible cancellation or change policies. This is one of the top priorities for younger users according to an Expedia report.

 

3. Personalization and Customer Experience. 

Because of the pandemic, warm greetings like shaking hands is a custom of the past. But there are still ways to keep creating an excellent experience for your vacation rental renters. Keep in touch with your guests through an open channel: whatsapp, telegram, or email. It’s even more important these days to keep open communication. Also remember, everybody likes a freebie, and if you include some masks or personal hand sanitizers, people will recognize your good hosting skills.

 

4. Automation is the key to success. 

We are not talking only about contactless payments, there is a wide variety of options to introduce into your rental. Keyless entry: you can use remote apps in which you send an electronic key to open your apartment to code digit locks inserted directly into your vacation rental, available in different price ranges. Home automation: This sounds like The Jetsons but we promise you it is not, from controlled heating or cooling systems to a whole panel of lighting and voice controlled devices, you can ensure your guests are getting everything they need! Adding 3D or AI bots to your service: You can now go from facebook type of automatic responses (Bots) at a very reasonable price to 3D virtual reality videos from your amazing Airbnb homes, try adding some cool tech innovations and see how your guests react to them. We are sure they will love it. These are just a couple of nice examples to boost up your vacation rentals, from safety to new techie options we are certain the guests will appreciate them. Remember we Doinners love to help you keep everything nice and tight for your upcoming seasons. So if you are still struggling with your cleaning processes during these difficult times contact us to know more about our plans and services we will be more than glad to assist you.

Doinn interview: Amiad from Guesty

I love this interview model with our partners to understand more the why and less the what and how they are bringing the value to our industry, following the Golden Circle Concept developed by Simon Sinek 

 

Guesty was founded in 2013 to automate and simplify the operations of short-term rental property management. Graduating in 2014 from Y Combinator, the same accelerator Airbnb graduated from, was a game changer for the company, skyrocketing their growth and product development. Today Guesty boasts $60M in funding, 250+ employees spread out across 8 offices worldwide, and customers in over 80 countries.

 

Side note: 2014 was also the year that Doinn participated in the Lisbon Challenge startup acceleration program and we still remember a night out with Michael Siebel, one of the founders of Y Combinator, talking about how those guys from Guesty could have a huge impact in the fast-growing Airbnb market.      

 

And now, here we are today.

 

The Guesty <> Doinn partnership took a few years to take shape as our go-to-market strategies were different but somehow, it was written in our paths.

 

Noelia: First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times? 

Amiad: My family is great, thank you for asking. My wife and I adopted an amazing pup named Effie and we are really enjoying being dog parents for the first time.

 

Noelia: What motivated you to become an entrepreneur and to start this kind of business in times where the Airbnb brand penetration was still not that high?

 

Amiad: I launched Guesty with my identical twin brother Koby. After renting out our apartments while travelling, we realized just how much of a headache it was to oversee guest communication, cleanings and repairs. As a result, originally we launched a property management company to take care of those needs for clients and then realized that we could do so much more.

 

At the time, when Airbnb was becoming incredibly popular, there was a clear product gap in the home sharing space for those who wanted to distribute their listings across multiple OTAs without wasting hours hopping from platform to platform. It became clear that professional hosts and property management companies needed one centralized location to manage all of the complex operational tasks that go into managing their inventory.

 

Enter Guesty. With our software – you can do it all – from guest communication to real-time dynamic pricing to accounting – all in one place.

 

Noelia: I´ve been doing a few webinars talking about the OKRs, the framework used by Google to define the company goals. What is your magical formula for Guesty growth?

 

Amiad: Our platform is built to be agile and has grown alongside our users, adapting to the swiftly changing alternative accommodation ecosystem. To put it simply, Guesty was built for all business models of all shapes and sizes, no matter the location. 

 

Similar to how there is no one size fits all when it comes to travel, there is also no one size fits all when it comes to property management. We built our product with that in mind. Our users’ businesses grow, change and evolve, and we’re there to support them every step of the way. In fact, the growing needs of our users resulted in us enhancing our platform in more ways than one in the last year. Here are two examples: 

  1. We opened our platform to support extended stays of 28+ days after noticing travelers were booking rentals for longer periods. Doing so helped users incorporate flexible inventory into their portfolio to achieve a reliable, assured stream of revenue for longer periods of time. 

  2. We now enable aparthotel and boutique hotel management with the goal of supporting all forms of short-term rentals. Guesty’s new suite of features coupled with our existing core tools, enables independent hotel teams to work efficiently while actively increasing their bottom line. 

 

Noelia: Tourism has been highly affected by the pandemic, but is the Vacation rental industry becoming stronger or weaker?

 

Amiad: Without hesitation, stronger.

 

Thanks to the accessibility and privacy provided by the short-term rental industry, travel has lived on throughout COVID-19, proving the resilience of the alternative accommodation ecosystem as a whole. 

 

Private rentals enable travelers to avoid crowded common areas associated with hotels, such as lobbies, elevators and dining halls. By nature, they also have less guest turnover, which significantly reduces the risk of exposure between guests as does their lower count of “high-touch” surface areas. These selling points, along with Airbnb’s recent IPO, acted as the catalyst to short-term rentals going mainstream with many traditional hotel-goers evolving into short-term rental converts, opting for private rentals over hotels.

 

Short-term rental converts represent a previously untapped audience within the market and have lended to a considerably bolstered user base. And that gain is permanent. 

 

According to our industry report on the state of confidence in the short-term rental industry, 83.2% of the 500+ respondents we surveyed in hospitality believe the travellers who have booked short-term rentals since the start of the pandemic will continue to choose rentals over hotels as their choice for accommodations, even post-COVID-19. 

 

It’s a fact that travel will recover. There are many question marks dotting the path to get there, but this pandemic has proven that travel is a necessity.

 

Noelia: In terms of product, is there any feature that your users are requesting more than before Covid hit? 

