Selecting dependable short-term rental management software is crucial for Airbnb hosts and property managers. In this article, we will analyze two leading vacation rental management software platforms: Hostex and Hospitable.
By exploring their features, pricing, and overall effectiveness, we aim to assist you in making an informed choice and identifying the PMS that aligns with your unique requirements.
Hostex
What is Hostex?
Hostex is an all-inclusive vacation rental management software that offers a wide array of features, automation tools, and smooth integration with leading booking platforms.
As one of the most budget-friendly options available, Hostex is tailored to enhance operational efficiency and boost revenue for Airbnb hosts and property managers.
What does Hostex do?
Hostex provides a variety of essential features that position it as an ideal option for property managers seeking a complete short-term rental management solution.
1. Seamless integration with OTAs
Hostex connects with leading vacation rental platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Expedia, Google Vacation Rental, Houfy, Trip.com, and Agoda, simplifying your listing management.
This integration enables you to manage all your listings from a single dashboard, eliminating the need to log into various accounts, which saves time and boosts productivity for property managers.
2. Real-time calendar management
Hostex features real-time availability calendars and a user-friendly rate management system that keeps you in control of your rental business. You can quickly modify rates and minimum stay policies, with the calendar updating automatically to reflect your adjustments. This guarantees that your guests receive precise information regarding your property’s availability and pricing.
3. Automated messaging system
Hostex consolidates guest messages from various channels and utilizes deep learning AI to automatically recognize inquiries and deliver appropriate responses. This automated messaging system enables Airbnb hosts and property managers to offer prompt and effective customer service without extra manual effort, saving both time and resources.
Additionally, Hostex can send crucial reminders to guests at important stages of their stay, including booking, check-in, and check-out. These triggered messages can contain welcome notes, check-in instructions, check-out guidelines, and more.
4. Advanced automation tools
Hostex’s automated review function sends reviews to guests and compiles feedback from various channels. It also automatically responds to reviews according to the star ratings provided by guests.
The automated task feature enables property managers to assign tasks to their cleaning teams based on check-in or check-out times, with the system sending reminders to cleaners. Once the tasks are completed, property managers receive prompt feedback.
5. Direct booking site builder
Hostex provides a direct booking website builder tailored for vacation rental businesses. Rather than building from the ground up, our templates streamline the design, organization, and formatting process. You can effortlessly upload your content and images while establishing connections to booking platforms, payment gateways, and additional services.
6. Google Vacation Rental integration
Hostex enables Airbnb hosts to integrate their listings with Google Vacation Rentals (GVR) at no cost. This integration broadens your audience reach without incurring extra expenses. With Hostex, you can easily leverage the advantages of Google Vacation Rentals to boost your market visibility.
7. Reporting and analytics
Hostex offers comprehensive data and analytics for your short-term rental business. You can access key performance metrics like occupancy rates, revenue, and average daily rates. Furthermore, you can export the filtered data as an Excel file for more detailed financial analysis.
8. Team collaboration
Hostex includes a team management feature that enables you to create customized sub-accounts with specific permissions. This allows you to grant access to essential features for team members like customer service representatives, accountants, and cleaners, without giving them access to everything.
9. Diverse Integrations
Hostex supports integration with major dynamic pricing tools like Pricelabs and Rategenie, which help you adjust prices in real time based on market trends for maximum revenue.
Additionally, Hostex is compatible with nearly all smart locks, automatically generating dynamic access codes for each reservation and sending them to guests via automated messaging.
10. All-in-one mobile App
Hostex provides a comprehensive mobile app accessible on both the App Store and Google Play. This app enables you to manage all aspects of your short-term rental business directly from your smartphone. You can handle booking management, messaging, pricing, and more, all while enjoying the essential features available on https://hostex.io/.
How much does Hostex cost?
Hostex offers transparent pricing, with monthly fees starting at $4.8 per unit, and going as low as $2.6.
You can take advantage of a 15-day free trial, which provides unlimited access to all features without requiring credit card details.
There are no hidden fees; you can use all features, including automation tools and the direct booking website, without incurring extra charges.
Hospitable
What is Hospitable?
Hospitable gifts short-term rental hosts their valuable time back. Hosts use Hospitable to answer guest messages with AI-powered automated messaging, to automate their team notifications so they never miss a clean, and to avoid double bookings with a synchronized calendar across booking channels.
Hospitable allows hosts to build their own direct booking website with many of the safeguards you would find in a 3rd party OTA and to integrate with popular 3rd party online travel agencies.
What does Hospitable do?
1. Synchronize your calendars
Hospitable enables you to easily view all your bookings from direct channels, Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo in a single dashboard. This ensures that double bookings are virtually impossible. You can also update your pricing across all booking channels from one convenient location.
Manage all your messages from direct bookings, Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo in one window, while maintaining a communication history for returning guests.
2. Message automation
Hospitable AI will recognize guests’ questions and answer them on your behalf. We’ll cover the whole journey from pre-booking questions to a “thank you, come again” note. Your guests will never guess they were texting with a robot, thanks to a magnitude of templates, customization options, and your canned responses.
3. Review automation
We will submit your guest review at the right time based on the star rating you want to assign. We will remind the guest to leave their review if they haven’t done so.
4. Team management
Assign tasks to your cleaners and assistants, and send reminders by email or SMS. There’s no room for human error – all communication will be accurate and timely.
5. Direct bookings site builder
Build a direct booking website and keep full control of your vacation rental journey. A hassle-free approach to processing payments, protecting your property, and collecting taxes.
6. Mobile App
Hospitable also has a mobile app, but its features are relatively limited. It encourages professional hosts to manage their properties primarily through the web platform, ensuring a better experience for managing listings and operations.
How Much Does Hospitable Cost?
Hospitable offers transparent pricing options:
- Host Plan: Starts at $29 per month per property, limited to a maximum of 2 properties with restricted features.
- Pro Plan: Starts at $59 per month per property.
Additionally, certain services require separate fees:
- Connecting smart locks to Hospitable incurs an extra charge of $5 per device.
- Direct bookings through the website come with a Direct Transaction Fee ranging from 1% to 7%.
When selecting the ideal Property Management System (PMS) for your vacation rental business, both Hostex and Hospitable present valuable features and advantages.
Hospitable, with its longer presence in the market, offers a wide range of functionalities, though its pricing is considerably higher.
In contrast, Hostex provides similar features and even more, distinguishing itself with a user-friendly interface, and an excellent mobile app. With a much lower price point, Hostex is a fantastic option for vacation rental owners of all sizes.
Evaluate your specific needs, budget, and the scale of your vacation rental operation when making your choice. Select the PMS that aligns best with your requirements and supports your success in the competitive vacation rental landscape.
