Could smart technology be useful in an Airbnb listing?

[Stephanie]

Hi everybody, 

How many of you are tech-savvy members? Well, I have read here in the Community Center here about a number of different ways to automatise things in your home, for example temperatures in a listing (both heating and cooling). 

There are also gadgets that you can control with your voice (Alexa, or others) which control the lighting system, or even a refrigerator that calls the technician by itself. If only there was a kettle that self-boiled, brewed and served tea we would be in heaven.

These are all very clever things, but the question is:

Do you think technology can help the lives of hosts? What do you think and please share if you have any smart technology in your home? 

Thanks, 

Stephanie

[Sarah977]

@Juan63  And I'm also "losing" bookings because I don't have a beachfront property (guests who want that won't book with me), I'm "losing" bookings because I only have a room suitable for 1 guest (couples can't book), I'm "losing" bookings because my house is a 20 minute walk from town, I'm "losing" bookings because I don't have a TV, I'm "losing" bookings because I don't provide breakfast, ad nauseaum. I get the kind of guests I want, Juan, and they are happy here, that's what's important to me.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Sarah977  My  properties are 50 meters away from the beautiful white sandy beach but my guests still tend to watch Netflix especially when it is raining 🙂

[Helen350]

@Oomesh-Kumarsingh0  - @Sarah977 is not running a boring one-size-fits-all beach hotel for the masses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Helen350 Me neither and by the way i really like old-fashioned hosts and their own style of hosting!Hosting is an art and we all have our own way of welcoming guests.

[Sarah977]

@Oomesh-Kumarsingh0  I'm not sure why it's so difficult for you and @Juan63 to grasp the concept that not all guests are the same kind of people with the same requirements. My guests tend to enjoy relaxing with a good book when they are beached-out or it's raining, not bemoan the lack of Netflix. In fact, I have a DVD player and about a hundred good movies, of many genres, which guests are welcome to avail themselves of, and in 3 years of hosting, not one guest has. They prefer to read or paint, or write.

And it has nothing to do with the guest's age. Probably over half my guests have been under the age of about 38.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Juan63  At least someone has the some point of view on the "Must Have" . I agree that nowadays a host can lose many bookings if he or she does not have a good internet connection.

[Helen350]

@Oomesh-Kumarsingh0 Somewhere, far off the beaten track, there still exists a remnant of old-fashioned Airbnb hosts, who run a little sideline , not driven by business principles) in the spirit of the original Airbnb..... It could even be that connections between people, (a good fit) are more important than money.... or bums on seats, as we say in England!

( @Sarah977 ) 

[Stephanie]

Oof that last "bums on seats" comment sent me back to school @Helen350 

[Helen350]

@Stephanie lol!

[Christine1081]

If course tech can help. I'm a tech geek them after 40 years moved to a rural community where I grew up. Bought a house and never dreamed of asking about internet! It's horrid here and thus keeps everything behind the times. It ain't going away. So we must adapt. 

[Gary762]

We have just fitted keyless a klevio door lock , it allows us to now send and share digital keys by phone to clients.. because you don’t change any of the door locks or handles you can still use the original key for low tech / older customers. No more key hangovers or keys to lose , copy or steal. And it’s ideal for my cleaner as I Now get an audit trail when the door is opened. It’s saved us so much time running around

[Ain4103]

only WIFI & NETFLIX 

must-have contents

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Ain4103 So true!

[Juan63]

All our spaces are smart and are great for hosts. We have implemented smart technology in every aspect of our spaces. This includes smart ac/heating, lighting, tv, fans, door entry, cameras, g00gle hubs, speakers etc. For guests who don't want to use it, all the standard buttons and remotes exist. Guests that are open to it absolutely love it. I even have a cheat sheet with commands so there is no guessing on what works with voice commands and what to say. Really, if I never mentioned it, most wouldn't even notice the integration. As a host, it allows me check on my house remotely.  I can save energy, check who is entering my house, create timed entry and departure codes, and create a unique hi-tech experience, that most, have yet to try. This includes smart smoke detectors that alarm me if they go off remotely. I have had guests go and buy some of the products I use during their stay. 

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Juan63  Those smart AC units are a great way to save energy for sure.The fact that you can control the air temperature of your rooms while you are away is absolutely amazing! This is another good point on why a host need a good internet connection.