Although the holiday season brings with it sparkling lights and cakes being distributed around, we have much more than what usually meets the eye. For those of you who manage short-term rentals in Miami, you know what the winter season lies ahead of you. While the rest of the world slows down to enjoy the festive season, you are up and up, working on:

1. Increased number of guest bookings
2. Stacked up calendars
3. Tighter turnaround schedules

Therefore, for those of you who work for an Airbnb Management firm or even in the hospitality industry, you know what each of the protocols stands for. 

At MRMVR, our bookings speed up, too, during the peak holiday season. Visitors from across the world come to Miami to escape the cold in their home country or their country of origin. The warm weather in Miami is one of the top reasons for our local listings getting snapped up too fast. 

As a top brand Airbnb Management company, we face a tougher lift every holiday season. We must check everything, starting with continuous check-ins, until unexpected events that might pop up during the day. It takes a lot from our teams that ensure that everything is taken care of in a smooth and hassle-free manner, while nothing about the schedule feels normal. 

In this blog, let us learn how to manage holiday overwhelm smoothly. Helping you get started further:

1. Clearing Stuff To Keep Things On Track

Sometimes, each day feels full even before the morning begins. To keep things on a constant move, we have to plan ahead of time. In fact, it is the rhythm of activities that keeps things in a loop and avoids chaos. We therefore plan and do not keep guessing what comes next. 

Let us have a rundown on how you can plan even on the busiest of days:

A- Using Checklists

As an Airbnb Management Company, we use morning checklists to find out guest check-ins, move-outs, or any kind of priority fixes that require immediate attention. 

B- Sticking to a proper workflow

Our team members stick to a structured workflow. So, they know exactly in which order cleaning, restocking, or inspection of rooms has to be done. Therefore, each home gets the attention it deserves. When things start moving faster in November and December, we move things faster. We have built-in systems that help us plan even during early daylight hours. 

C- Tracking the supplies for the vacation rentals

When there is a higher influx of guests, especially during the fall and winter seasons, we have our teams who constantly stock up supplies for guests staying in different rooms. More guests mean more soaps, more laundry, and more paper towels. We help homeowners secure reservations and stay consistently all year, across seasons, inclusive of holidays. 

2. Planning For The Holiday Rush

October may feel a bit early. But this is the perfect time to analyze what is coming ahead. Planning a few weeks away from the holiday season is what adds to the chunk of difference. 

Let us have a rundown of steps of the same:

A- Schedule Deep Cleaning for the property premises

Once long weekends kick in, you might have a huge number of families checking in. Therefore, we prep up our premises to avoid holiday overwhelm. On this premise, we work through our calendars and arrange for deep cleaning sessions for our property premises. The deep cleaning sessions are scheduled before the onset of the holiday season.

B- Working through upgrades

We work through upgrades like replacing linens or fixing linens before they get flagged as catastrophe scenarios hitting on the last-minute deck. The requisite changes or upgrades are done back-to-back before holiday check-ins start pouring in. 

C- Stocking up the extras

We stock supplies like coffee powders, towels, bedding units, and other extra ensembles that might impact peaceful stays at our short-term vacation rentals. It isn’t about over-prepping but putting in enough things on time to avoid surprises later. This can avoid chaos or confusion once guests start pouring in.

3. Communicating Early And Often With Guests

The more we share with our guests ahead of their arrivals, the better and hassle-free it is going to be with respect to their stays at MRMVR-approved vacation rentals. 

Let us see how this gets carried out:

A- Check-in message with early notes

Once a guest checks in, our systems get automated with all the check-in details. We immediately add notes with respect to arrival norms, gate codes, and wifi details., These are notes that are added to the customer’s check-in folders as soon as the check-in is scheduled for a guest as such. 

B- Availability of custom guides once the guest checks in

We include custom guides along with every reservation ticket so that the guest stays calm and relaxed even before ushering his check in. The custom guides answer common FAQs on parking, trash rules, and provide info on the neighborhood as well. You can also get the details confirmed at the concierge desk before you may want to check in to your rental hub. 

C- Prior disclosure on checkout guidelines

As an Airbnb Management Company, we feel obliged to leave reminder notes before check out and leave follow-up notes as and where needed. By planning these touchpoints, we avoid back-and-forth holiday overwhelm during busy weekends. When we prepare our guests ahead of time, we get fewer messages from anxious guests. This way, their stays are made more relaxed and comfortable.

4. Preparing For Weather, Traffic, And Unexpected Delays

Although Miami doesn’t get snow, there can be plenty of weather-related scenarios that can put holiday check-ins off guard.

Let us identify what these scenarios are:

A- Shift Through Traffic Patterns

Several factors can create shifts in traffic patterns in and around Miami. These include:

• Afternoon Storms
• Packed Highways
• Last-minute announcements regarding conducting sports events and
• Holiday parades

All these factors can prove deterring for guests who want to travel smoothly and have their check-ins scheduled on time.

B- What Do We Do As An Airbnb Management Company

Last-minute weather breakdowns or traffic jams are factors that cannot be controlled, even by us as an Airbnb Management Company. However, we take the following steps to avert delays in guest check-ins. The list is as follows:

• We leave notes to guests alerting them to traffic delays or local events that can disrupt them from reaching our properties on time.

• We constantly update our guests on rain, heat, or special parking needs that can otherwise put our guests off guard.

• We alert our repair or maintenance partners on a stand-by to facilitate fixes and repairs at a time when we have back-to-back bookings.

Although we cannot avert unprecedented circumstances completely, we keep guests alerted to special or need-based scenarios so that they feel less stressed before their check-ins.

5. Supporting Property Owners Without Adding Too Much Noise

Although property owners want their properties well looked after, they do not want too many updates or communication emails that can clog their inboxes, leading to chaos or confusion. Here is how we balance between the ends:

A- Providing Weekly Updates

We provide weekly updates on upcoming repairs or deep cleaning sessions that are scheduled for the properties you own. We also inform you about cancellations or upcoming blocked dates ahead of your check-in dates. If your holiday bookings overlap with our repairs and maintenance, we will work around our calendars if repairs or fixes can be postponed. Or, we might try reaching out to you to discuss amicable solutions pertaining to the same.

B- Adjustments over late check-outs and early arrivals

We make calendar adjustments pertaining to late check-outs or early arrivals, and we do so quietly in the background. We do most of the power lifting so that we do not spoil guests over their plans or celebrations. We give a lighter touch to important touchpoints so nothing is missed out whatsoever. 

This way, we maintain the voice of the brand, getting stronger every single day. Top-level housekeeping and 24/7 guest communication maintain the cleanliness of properties while guests are alerted all the time. 

The Bottom Line

As a leading Airbnb Management Company, you must plan early, set routines, and allow your teams to handle things flexibly if you want to maintain your cool during a peak holiday season. After all, you do not want to suffer an exhausting burnout when your properties are getting filled in back-to-back.

At MRMVR, we manage properties for our owners and also showcase properties to your guests so that you have nothing to complain about. What are your thoughts on this?