 

Amiad: We have found that the most popular features during the pandemic have been those that support lean teams, automate tasks, and help our users achieve organizational efficiency and peak productivity. In fact, use of Guesty’s automated messaging tools jumped 25% in 2020 compared to 2019. This is no surprise as these tools enable users to automatically communicate check-in/out instructions, request for reviews, staff checklists and more.

 

We also saw a growing demand for our 24/7 Guest Communication Services (GCS) throughout the past year, considering the higher than usual volume of guest queries hosts were receiving regarding cleaning protocols, local restrictions and more. Our GCS team of specialists answers queries on our users’ behalf – all day long, or in their off-ours or while they’re on holiday. I’m happy to note that users report GCS saves them 40% of time each week on communication, allowing them to focus their energy elsewhere.

 

Noelia: Doinn has been very successful in the European markets, helping to many property managers to focus on their growth by leaving the operational part to us. From your perspective, what is Doinn bringing to our industry in the USA? 

 

Amiad: Standardization is important, especially when it comes to cleaning practices amid COVID-19. Stringent cleaning protocols are at the top of guests’ mind and crucial when it comes to their safety. Having a company like Doinn certifying cleaning companies and services in cities worldwide not only pushes standardization in cleaning practices forward, it also provides property management companies and professional hosts with a sense of relief as they look to experts in the space to navigate new protocols put in place by competent authorities, from the WHO to Airbnb. 

How to manage your vacation rental remotely

The COVID-19 outbreak has made us rethink the way we work, creating a shift towards a more flexible and digital way of life. Although having a vacation rental business does not consist of being in an office all day, there are certain tasks that up until now have required owners to be physically present in their property. If your vacation rental is far from your main residence, you may have realized that the given situation could actually be a good opportunity to start managing your business remotely. 

The growth of the vacation rental industry in recent years has generated a large number of tools, platforms, and technologies to help owners manage their businesses from the comfort of their own home. These resources help to save a significant amount of time and effort while also providing a higher quality of service to guests.  

Is it possible to manage your vacation rental remotely?

Of course! As previously mentioned, there are currently a wide variety of tools and apps that can help you manage your property remotely without any problem. 

However, it’s always recommended to have a trustworthy person nearby in the event of an emergency. You can also invest in vacation rental property management software, or hire a property manager that offers you a comprehensive management service.

If you’re just getting started and wondering where to invest, distance no longer has to be a deciding factor. Instead, do research on whether the area is a touristic destination and what kind of investment it requires. 

Here’s what you should take into account to manage your vacation rental remotely: 

Things to keep in mind

Keep guests informed

If you’ve decided to work remotely and will therefore not be present to welcome your guests to the property, you should thoroughly prepare for it beforehand. Something as simple as creating a welcome guide with information on the area (activities, restaurants, cafes, or any extra details that might be of interest) can go a long way. 

Don’t forget to include instructions and information related to the property itself, such as the use of appliances, emergency contacts, or house rules. Going above and beyond will avoid any unexpected events in the future.

Automate communication with your guests

Great guest communication is essential to getting good reviews and increasing your bookings. Even for the most experienced hosts, it’s difficult to stay on top of everything from reservation requests to concerns your guests might have. Automating messages will help minimize repetitive tasks and quickly fix potential problems that might arise. 

Provide the necessary technology

Make sure you have all the necessary devices and technology for tasks that were once done in person. Here are some examples: 

Check-in and Check-out

Regardless of whether you remotely manage a vacation rental or not, there are many tasks that can be automated to reduce your workload. While some hosts like to welcome their guests personally, automating this process can save you a lot of time and allow for more flexibility when it comes to bookings. In the event that your guests arrive late, you won’t have to worry about a drastic change of plans. 

There are smart locks that work with codes so that guests can access and leave your home without any help. If you feel like this is not the right option for your business, you can also hire a company to manage the check-ins and check-outs of your vacation rental.

Smart homes

Also known as ‘smart homes’, these properties have a variety of technologies to control and automate certain things like temperature or lighting adjustments. In addition to being able to control them remotely, these tools help to reduce energy consumption, provide security, and turn your vacation rental into a more comfortable place.

Even if you have highlighted the house rules of your property, having a noise sensor can help you control the volume of your guests and avoid complaints from neighbors.

Use tools and apps to facilitate property management

Cleaning services

One of the most important aspects to keep in mind while managing your property remotely is cleaning. When it comes to this task, every owner strives to provide the tidiest rental for their guests. Hiring professionals who are in charge of cleaning, disinfection, and laundry will ensure that the job gets done consistently and with high results every time.

There are currently platforms that, apart from helping you hire a great team of cleaners, also allow you to monitor all tasks. This means you can keep track of what’s going on at all times and run your business much more efficiently. 

Vacation rental management software

Managing reservations is another task that requires attention. Vacation rental software like Lodgify allows you to take full control over your business, giving you access to a centralized platform where you can manage all your reservations, calendars, and rates (from both your website and other vacation rental listing sites like Airbnb and Vrbo). 

Conclusion

Now that you’ve seen the resources available to automate tedious tasks and manage your vacation rental remotely, you can get started! If you take advantage of the previously mentioned tools, the location of your property no longer needs to be an issue. 

Incorporating these solutions into your business will not only give you personal benefits, but it will also make your property more attractive, safe, and profitable in the long run.

Today we are announcing the new integration with Smoobu PMS

At Doinn, our mission is to provide certified professional cleaning, linen rental and laundry services to private accommodation, an end-to-end automation from the guest reservation to the guest ready apartment. 

So we are very excited about  this new partnership with the fast growing Smoobu PMS. 

Smoobu is Europe’s leading all-in-one vacation rental management software, and manages over 70.000 listings. 

With Smoobu you have access to all tools with a single subscription and you pay only per property. Channel Manager, PMS, Website Builder, Booking Engine, Unified Inbox, Online Check-In, as well as a Dedicated Guest Guide that will make your reviews go up. 

