7 Years, 935 Reviews, and Still Learning — Hello from the Riviera Maya

[Roberto-Carlos22]

Hola everyone! 👋

I'm Roberto Carlos, hosting in Mexico's Riviera Maya for over 7 years now.
What started as a single property has grown into managing 100+ listings with a
local team.

A few things about my hosting journey:
- Started in real estate, fell in love with hospitality
- Built a team of local managers who speak English and know the area inside out
- Learned (the hard way) that scaling requires systems, not just hustle

I'm joining this community because even after nearly a decade, I'm constantly
learning. Right now I'm exploring better tech solutions for managing listings
at scale — something I know many of you have figured out.

Looking forward to connecting with fellow hosts, sharing what's worked for me,
and picking up new ideas.

What's one thing you wish you'd known before scaling your hosting business?

[Rebecca]

Hi @Roberto-Carlos22 👋

Thank you so much for your introduction and a huge welcome to the Community Center! This space is designed for hosts to connect, share knowledge, and seek advice so I think you're definitely in the right place.

You mentioned that you're looking for better tech solutions, what does that involve? 

[Rajiv-Prassanna0]

Welcome,  @Roberto-Carlos22  👋

My day job is in AI risk and technology consulting. I’m fascinated by tech in the STR space, specifically — new (global) vendors with different levels of 'customer support maturity'. One of the biggest was awful and I wish i didn't believe the adverts and fasle reviews of their PMS- which is and was a nightmare.

I’m actually quite new to hosting, but I’ve been a short-term rental guest/user for over 10 years, so I’ve seen the industry from the other side too.

We run an 8-room, purpose-built villa on Koggala Lake near Ahangama, Sri Lanka.

What I wish I’d known before scaling?

How hard the people side is.

Finding a hardworking, honest manager with ambition for the business — not just “running a shift and collecting their 'share' ” — is far harder than setting up tech, listings, pricing tools, or automation.

Good staff got discouraged and even bullied by people with the wrong intentions. And if you’re a remote owner, unless you’re visiting at least a few times a year, it can quickly turn into stress, late nights, early mornings, and far too much coffee (or wine 😅).

Another big lesson:

👉 This is not a side hustle. Never was.

Even with automation, STR and operations is business that needs hands on leadership, at least 18/7 

But when … a guest leaves a heartfelt 5-star review or tells you how a few days with us made their stay special — and suddenly all the effort feels worth it.

My pro tip?

Exhale. Mean well. Be genuinely hospitable.

Tech, scale, and systems matter — but guests still remember how we made them feel.

Looking forward to learning from others here too.