The features that a smart home can provide help simplify your guests’ experience while making it more efficient. If you haven’t equipped your vacation rental with smart technology, find out the must-have elements to improve your guests’ experience.
Automating daily tasks is beneficial when it comes to managing a property, which makes technological solutions very attractive for all the parts involved, both from the point of view of the owner, who gains comfort, and the guest, who enjoys an experience comfortable and customizable.
Find out which smart technologies are at your disposal to improve your guests’ experience and make your property more competitive in the market.
1. Smart Locks
One of the main smart solutions is the use of smart locks. In addition to remote access, they also offer greater autonomy, flexibility and comfort, both for the owner and the guest. How it works is very simple: by connecting your smartphone, tablet or PC to the internet, you can manage the opening of doors remotely, safely and autonomously, giving you greater freedom when it comes to controlling access to your property, without having to resort to the use of physical keys, thus speeding up the check-in and check-out process. You can create unique entry codes for each guest that are only active during the scheduled stay. For you, it represents comfort, less travel and fewer costs; for the guest, a flexible experience without schedules.
Advantages of having a smart lock:
- Security: safer than traditional locks – the digital codes created are only valid during the stay, personalized and non-transferable, limiting access to the property by third parties or outside the days of stay.
- Greater control of your VRs: smart locks can be programmed with different access codes, assigned to each guest or service. In this way, you can regulate who enters, which days they can access and for how long. This increases the control of who is authorized and not, to enter.
- Simplified management for owners: no longer needs to coordinate and schedule a date and time for handing over physical keys. This avoids unnecessary trips and, consequently, saves on travel costs.
- Uncomplicated access for your guests: guests can check in and check out at their convenience and they can arrive at any time of the day or night, always having guaranteed access to the accommodation.
- Advantages of the Airbnb Plus program: The Airbnb Plus program requires a 24-hour check-in and values the purchase of a smart lock. If you’re looking to join Airbnb’s unique project, smart locks can be an important factor.
- Ease and versatility of use: there are different types of smart locks for all types of doors. Its installation is easy, it can be done either by you, in minutes, or through an authorized installer.
- Integration with channel managers: enables greater control over check-ins and manages guest access more effectively, by streamlining operational processes, allowing the synchronization of digital keys with the booking calendar, as well as the automatic sending of instructions entrance for guests.
2. Smart Lighting
Surely it has happened to you that guests have left the lights on after leaving your property. The “smart lights” allow you to control the lighting of your property via smartphone, app, or through the voice assistant. You can manage the switches remotely, program them to automatically turn on or off at set times and, with the use of smart bulbs, you can even change their colour and intensity. It also allows you to control the curtains and, for example, the lighting of the outdoor pool. The use of smart lighting increases efficiency while lowering energy consumption levels, contributing to savings on the electricity bill.
3. Smart thermostat
With the use of smart thermostats, you can remotely regulate the room temperature in real-time, which helps to accurately the temperature you want to maintain: warm in winter and cool in summer. They connect via the WIFI network to devices such as smartphones or tablets and make it possible to automatically turn off the air conditioning when the guest leaves, thus avoiding superfluous energy expenditure in the absence of the guest. You can also automatically turn on the air conditioning before check-in, to make your arrival more pleasant and cosy.
4. Smart Voice Assistant
A real must-have for your guests. Through a smart voice assistant, help your guests easily locate the most relevant tourist attractions, weather conditions, news and much more, without lifting a finger.
Also, if you have connected other smart home devices like lights, locks and thermostats, the voice assistant can let your guest control them with just a voice command.
5. Smart Vacuum Cleaner
Cleaning is surely the most differentiating factor between a positive or negative review. It can make a difference with the use of a smart vacuum cleaner using it, for example, between cleaning services, longer stays, guests with children or with pets.
Smart vacuum cleaners are a great help to keep the accommodation in perfect cleaning conditions as they can also be easily managed through an app. It also has the advantage of detecting various types of surfaces, such as carpets, tiles and wood floors.
Add value to your Vacation Rental
Equipping your vacation rental with smart solutions represents an investment, but will add value when it comes to making reservations. Whenever guests are in the process of choosing accommodation, these solutions are a differentiating element due to the comfort they provide during their stay.
Tip: in the property description, indicate the benefits the smart solution has at your disposal, highlighting the convenience and comfort they can provide during the stay.