Smoobu’s support team is highly rated, speaks 7 different languages and is available 6 days a week via phone, chat and/or email. You can test Smoobu for free. They have a 14-day trial without a credit card.

Through this partnership, you can easily and seamlessly schedule the cleaning, linen rental and laundry services you need according to your reservations.

Free webinar next week

Smoobu is hosting a webinar with us next week, not just to explain how to integrate Smoobu and Doinn, but to talk about how to renew the trust of your guests writing about the enhance cleaning protocols

When: February 16th, 2021 – 01PM CET / 12PM GTM 

Doinn partnership

See below how easy it’s to take the most of our partnership:

1º Make a Doinn account.

Signing up for Doinn is safe and convenient. If you haven’t yet made an account, you can signup for free here

To associate your properties you can add one by one manually (option One Property) or upload several properties by excel (option Many Properties)

 

First time login

2º The properties are ready

First time login

3º Automation lab 

It’s time to define the automation settings and paste your Smoobu Ical

On Smoobu 👇

On Doinn 👇

First time login

 

4º Define your integration settings

Automate the services you would like to outsource with us and the default check in and check out hours of your properties.

First time login

 

4º The integration is ready!

Reservations will be synced and services generated automatically in the next poll. 

You can then click ok and proceed to purchase in one click.

Would you like to know more about Smoobu? Check out this video.

Stay in London

Dainius Podolinskis, founder of StayinLondon.co.uk, a well-known and quality-driven property manager in UK’s capital, writes about the added value that Doinn brings to the industry with their own case study.

Stay in London in facts;

Properties managed: 18 in Central London – Kensington & Chelsea, Soho, Covent Garden, Belgravia, Notting Hill and other

5 years of experience in Property Management:

Average occupancy rate before 2020: 90%

Average occupancy rate in 2020: 60%

Doinn: Consequences of the pandemic for your business? 

DP: We had to rapidly change the strategy and start marketing our properties for the domestic market and medium-term (1-3month) stays, which proved very successful.

Doinn: How do you keep your business active, what measures are you taking?

DP: We drastically cut our costs, we started working from home and don’t have an office. We are also spending more time researching other channels to get maximum exposure for our properties to have them occupied – for example we signed a contract with a corporate insurance company, that often needs accommodations for their clients who have some problems with their houses/flats and need temporary, medium-term accommodation.

Doinn: What is your outlook for the future?

DP: I am confident that 2021 will be the year of opportunity for all the management companies that managed to survive 2020. I am sure travel will come back with a bang and we need to be prepared for it!

Doinn: What service(s) do you order through Doinn and what are the advantages of using our platform?

DP: Doinn is a perfect partnership for us as we grow – we can rely on flexibility when the demand increases.

Doinn: We are very happy to be able to help you. 

Thank you for allowing us to get to know you a little bit better.

P.S. If you want to join this initiative, we will be happy to give you visibility, nationally and internationally. All you need to do is to fill this questionnaire.

Safety is the new wellness movement

Euromonitor, a global market-research firm based in London, released its forecasts for the 10 Global Consumer Trends 2021.

It includes Safety is the new wellness movement.

They say that the fear of infection drives demand for hygiene products and pushes consumers towards contactless solutions to avoid exposure. 

#Airbnb, #Vrbo, and #Booking recommended to their hosts to implement enhanced cleaning measures and innovations that target concerns to renew the trust of the guests, but are those detailed protocols followed by the cleaners? 

Euromonitor even says that efficiency and cleanliness are no longer trade-offs but expectations amongst Safety Obsessed consumers. 

On Doinn we talk about those guests expectations since day one.

Who is not obsessed with safety when travelling with the family or with the love of their life? 

Even before the pandemic, I can´t even think of a mother who doesn´t have as a number one priority the safety of her children. 

What has changed is that finally cleanliness is understood as a key point for our own safety. 

Private accommodation that incorporates professional sanitation services, while communicating these benefits, will attract any guests of this new era

On Doinn we select and onboard professional cleaning companies for you to book certified services a click away and at a fair price.

We provide quality certificate stickers and all the protocols and cleaning products information you need to become a reference in the industry for your guests.

Doinn services are now available in more than 500 cities, allowing remote property management to cover the remote works trends. 

Nest@Lisbon

Nest@Lisbon is the result of a dream of two brothers, Henrique and Pedro, who left their jobs in order to devote themselves to hospitality and to make their guests enjoy everything that the city they were born in has to offer. Currently they manage 17 properties in Lisbon and are in the business since 2017.

 

Before the pandemic, their occupancy rates were of around 80% but the virus brought them down, in 2020, to only 20%.


Doinn: What immediate consequences did the pandemic have for you?

Nest@Lisbon: Some plans for expansion of the company are on hold now (such us increasing the number of employees). 


Doinn: What measures did you take in order to keep the company active nowadays?

Nest@Lisbon: Some of our properties were redirected to mid-term renting with a perspective of bringing them back to the short-term starting in Summer 2021. The company operates as well in other sectors (e.g. buy and sell, remodeling, home staging) meaning that the focus of the company was partially shifted to these areas.

 

Doinn: How do you see the future? What are your perspectives?

Nest@Lisbon: Regarding short-term rentals, to hold down the fort until the end of the first semester of 2021 and go back to the normality of the business from then onward. At this moment, to maintain focus on opportunities other than short-term rentals.

 

Doinn: Withoud a shade of doubt, it is good advice, at least in respect of urban areas. What services do you schedule with Doinn and what are the advantages of using the platform?

Nest@Lisbon: Cleaning and laundry services for our short-term rentals.

