This week let’s meet Roberto😊
Roberto is an experienced and dedicated host who has been in the industry for 18 years. With his beach-front villa Casa Nalum in Tulum and Casa Tuut in Merida, Mexico, he manages two exceptional properties alongside his wife Pia and their diligent staff. As both an owner and manager, hosting is Roberto’s full-time occupation, allowing him to provide personalized services such as meal plans, spa treatments, and concierge assistance to enhance his guests’ experiences.
Let’s hear his story! 🔊
So Roberto, tell us, how long have you been hosting? How and why did you start? How many properties do you manage?
I’ve been hosting for 18 years, first our beach-front villa Casa Nalum in Tulum to specialized high-end agencies and then expanding to the platforms Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, and Expedia, as well as through our own websites. Currently, I manage two properties with my wife Pia, and our wonderful staff; Casa Nalum in Tulum and Casa Tuut in Merida, Mexico
Are you an owner or a manager? Is this a part-time or full-time occupation for you?
I’m both owner and manager and it’s a full-time occupation as we provide extra services such as meal plans, spa treatments, and concierge services, all of which require our attention.
What is the best thing about hosting, and what are the biggest problems you face?
We really enjoy meeting new people from all over the world, it’s very satisfying being able to contribute to a great vacation or working stay. It helps you know people better as you strive to understand what moves them and make them happy. Sometimes, however, the planets are not always completely aligned, and whether it’s seaweed on the beach or simply bad luck with an air conditioner, seeing unhappy guests is not pleasant at all, but it motivates us to do a better job in the future.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you started hosting?
I underestimated the power of expanding your market through a channel manager such as Hosthub, it makes it possible to reach a much wider market which then translates into more bookings. Somehow in the beginning I thought being available only in a few specialized agencies made us more exclusive and valuable, but that’s not true. If you have a great property and you find your unique selling proposition, there are many people out there that you can appeal to.
What is the most important advice/tip you would give someone interested in becoming a short-term rental host?
Managing expectations are super important if you want to get great reviews, so keep it real, go over and beyond the guest’s expectations, and try to be tolerant and understanding. I wish I knew better at the beginning, even though you never stop learning! …Besides, the market is changing all the time, so keep your mind open to whatever works best!
Besides Hosthub, are there any tools, devices, or software (eg. Remote keylocks, cameras, local guide apps, power meters, etc) you use? What is your experience with them?
We use dynamic pricing through Pricelabs which has an amazing integration with Hosthub. Highly recommended and there’s plenty of data analysis you can use to attract more bookings!
Which channels do you list on? How much has your revenue increased since listing on multiple channels?
We have 2 properties on Airbnb, Booking, VRBO, and Expedia and we definitely receive bookings from all, so by definition that’s an excellent way to get in front of more people. We also have our own website and we do get direct bookings too.
Besides listing on multiple channels, what other things can a host do to increase his/her bookings and revenue?
There are many things a host can do from choosing carefully keywords to increase web search optimization and platform visibility, changing listing titles and descriptions seasonally in order to keep it more relevant to the weather/time of the year (for example, giving more importance to the fireplace during the winter and AC/pool during the summer), posting on social media, giving as much as possible the idea of the experience being at your place. If you are consistent and with a genuine desire to make your guests happy, bookings will eventually increase and you will have more satisfied clients.
You can find out more about Roberto’s properties here:
Direct booking website
Airbnb
Vrbo
Booking
Here are some photos to give you a better vision of Roberto’s properties (click for larger versions) 🧐
