@Rafael579
The fact that you are "alwlays between flights and can't be there at all" will definitely raise your expenses.
If your rental is easy to maintain (everything works) you can hire a management company or cohost.
Of course, these professionals will not have your interest 100% at heart. They too will manipulate you with every interaction.
Some hosts here do the housework themselves and pocket the money. I hire cleaners, but do all the maintainence and administration myself. This is how we keep expenses low.
I don't know where you are, but your $30 - $70 hotel sweet spot seems very low. Tourists have money and will shell out much more for a stand alone apartment. That $30-$70 hotel room is ONLY a bedroom. A stand-alone apartment has a living room, kitchen, space which demand a premium.
You need to do more market studies. Compare your rental to a comparable Airbnb or hotel suite. The ACTUAL number (not advertised price) during a high season weekend. Also, stay at some Airbnbs.
As a long term landlord, Airbnb still can have a place in your real estate empire. Airbnb can reduce your financial risk inbetween long-term tenants. You know, that period of time when you are shelling out money with no money coming in and you don't know when that money will once again start to come in.
With Airbnb, you can have some money coming in , work around your maintenence projects and still show the apartment to prospective long-term tenants. You won't get financially desperate and foolishly accept a bad prospective tenant, cuz you want the revenue to start again. Win-win