Doinn allows for a very simple and straightforward way of service management through automatic integration of our Channel Manager software and a billing summary in the end of each month. Apart from all this automation, our point of contact at Doinn (Andreia Rosa) is extremely assertive and quick regarding some of our occasional requests (e.g. last minute scheduling and cancellations) and it makes us feel confident that we have all the support we need for our model of management of cleaning and linen services.


Doinn: We are very happy to be able to help you. 

Thank you for allowing us to get to know you a little bit better.

 

P.S. If you want to join this initiative, we will be happy to give you visibility, nationally and internationally. All you need to do is to fill this questionnaire.

How to survive in 2021

Linda Fox from Phocuswire, who I am a huge fan of, published last week a fantastic article about the participation of Brian Chesky in the Reuters Next event where he discussed the topic of Tendencies in Tourism.

 

In my opinion, Chesky touches upon three important points:

  1. Tourism will never be the same as before the pandemic which doesn’t mean that the same volume of business won’t be regained on a macro level, just the revenue will come in a different form;

  2. There will be a significant decrease in business travelling, however – in spite of being possible now to work remotely and of many of us having moved away from the cities – we need to come back, even if only so often, to the city where our office is;

  3. More people will choose to travel by car and to smaller towns rather than to popular destinations, switching from mass tourism to a kind of tourism that is more meaningful for our lives.

 

In 2019 92% of Doinn business came from Lisbon, Porto, Madrid, Barcelona and London. In 2020 these cities have represented only around 45% of our revenue and the estimate for this year is even lower (not taking into account the new markets we have been gaining our position in such as the U.S.A or Mexico).

 

Many of big European management agencies are located in these cities and, even if they managed to reduce they fixed costs by cutting their rents or laying off a big part their employees, the focus on medium and long-term rentals of their properties doesn’t seem to be enough for them to stay alive in 2021 if Chesky is reading the market correctly.

 

Furthermore, if we take into account that many owners of beach and mountain houses live in these big cities, we will understand that the strategy that they followed last year – to manage their houses remotely, with certificate cleaning and laundry, linen and toiletries that we make available at Doinn – will still be a trend in 2021.

 

I share the link to the complete article:

https://www.phocuswire.com/Airbnb-travel-trends-and-crises
 

Share your opinion with us and with our followers!

Chekin

Avoid fines in your short-term rentals

Today we want to introduce Chekin, a new tool that will allow you to save hundreds of hours per year, avoid fines of several thousands of euros and earn more money while increasing your bookings. This week only, we offer you a 25% discount, exclusive for Doinn clients with the code Doinn25.

 

Do you want to know what it is about? Let us explain:

 

If you are a landlord and own a short-term rental probably you know that normally the entire check-in process takes lots of time but perhaps you haven’t summed up all the hours that this task involves.

 

Spoiler: for every property, you spend more than 300 years per year!

 

In order for you to have a global perspective, these are (some of) the tasks that are generally accomplished for each booking:

 

  • Compile the data of each of the guests; 

  • Keep (mandatorily) this information in the visit log book for 3 to 7 years;

  • Report, one by one, all this data to the competent authorities;

  • Calculate and pay tourist taxes; 

  • Write the agreements and ask the guests to sign them;

  • Verify the identity of all the guests – one by one;

  • Go to the property to hand in the keys;

  • Verify the payment for the booking depending on the platform you use;

  • Collect the safety deposit;

  • Charge extras to the guests.

 

And much more…

 

And this is only for one property and one booking.
Can you imagine how many hours of your time do these boring and repetitive processes take?
And more importantly: how many headaches did you already have resulting from the concern not to make any mistake when calculating taxes or the worry that you can be fined if you don’t send the data correctly to your immigration office?

 

Can you imagine a tool that does all these things for you automatically and safely?

 

And this is what Chekin is about – know that it is possible not to have to fulfill these processes manually. You will be able to manage all the properties you wish with a very little effort and with the assurance that you comply with all the local regulations.

 

You can set up your Chekin account in order to implement your online check-in or add the self check-in as well so you are not forced to go to the property again to hand in the keys. Your guests will be happy. They will be able to enter and to leave the property with all the comfort and autonomy. You will only need to see your bank statements with profits from each booking flowing.

 

In case you are wondering whether Chekin is integrated with your PMS or with your remote access service, we leave you here the link to all the Chekin integrations.

 

Chekin makes your life easier for such a low monthly fee that it seems nearly impossible – to be able to offer you so much for so little. Apart from that, today we share with you a discount code, exclusive for Doinn clients. You only need to access this link, sign up and apply the Doinn25 code. And as it if was not enough, you can do a free 2-weeks trial.

 

Finally, the perfect check-in is possible. With Doinn and Chekin together, the automation circle is completely closed. Since the moment the booking is made until your property is cleaned and disinfected again for the next guest, all you need to do is nothing.

You will have all the time in the world so you can do what you want.

Don’t waste your time, start using Chekin, now!

Bnbird

What a luxury is to have access to this information obtained from our clients and to be able to share it with the community. 

Our next interview is with BnBird, property managers since 2016, with a portfolio of no less than 150 properties located in Lisbon, Oeiras, Cascais, Sintra, Ericeira, Porto, Gaia, Espinho, Ovar, Albufeira, Vilamoura, Vale do Lobo, Monsanto and Gondarém, all in Portugal.

 

Their average occupancy rate per annum, across all the locations, was 76% before 2020 and the coronavirus has decreased the average in only 12%! (you guys, rock! 🙌)


Doinn: What are the consequences of the pandemics that you feel most?

Bnbird: The Covid-19 pandemics had an obvious impact especially between March and June when a drop in occupancy rate and in the volume of business was noted.

In the last months we shifted the focus of our business to medium-term stays, achieving occupancy rates over 70% in the last months, including 76% registered in October and 68% – in November on average for all the properties we manage. The retention rate of the properties was above 90%, the acquisition of new properties being pretty high as well, altogether resulting in an increase in our portfolio of properties from 100 in March to 150 in December 2020.

