Haven’t had time to think about how to improve your operations? Don’t worry—we’re on top of it.
We’ve been busy this month bringing you key updates to improve your user experience, specifically related to inquiries, check-in, and check-out. We’ve also integrated with two new partners to help you fill vacancies and market your business.
What are you waiting for? Keep reading to learn more and start taking advantage of these updates!
Provide a better experience for Vrbo inquiries
The guest experience often starts with an inquiry, and it’s important to make a great first impression. So, we’ve made a new update to do just that.
In our previous workflow for Vrbo inquiries, guest inquiries were created as bookings without quotes, and then separate bookings were generated when guests sent booking requests. This meant that inquiries were managed via email and booking reservations via our messaging API.
We’ve since updated this process to create a single workflow and prevent potential inconsistencies. Now, you can use our messaging API to communicate with guests about inquiries in real time. And when a guest makes an inquiry and then decides to book, their inquiry is upgraded to a reservation, ensuring consistent message history throughout all your interactions.
That’s a lot of information, but the most important takeaway is that you’ll now have a more consistent and efficient user experience for Vrbo inquiries.
Note: This feature is currently being rolled out and will be available to all Lodgify users by August 5.
Meet our new-and-improved online check-in form
If you’ve used our pre-check-in form, you’re in for a nice surprise: We’ve made some fresh new updates to the form, including a new design, features, and name. (It’s now called the “online check-in form.”)
What’s more, you can now customize this form as well as the automated email to provide your guests with a better check-in experience.
But first, for those who aren’t aware—what is the pre-check-in online check-in form?
The online check-in form is a feature in the PM Modules’ Guest Module that allows you to send a questionnaire to gather information such as guest details, check-in time, and legal ID, enabling your guests to check in online. You can also configure automated emails or SMS messages to send this form to guests multiple times before check-in.
So, what exactly is new? You can now customize the online check-in form by adding or removing preset questions and adding custom questions. The check-in email is customizable as well: Modify the text in up to five languages and enhance your messages using placeholders for the rental name and owner name.
Want to check it out? You can access the online check-in setup in Lodgify by navigating to Settings, Messaging, and then Online Check-in. The form itself can be found on the Reservations page.
Note: This feature is only available to Lodgify Ultimate plan users who have activated PM Modules. It is currently being rolled out and will be available to all qualifying users by August 8.
Simplify Airbnb checkout management
Checkout management just got easier for Airbnb hosts. Thanks to our new feature, you can now create detailed checklists and communicate specific instructions to guests to ensure an even smoother departure experience.
For example, include to-dos such as:
- Return keys.
- Turn things off.
- Throw trash away.
- Lock up.
- Gather used towels.
Need to be more specific? You can also add details for each task, like sorting trash into separate bins for recycling or leaving the keys in a specific place.
Learn more about how to edit your channel configurations for Airbnb here.
Note: Airbnb sends guests an automatic reminder with checkout time and instructions via push notification to their mobile device at 5 p.m. local time the day before checkout.
Make the most of our new marketplace integrations
Fill vacancies with Whimstay
Does your vacation rental struggle with filling gap nights and off-peak season vacancies? If so, our latest integration is for you.
Whimstay is a leading marketplace for last-minute vacation rentals committed to boosting occupancy and revenue for hosts and property managers while offering travelers unbeatable deals. It works by offering discounts on last-minute vacation rentals, saving guests money and filling your reservation calendar.
And because discounts are only applied to the last 29 days of the booking window, you can rest assured that you’re only offering discounts when absolutely necessary to secure a booking.
Read more about our integration with Whimstay here!
Attract more bookings with Rentamira
Chances are, you struggle to find time to market your vacation rental—many businesses do. Thankfully, Rentamira has come up with a solution: AI-driven marketing tools.
Thanks to our new integration, you can take advantage of Rentamira’s suite of marketing tools to optimize your listing, audit your SEO, create blog content, and automate your social media posting. And because Rentamira first analyzes your competitors, target audience, and unique selling points, it’s able to back all of its decisions and strategies with data.
Read more about our integration with Rentamira here.
Try Lodgify today
Eager to try out these new features and integrations? It’s as simple as logging into your Lodgify account.
Whether it’s by adding new features and partnerships or improving our existing offerings, we’re committed to continually enhancing our software for our customers—and we can’t wait to see you put these improvements to work!
Don’t have a Lodgify account yet? Start a commitment-free 7-day trial to check out our features and discover how Lodgify can revolutionize your operations. For a closer look, register for a free, personalized demo or explore our features with a product demo.
