365Villas Introduces Flex-Stay Pricing Features

Key Takeaways for Vacation Rental Managers:

• 365Villas, a vacation rental management software provider, has launched a ‘Flex-Stay’ pricing tool for property managers.
• The Flex-Stay feature allows guests to pay extra for booking amendment flexibility, aligning property managers with practices seen in airlines and hotel websites.
• For instance, they could charge an X% premium to guests who wish to change their dates of stay within a specific period. Property managers also have the discretion to require a notice period for such changes or apply different rates for the new dates.
• Other new features include a full payment discount option, cancellation indemnity, and early bird discount offers, all integrated within the 365Villas Property Management System (PMS).
• These features can be tailored by each property manager to fit their target market, improving guest booking experiences and enabling property managers to capitalize on the growing trend for direct bookings.
• Alongside these features, 365Villas has introduced new website themes and designs to help property managers effectively market their portfolios.

About 365Villas:

• 365Villas’ is a vacation rental software that encompasses a PMS, Channel Manager, Websites, and Integrations.
• The platform is built to optimize portfolio productivity, empowering property managers to maximize financial returns and scale fast across any length of stay.

Uvika’s View:

• In scenarios where guests need to alter their dates due to unforeseen circumstances, Flex-Stay offers them a choice, a convenience that was previously unavailable.
• It fosters stronger relationships with guests, enhancing loyalty and establishing a win-win situation that encapsulates the essence of a successful, scalable business model.
• This is the second major feature launch from 365Villas, following the recent integration of WhatsApp into its communication tools.

Short-Term Rental Data Provider Airbtics Launches Freemium Model

Key Takeaways for Vacation Rental Managers:

• Short-term rental data provider Airbtics introduces a new Freemium service, offering an enhanced look, better data, and an improved application.
• Airbtics Freemium offers transparency with free access to detailed Airbnb data including annual revenue, occupancy rate, nightly rate, property size, total listings, amenities, cancellation policies, and more.
• It provides an advanced Airbnb Calculator for precise revenue projections and comparisons of multiple prospective properties.
• With 15 million short-term rental listings from Airbnb, data from other major STR platforms, and weekly updates, Airbtics maintains high data accuracy.
• This service is crucial for Airbnb investors, hosts, researchers, and vacation rental managers, as it allows them to make informed decisions based on accurate and up-to-date data.

About Airbtics:

• Since 2019, Airbtics has been dedicated to providing vacation rental market success through custom market analysis and dynamic data.
• Their primary data is obtained through web scraping software directly from Airbnb, as well as some data points from VRBO and Booking.com. 
• Airbtics offers customizable data and tailored region options, from weekly data refreshes for hosts, investors, and vacation rental managers, to daily for enterprises.

Uvika’s View: 

• The provision of free, accurate, and granular data by Airbtics signifies the democratization of data in the vacation rental industry. It grants access to essential information that was once exclusive to a select few, leveling the playing field for all players in the market.
• This move is part of a broader industry trend. AirDNA recently announced free access to its global short-term rental data, and PriceLabs has long been sharing free worldwide short-term rental performance insights through its STR Index. 
• On one hand, offering free access to data empowers Airbnb hosts and vacation rental managers to test the waters, allowing them to experience firsthand the value of data-driven decision-making. It’s a gesture that recognizes the importance of informed choices and supports the growth of individuals and businesses in the industry.
• On the other hand, providing free access serves as a user acquisition strategy for data companies like Airbtics. By offering valuable free services, these companies attract users who can experience the benefits of their offerings. Once users understand the value, the companies have the opportunity to retain them and potentially upsell premium or paid services.
• Beyond user acquisition, the free access model also serves as a feedback loop for data quality enhancement. Companies can gather valuable insights from users’ experiences and suggestions to refine and improve the quality and scope of the data they provide.

bnbfinder Expands Book Direct Approach to Professionally Managed Vacation Rentals

Key Takeaways for Vacation Rental Managers:

• bnbfinder, a direct booking platform with 25 years of industry experience, now allows professional property management (PM) companies to list vacation rentals.
• The new move eliminates the standard-tier listing subscription fee, making bookings free of charge for travelers and PMs alike.
• This direct booking approach provides an alternative to vacation rental fees, aiming to increase profits for PMs and savings for guests.
• bnbfinder’s expansion includes integrations with leading vacation rental property management software providers like Escapia, Streamline, and Track, and user experience improvements on their site.
• By eliminating fees, bnbfinder enables PMs to be more profitable and price competitive, potentially reversing the trend of hotel occupancy outpacing vacation rentals.
• The platform also helps restore personalized customer service in the booking process, allowing PMs to implement policies that best suit their operations and guests.
• Only verified, professionally managed vacation rental properties, inns, and bed and breakfasts can be listed on bnbfinder, ensuring trusted services for travelers.

About bnbfinder:

• A veteran in the vacation rental and hospitality sector, bnbfinder offers an affordable, no-fee alternative to large Online Travel Agents such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo.
• By cutting our excessive marketplace fees, the platform aims to empower professional hosts to earn more and guests to save. 
• bnbfinder encourages communication between prospective guests and PMs, fostering a more personal relationship and potentially increasing conversion rates during the booking process.

Uvika’s View: 

• Various fees associated with vacation rentals lately have become a point of contention for many guests. Social media platforms are often abuzz with complaints about excessive fees that seem to add an unnecessary burden on travelers’ budgets.
• The traditional model of vacation rentals – where platforms like Airbnb and VRBO act as intermediaries and charge a fee for their services – has increasingly come under scrutiny. These fees often detract from the overall affordability of the vacation rental, making it less competitive compared to traditional accommodation options like hotels.
• The ‘book direct’ model, as championed by bnbfinder, offers a potential solution to this problem. By allowing professional property management companies to list their properties without charging them subscription fees, bnbfinder is enabling these companies to offer better prices to guests without compromising their revenue. 
• On the flip side, platforms like Airbnb are taking slightly different steps to address the issue of fees. Recently, they have hinted towards integrating cleaning fees into nightly rates, ostensibly making these additional costs ‘disappear’. While this move might make the pricing structure more transparent, it does not necessarily make the rentals more affordable.