 

Doinn: Apart from the medium-term rentals approach, what other measures have you taken in order to adapt to this new “normality”?

Bnbird: The company’s strategies have been adapted – both internally and externally, with a reduction in the number of people employed and the company’s bet on process automation and communication tools. In the essence the goal is to make the company leaner, faster and more agile. Regarding the relationship with our clients, we sought to keep the landlords up to date in respect of our strategies and to present competitive, for the market the way it is now, solutions. Regarding the relationship with guests, we sought to strengthen the communication, building a stronger and more present emotional connection, especially by keeping them up to date in respect of the restrictions being put in place due to the pandemics. Additionally, the cleaning standards have been reinforced as well as the check-in/out dynamics. 

 

Doinn: What prospects do you have for the future?

Bnbird: We know that the next months won’t be easy, especially because it is low season now, but the perspectives for a return to the levels in the volume of business preceding the pandemics, after the Spring/Summer 2021 are reasonably optimistic. With the increase in our portfolio of properties and with the automation of processes being implemented, we believe that – in a long-term perspective – we will have a more competitive and sustainable company.Our goal is always to strengthen our position in the metropolitan areas of Porto and Lisbon as well as to speed up our expansion to Algarve and explore other kinds of locations, intrinsically linked to rural tourism.
Doinn: We are sure that anything you do, will be a success!
And the last question, about our services: what services do you schedule with Doinn and what are the advantages of using the platform?

Bnbird: Cleaning and linen services, mostly linen rental. The great advantage is the convenience in scheduling the services online and the diversity of locations included that provides a strengthened safety regarding our expansion processes.


Doinn: It is a pleasure to accompany you in your expansion! 

Thank you for letting us know you a little bit better.

 

P.S. If you want to join us in this initiative, we will be more than happy to give your business more visibility, nation- and internationally. All you need to do is to fill this questionnaire.

Thank you all for letting us know you a little bit more.

The pandemic has brought us many negative things, many! But there are also many positive points, namely a closer relationship with our clients because this crisis has given us something that we didn’t have for a long time: TIME.

 

We always say that Doinners are here to help and in these difficult times, sometimes the support has been not only with operations but above all with our friendship and empathy.

 

And from here came the initiative to interview some of our clients, to share with our community the different points of view and management during this crisis.

 

What better day than Thanksgiving to start the first interview and dedicate them these words: Thank you all for letting us know you a little bit more.

 

P.S. If you want to join this initiative, we will be happy to help by giving you visibility at the national and international levels. You just need to fill this form. https://forms.gle/eMctnxtc2bH6qVY8A

How to get direct bookings

On September 29th and 30th there will be an exclusive conference on how to get direct bookings for tourist accommodation: rentals, hotels, hostels and the service apartments sector.

Since Covid changed our world, some travelers have preferred to make reservations without intermediaries such as Airbnb, Booking or VRBO, contacting the managers or owners of these properties directly through their websites or even Facebook.

Many of our clients tell us that one of the main reasons is because they feel more comfortable being able to ask them directly about the extraordinary cleaning measures they are taking, since the measures taken by the large platforms on this issue do not seem sufficient. Which is why, in recent months, we have been creating so much documentation that our clients can share with travelers on their web pages and / or by email or phone, including the 24 webinars, podcasts and interviews on cleaning protocols.

There is no doubt that making reservations directly can bring some risks to both travelers and managers. Both the previous reviews of the manager and guest, as well as the efforts to avoid fraud both at the payment level and at the level of properties that do not exist, have always given enough peace of mind in the industry.

And it is that in the new world, the margins have been tighter. In order to get the few bookings that are being had this year, many managers have reduced prices “to get to sell something and not lose money”, so there is no much space for commissions to third parties 

This conference organized by Damian Sheridan, with  Deborah Labi and Gianpaolo Vairo as co-hosts , has a very clear goal: to help the community develop the confidence necessary to increase revenue by removing the commissions from the platforms. The challenge: not having to pay the same or more in advertising to get direct traffic.

Our CEO, Noelia Novella, is one of the 50 speakers. She will not talk about cleaning or the Coronavirus, but about the methodology to define and monitor objectives that Google uses, the so-called OKRs: objectives and key results.

The advantage of being an online conference is that it can be viewed on a delayed basis and filter the presentations that are most interesting to you. For less than € 130 (£114), you have an amount of content to learn and enjoy, super varied and almost unlimited.

Many of the speakers and sponsors, including Doinn, will do promotions and discounts. From what we have been seeing, used properly, they will make the conference pay for itself.

Important detail: the lectures are in English, the speakers are from around the world.

Here’s a little appetizer from Noelia’s arena and an interview of her, super cool with Deborah Labi https://conference.bookdirect.show/noelia-novella/ 

Let’s take advantage of this slowdown to learn, to be more competitive, to understand what happens outside our comfort bubble

A lot of strength to all

Holiday Rentals – Guests’ Safety and Sense of Well-Being – The Key Issues You Need To Consider

Holiday Rentals – Guests’ Safety and Sense of Well-Being –  The Key Issues You Need To Consider

2020 has been a devastating year for the travel and hospitality sector.

Many hosts, owners, managers and service contractors have seen their incomes reduced to zero. 

Our businesses will never quite be the same on a number of levels.

As the sector struggles to get back on its feet, we thought that we’d take a look at some of the things that we will need to do differently from now on.

Obviously, these things centre around cleaning, cleanliness and guest interaction and well-being.

In this article we look at some key points that will help you,  your business and your guests safety and sense of well-being.

Point of entry

Our front doors are the first touch point of our property and our guests stay and we will need to pay attention to sanitizing keys, door handles or keypads. This will apply to key safes as well if you use them.

Going forward, we can see a rise in the popularity of contactless entry systems, also known as smart locks. 

With a smart lock fitted, you can easily lock and unlock the front door with an app on your (or your guests) smartphone. The phone sends a wireless signal via BlueTooth to the motor controlled knob that sits on the inside of the door.

