Why invest in vacation rental smart devices?

Are you the type of person with a million small business ideas running through your head 24 hours a day? You may be looking for a way to make decent cash flow, enough to step away from your traditional 9–5 job.

Investing in vacation rental properties might be your ticket out of Dodge. But what if you stepped it up another notch and outfitted your vacation rental with smart devices rather than going the boring, traditional route?

When executives build proprietary technology, it increases the value if they decide to sell the company. Adding smart devices to your vacation rental makes it look new and can improve the vacation experience, making it more attractive to renters.

In other words, you can list your rental at a higher nightly rate than other rentals in the area. Think of it as a unique value proposition or edge you can establish over the competition.

A smart home is a unique angle you can market to your heart's content. Still not convinced?

Take a look at what Wander, a short-term luxury rental company with smart home technology, is doing:

With this business model, they've raised $132.3 million in funding in less than two years. The quick success of this company shows the demand for this niche of smart vacation rentals.

And it's just the beginning. There's plenty of room for more smart rental properties on the market.

And with some simple marketing strategies, you can quickly land yourself as one of the top rentals in your local area. More on that later.

5 smart devices to level-up the renter experience

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Are you ready to turn your vacation rental into a luxury property?

Use these five smart devices to create an elevated guest experience:

1. Smart locks for easy self-check-in

In-person key handovers are time-consuming and challenging to fit into your busy schedule.

Plus, we all know that travel plans tend to incur unexpected delays, which can result in miscommunication regarding when guests will arrive at your property. This scenario can be frustrating for everyone involved and turns the simple check-in process into an unsolicited game of chess.

So why not take a more hands-off approach?

To make the check-in process smoother and more convenient for both parties, consider implementing a keyless check-in system for your vacation rental using smart locks.

Not only does this save time and reduce stress, but it can also provide a safer and more pleasant experience for you and your guests. Smart locks allow guests to access the property independently without needing in-person key handovers by replacing keys with a keypad or mobile app.

2. Smart thermostats for optimal temperature control

House temperature is one of the most important aspects of keeping guests comfortable during their stay at your property.

If the home is too hot or too cold, it can turn the most luxurious rentals into inhospitable places. So don't underestimate the power of keeping your property at the right temperature.

That's where a smart thermostat comes into play. There are several benefits of adding a smart thermostat to your rental property:

• Energy efficiency: Smart thermostats learn temperature preferences and can adjust accordingly to save energy, leading to lower energy bills and more environmentally friendly rental properties.
• Convenience: Remotely adjust the temperature of your rental property from anywhere, using an app on your phone or a smart home device.
• Comfort: Smart thermostats can provide a more comfortable environment for guests. This feature helps make last-minute temperature adjustments before guests arrive.

Check out which smart thermostat is compatible with your exising devices on our product find engine.

3. Swimming pool control for a resort-like pool experience

Vacationers will pay top dollar to rent a property with a pool. But how do you keep up with pool maintenance during their stay?

You can hire someone to service your pool (which can be expensive and disrupt your guests' privacy). Or you can invest in smart pool control technology to do the job for you.

Let's look at it this way. If you are a company that manages 50 vacation rental properties with over 100 employees to show, clean, and repair them, you don't rely on one person to manually pay everyone.

Instead, you invest in HRIS software to help you manage all aspects of human resources, including payroll.

Why not use the same approach for pool maintenance across your properties? It's a surefire way to reduce manual errors and keep everything running like a well-oiled machine.

That's where smart pool control like iAquaLink can make your life ten times easier.The AquaLink® TCX™ is an easy way to transform your pool into a smart pool. With the user-friendly iAquaLink app, you can control your pool from your smartphone. Some features include setting up schedules, powering equipment on or off, and even managing the lights, heater, and cleaner.

You'll never lose an ounce of sleep over pool maintenance ever again. This app also provides helpful information to ensure your pool operates optimally, allowing guests to soak up the sun without disruptions.

4. Robot vacuums for hands-free cleaning

Some vacation rentals have pet policies that allow guests to bring their furry friends for their stay. Dog and cat owners rejoice!

But every pet owner knows that when you bring your furry pals anywhere, they leave behind a trail of fur (which you are probably immune to at this point). The following guest, however, won't appreciate the mess.

By adding a smart vacuum to your vacation rental, you can keep the rental clean and tidy without putting pressure on current renters to clean the space constantly.

For instance, the iRobot Roomba 690 robot vacuum is a powerful little device. This robot has features like WiFi, an app for remote vacuuming, and sensors for under furniture. It also has self-charging capabilities.

What makes it stand out among the other smart vacuums is its 'dirt detector' feature that's particularly effective at locating high-density areas of pet hair on both hard and carpeted floors.

Plus, it can run continuously for 90 minutes without returning to the dock.

Adding a robot vacuum to your vacation rental tech squad isn't just for pet owners. It also helps catch miscellaneous crumbs from food (to prevent unwanted pests) or aids anyone who prefers a relatively tidy living space.

5. Mobile apps for marketing, communication, and seamless bookings

On vacation, simplicity is everything.

Guests want to escape the hustle and bustle of their everyday life. That’s why nine out of ten times, people hunt for convenience, efficiency, or luxury when choosing accommodations.

So what if you had a proprietary mobile app that allows guests to search for a property, book it, unlock the front door, turn on the lights, and heat the pool with their smartphone? It wraps everything in a nice, neat bow.

The average cost to develop a simple app is between $40,000 and $60,000. That's not a drop in the bucket. But as you saw in the Wander example, they secured hundreds of millions of dollars in funding based on their proprietary mobile app.

What was the key to their success? A well-designed marketing plan.

Thankfully, there are plenty of AI tools to help keep your costs down while maintaining the quality of your marketing campaigns.

For instance, AI for marketing can help you create the right messaging tailored to your target audience. Or running your images through an AI photo enhancer can make them pop.

Even Airbnb is using these strategies, as seen in the example above.

If you are investing in all of this technology, you should shout about it from the rooftops. It's your competitive edge, so make it the main focus of your marketing campaigns.

Turn your vacation rental into a luxury property with smart devices

Home smart devices have the potential to transform the vacation rental industry by providing guests with added convenience, comfort, and security.

And as a vacation rental owner or property manager, smart devices can make managing your properties easier.

Plus, you can charge a premium per night for access to these added features. That means more money in your pocket. Talk about a win-win.

The possibilities for using technology to create the ultimate vacation rental experience are endless, from smart thermostats to smart home mobile apps.