You can remotely control who has access (and, just as importantly, when they have access). 

This extends to cleaners and service contractors or anyone else for that matter.

They cost in the region of £150 and can be bought from Danalock for example. They are simple to install and don’t require any wiring or internet. 

Not only are these a pretty cool use of technology, they also remove the need for keys and key management (and now key sanitizing). They do away with the headache of lost keys too.

They also give you an instant notification of guest arrival (and departure). 

Meet and greet

Like it or not, the hospitality business has changed due to the Coronavirus and one of the main changes will be that your guests probably don’t want to meet you any more.

We know this will please some owners and managers, especially those managing larger portfolios of properties that spend their time driving from rental to rental (and waiting for late arrivals).

But, with the use of smart locks and your own smarts you can carry out virtual meet and greets in a number of ways.

  1. The smart lock is activated and you receive a notification that the guest has arrived.
  2. You can simply phone the guest and welcome them to the property, share any important information and tell them how to get in touch should they need to.
  3. You could supplement this call with an ‘in-property’ tablet/iPad that is a digital combination of the old ‘house book’/guidebook/guestbook. 
  4. You could introduce options like Virtual Concierge that offer voice operated services via Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home that could supplement this ‘digital hand holding’.

Here’s a PDF Guide that outlines some of the many things that you can offer via voice controlled devices in your rental property

Trading the welcome pack for a well-being pack

Many of us have been providing welcome packs on arrival for as long as we can remember.

Whether it’s a basket of fresh fruit, a locally produced bottle of wine and a selection of tapas or chocolates on pillows, we’ve always wanted to make our guests feel at home and get their holiday off to a great start.

Moving forward, it would better suit the current situation if we provide a well-being pack of face masks, travel-sized hand sanitizer, latex gloves and selected cleaning products. Providing liquid hand soap at each sink would also be well appreciated. 

This will underline that cleaning, cleanliness and public health are one of your priorities and this may currently be the most important signal that you can send.

Face masks

Face masks are quite inexpensive and can be purchased from local chemists or online via Amazon and the like.

Creative owners and property managers could go a step further and provide branded masks from online companies like Realthread

Travel-sized hand sanitizer

Once again, these are relatively inexpensive, easy to source and reinforce your hygiene lead approach. 

These could easily be relabeled to project brand, personalization or both. 

Latex gloves 

Latex and vinyl (latex free) gloves are available from chemists, auto supply shops or online. A box of 100 only costs around £12 so they won’t break the bank and again they emphasize that guest health and safety are paramount to your business. 

Maybe leave a pair for each guest in a ziplock bag.

Cleaning products

We’ve read a number of predictions that many guests will be bringing their own cleaning products but it certainly won’t hurt if you provide some rubber gloves, a bottle of disinfectant, some sterile wipes and paper towels.

Liquid hand soap

These are readily available from various outlets, both on the high street and online. Think about buying bulk packs and refilling each station during changeovers. 

A gentle reminder

It may be a good idea to leave a short accompanying note that outlines your overall cleaning manifesto and the extra steps that you and your cleaning staff have undertaken in preparing the property for your guests safe arrival.

Personal protection equipment (PPE)

Don’t forget that yourself and or other cleaning staff will need to wear/be supplied with PPE such as masks, gloves and overalls (see your local governments guidelines for more information). These and other rubbish from the property will need to be disposed of properly.

Bedding and towels

We’ve seen conversations in some owner groups regarding guests bringing their own bedding and towels. This may be an option in some areas. This is already common in some regions such as Scandinavia where there is historically a summer house culture. 

There is also the option to rent linens. These linens are often washed at higher temperatures so they offer extra piece of mind. 

Feel free to contact us for more details.

There’s also the option to supply disposable, sterile, biodegradable, single use towels from Viscoto. These cost between 20p and a pound each depending on size.

At what cost?

We understand that most of the above suggestions cost money and as always someone has to foot the bill.

Some of the costs could be absorbed by the host, owner or manager. Installing smart locks for example could actually save time and money over the course of a year so actually pay for themselves.

Providing tablets and voice activated devices adds up, especially if you have a number of properties but these add to the guest experience so may warrant a relative increase in rental fees.

A well-being pack, PPE for yourself and your cleaning stall and a enhanced cleaning and disinfecting regime will certainly add to current cleaning costs but we believe that guests will be prepared to pay these increases for higher levels of cleaning and disinfection. Especially if these increases are communicated in the correct way.


The one major stumbling block

The major problem that we all face from now on is perception.

Although you may clean your property to within an inch of its life, the fact remains that some property owners and managers are not as fastidious.

And we all get tarred with the same, lowest common denominator, brush.

The press will never write a story that tells travellers that 90% of the holiday rental sector offer spotless, disinfected accommodation. They will always spotlight the dirty, unclean places and that’s going to affect us all.

That’s one of the reasons why hotels have a better reputation for cleaning and cleanliness. Their staff are professionally trained, they generally use stronger chemicals and work to tight protocols.

The hotel industry will exploit this and attack the vacation rental sectors on this point.

The problem that hotels can’t avoid though is that they have communal contact areas and high-touch points such as lift buttons, door pushes, etc and that will affect them as they too try to adapt to this new world working environment.

The online travel agencies (OTA’s) like Airbnb, Booking (.com), Expedia, etc are looking at ways to improve the cleaning levels perception problem. 

Airbnb have introduced their Airbnb Hosting Cleaning Commitment, the others are implementing similar initiatives.

We predict that there will be more training or that these companies will insist that hosts, owners and managers provide certified cleaning via reputable professional cleaning companies.

Only time will tell but this area will become a key battleground in the medium term future.

We would have liked to say that this article is about adapting to renting in a post Covid-19 world but the virus hasn’t gone away. Not by a long chalk. In fact, at the time of writing there were a record number of new cases reported yesterday.

On the upside, travel is starting to make a comeback. It may be ‘in country’ to begin with but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

We can only adapt. Do our best to keep ourselves and our guests as safe as possible and above all, communicate what measures we are taking to address these new and troubling issues.

Stay safe.

Airbnb Cleaning – Keeping Your AirBNB Units Clean In the Time of Covid-19 (with Checklist)

There’s a lot of conflicting information appearing on the internet regarding Airbnb cleaning at the moment.


It’s not surprising really. We’re all chasing a moving target as governmental protocols are issued, revised and updated.

This article aims to provide up to date guidelines with a sprinkling of common sense. 

We understand that a lot of you are still hosting your units and properties right now, be it opening up your residence for longer stays, welcoming local guests, or providing shelter to medical workers on the front lines of the coronavirus (COVID-19) response. If you are still hosting, it is essential to rethink your cleaning routine to make sure you are doing what you can to protect yourself and your guests.

As we said, we would like to help, so we have put together a number of guidelines based on insights and suggestions from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Airbnb themselves and from some of our own research.

Why Cleaning is More Important than Ever

Cleanliness has always been a top priority for hosts and their guests, but it is even more critical as we are all striving to lessen the spread of infection. As per the ECDC, it is possible for someone to contract COVID-19 by touching a contaminated surface — like a light switch, remote control or doorknob — and the virus may live on some surfaces for numerous hours or even days. That is why it is crucial to clean and disinfect surfaces that have frequently been touched, particularly between reservations.

Note: According to ECDC recommendations, we recommend limiting access to your space — including for cleaning — for 24 hours right after each guest stay. 

The Difference Between Disinfecting and Cleaning

When it comes to controlling germ spread, it makes it easier to understand the difference between disinfecting and cleaning. Disinfection occurs when you use chemicals to kill germs (like spraying with a bleach solution). You can reduce the risk of infection by first cleaning, then disinfecting.  Cleaning is the act of removing dirt,  germs, and impurities (like when using a soapy sponge to wipe off a visibly dirty counter or stovetop). 

Here are some recommendations to follow when you clean your space between the guests. If you work with a cleaning specialist, inform them to use this list as well.

1. Wear disposable equipment while you clean.  Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, face masks, and gowns, or facial cloth could provide extra protection. After each cleaning, make sure to throw your gloves out and wash your hands properly right away.

2. Ventilate the rooms before you clean up. Allow the air to circulate for at least 20 minutes. Keep all windows open during the whole cleaning process, if possible.

3. Wash your hands extensively before and after each cleaning session. Use soap and water and wash them for at least 20 seconds. If that’s not achievable, at least apply a hand sanitizer with at least 70% alcohol. 

4. Clean, disinfect. Use soap or detergent and water to remove dirt, grease, germs, and dust. Spray with a disinfectant once the surface is clean. Let it stand for a couple of minutes, then wipe — and if you do not use disposable wipes or paper towels, it is best to use a brand new cleaning cloth for each changeover.

5. Make sure you prevent touching your face while cleaning. To stop the spread of germs, the ECDC advises that you do not touch your face, eyes, and nose with unwashed hands — so pay extra attention when cleaning.

6. Use an appropriate disinfectant. The most popular household disinfectants as well as cleaning alternatives with diluted household bleach or at least 70% alcohol are considered to be effective against coronavirus. Pay close attention to regularly touched surfaces, such as light switches, remote controls, doorknobs, and tap and shower handles. 

7. Do not forget about sofas, drapes, carpets,  and other soft, porous surfaces. Gently remove any grime or visible dirt, then wash with the proper cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces—Machine-wash items as instructed by the manufacturer, if possible.

8. Wash all linens at the highest temperature suggested by the manufacturer. This involves hand and bath towels, mattress covers, bed linen, kitchen towels, and blankets. Make sure to wear gloves when handling dirty laundry, and take care to prevent shaking laundry, which may raise the spread of germs.

9. Clean and disinfect laundry baskets. If possible, consider using a liner that is either disposable or that can be placed in a washing machine.

10. After each cleaning, empty the vacuum cleaner. You should wipe a vacuum cleaner with a disinfectant, along with appliances such as a dishwasher and a washing machine.

11. Take a moment to check the expiry dates while restocking your supplies. And remember to never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleaning solution that could release toxic gasses that are hazardous to inhale.

12. Line rubbish bins, placing bags in the bins will make it easier to dispose of tissues and other waste.

13. Dispose of or wash the cleaning supplies. If you are using disinfectant wipes, paper towels, and other disposable cleaning supplies, remove the trash after you’re done. If you use cleaning cloths and other reusable products, make absolutely sure that the machine is washed at the highest heat setting appropriate for the material.

14. Remove all cleaning equipment safely. When you have finished cleaning, immediately remove any safety outerwear such as clothes, masks, or gloves and dispose of or wash it accordingly. Remember to clean your hands at least 20 seconds afterward.

15. It may be a very good idea to put all cutlery (used and unused) into the dishwasher as these items could end up in people’s mouths. 

Helping Guests Protect Themselves

Like you, guests would like to take additional steps to reduce their risk of infection. You can help promote social distancing by offering self-check-in and check-out. Consider installing a smart keypad lock, or a key lockbox, and remember to refresh your listing to add self-check-in instructions. You can also reduce person-to-person contact by avoiding regular maintenance during your guest’s visit.

To help guests establish a higher level of cleanliness and sanitation, make sure your space is well stocked with vital amenities and probably add a few extras. Things like this:

  • Toilet Paper
  • Hand soap
  • Disposable gloves and wipes
  • Antibacterial hand sanitizer
  • Paper towels
  • Tissues
  • Extra bin bags of all sizes

Be sure to store a lot of extra sheets and towels, especially for guests who stay for more than a few days. You can inspire guests to clean up themselves by supplying disinfectants and other cleaning products. You may even want to print and distribute the above cleaning guidelines so that if they decide to wash or clean linens, they can do so in accordance with the guidelines of the ECDC.

Telling Guests About Your Enhanced Cleaning Routine

Guests will want to know all the extra steps you are taking to reduce the spread of infection. So it is a good idea to mention your improved cleaning routine in your listing description. If you do, please be very careful about the words you choose — while it is okay to say that you are taking extra care to sanitize your space because of COVID-19, you cannot make baseless claims, such as calling your “COVID-free” space. 

Checklist of items to clean and disinfect

General:

  • Light switches
  • Thermostats
  • Air vents
  • Surfaces
  • Window sills and window handles
  • Remote controls
  • Tables
  • Fan and lamp chains
  • Garbage and recycling bins
  • Hairdryers
  • Keys
  • Ironing boards and irons
  • Railings
  • Doorknobs

Kitchen:

  • Cabinet handles and pulls
  • Sinks
  • All cups, plates, bowls, knives, forks, spoons and utensils

Appliances: 

  • Pressure cooker
  • coffee maker
  • Oven
  • Toaster, etc.

Condiments

  • Oil
  • Salt, and pepper shakers
  • Regularly used containers and spices, etc.

Kitchenware that is not dishwasher safe: kids’ plasticware, ceramic bowls, etc.

Hard-backed chairs

Bathroom:

  • Faucet handles
  • Sinks
  • Toilets
  • Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and soap dispensers
  • Shower curtains and doors
  • Showers and tubs

Bedroom:

  • Luggage racks and hangers 
  • Nightstands

Cleaning appliances:

  • Vacuum cleaners
  • Dishwashers
  • Washer/dryer units

Kids’ items:

  • Portable playpens and cribs 
  • High chairs
  • Toys

Other amenities:

  • Surfboards
  • Bikes
  • Books
  • Games

We hope you will find these cleaning guidelines beneficial as you navigate your hosting during these testing times. We will continue to update our suggestions as the situation evolves. In the meantime, please visit the ECDC website for more information about COVID-19.

Update: Airbnb now has a new standard of cleanings that you can check and follow their guidelines.

The Dirty Truth About Vacation Rental Technology

The Dirty Truth About Vacation Rental Technology

Technology, technology everywhere

In the last ten years or so the vacation rental sector has been taken over by technology.

What was, quite literally, a cottage industry is now an amalgam of tech wizardry.


We list our properties with huge corporations that use big data and complex algorithms to find guests for our properties.

We interact with travelers and advertise special deals on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like.

We use property management systems, channel managers and yield management systems to manage, market and monetize our properties throughout the marketing and booking process.

We monitor security, entry systems, guest noise levels and climatic controls. All via our smartphones.

We can send pinpointingly accurate maps and driving instructions, welcome guests remotely and supply digital guidebooks.

But, in all of this techno revolution, there is one area of the short term rental business that has remained almost untouched by innovation.

Very few hosts, owners and property managers have adopted any technology for their cleaning requirements.

In general, it’s still calendars, spreadsheets and plenty of phone calls to cleaning staff and or cleaning companies. 

It’s the same as it’s always been.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here at Doinn we offer a technology solution that changes your cleaning operations.

Our app acts as a bridge between cleaning admin tasks and professionally trained cleaning staff.

Literally, all of the work is done for you.

The 4 major advantages of using a cleaning app

1 First and foremost it’s a timesaver. And who doesn’t want to save time!

2. Secondly, it assures full transparency in communication, as all the alerts about any forgotten or damaged object or other abnormal situation observed by the cleaner are registered, get notified and stay recorded and attached to the service information.

3. Thirdly, it automates the entire cleaning process and that includes linens if you wish

4. Lastly, it probably costs less than your current cleaning operation

Here’s how it works

You simply add your properties

You can either add your property manually or you can upload properties in bulk via a spreadsheet.

Next, add access details, contact information, etc.

You can add specific access details, cleaning, and/or rubbish disposal instructions or contact information in the profile of each apartment. It will be easy to access by the cleaning teams assigned to this property as well as any other person in charge of the service.

Set your check-in and check-out times

These can be set as default or set for individual properties.
They can also be edited for individual bookings if certain guests need an early check-in or a late check-out.

Leave notes for cleaning staff via the app

Eliminate the need to call or pass on messages to your cleaners.

Just add special requirements in the app’s notes section and that’s it.

Your cleaning staff will be notified automatically and they can answer you in real-time

Synchronize with your bookings automatically with iCal

The platform syncs with iCal (the industry standard booking calendar). 

Once you get a booking,  the check-out cleaning will automatically be scheduled.

Professionally trained cleaning personnel will be assigned to the job.

Everything is taken care of.

Billing

Managing properties for different owners? Invoices for services purchased can be issued to a specific person or legal entity.

The major advantages of using professional cleaners

cleaning your Airbnb

The fact that your properties are spotless is severely compromised by the fact that other properties in your area – aren’t.

The thing that really brings this to the fore is the impact of the Coronavirus and the fact that the standard of cleanliness and the perceived level of cleanliness across the whole rental industry is what will drive bookings in the foreseeable future.

Owners and managers are going to need more than good past reviews. 

They are going to need a level of proof that they are providing thoroughly disinfected properties.

The big online travel agencies have a lot at stake here. They have been exposed to a potential weak spot in their armor.

When using the Doinn app and associated cleaning services providers you get professionally trained cleaning staff and higher, certified, levels of cleaning. 

We work with over 300 excellent cleaning staff from over 40 cleaning companies.
We’re in 88 cities in Europe and growing quickly.

Check Doinn prices here

Move your cleaning operations over to new technology

Say goodbye to the pain of cleaning, disinfecting and washing linen and let our tech solution take care of it for you.

You save time and money and by automating your processes you can concentrate on other, more profitable, aspects of your rental business.

Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions