Bill's Bountiful Blog

High Dynamic Range - Lodging Newsletter December 31st, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 12/31/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

Almost every day, a vacation rental or hotel blog admonishes property owners and managers to invest in professional photography.

We heartily agree, but we say phooey on pseudo professional photographers!

The proliferation of cameras has bred an ever larger list of "professional" photographers who are simply not what they say they are. This is because photography has changed radically. Only professionals who have mastered High Dynamic Range (HDR), web-optimized photography, 360-degree panoramas and 3D virtual tours are truly pros.

Joseph, Jonathan, Noel, and John - our Signatours Photo Team experts - have revolutionized the use of this new technology a decade ago. We have been investing in it ever since. Most recently, we have added superb 3D walk-through tours, since 3D virtual tour equipment has improved their unwavering quality standards.

If your property manager doesn't comprehend how critical photos are or isn't willing to dish out the high cost of superior photography, you have the wrong manager. They are cutting your income and you may not even know it.

If they were musicians, you would notice they are playing off key. If they were baseball players, you would see they are throwing screwballs. If they were politicians - well, you would agree that are bumbling bureaucrats at best.

So this month, the attached Update Letter offers a basic primer on how HDR photos are crafted and how they will make you far more income. Call today to get your photos fixed!

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The term "High Definition" may apply to your television but "High Dynamic Range" photography refers to a technological process so powerful that it has been patented by Adobe Software. It's so powerful that our company committed to the cost and quality over a decade ago.

Only one in every ten thousand amateur photographers (even one in a thousand paid professionals) can master HDR imagery.

Our goals are to produce architectural photographs that accurately replicate what the human eye sees as much as possible. The problem with shooting interior spaces is that the range of light and contrast in a room varies from very dark (a corner), to diffused light (a ceiling), to very bright (a window).

All digital cameras require the photographer to adjust aperture (F-stops), shutter speed and ISO (light sensitivity) to achieve a properly exposed photo. There are 22 'F-stops' (and even more shutter speed and ISO options) a camera has to adjust for a proper exposure.

For a hundred years, photographers have tried to replicate what the human eye sees, sometimes using odd and time-consuming techniques. It was said that Ansel Adams - a dedicated outdoorsman who was famous for his stunning Yosemite National Park photos - spent more time in the darkroom than he spent shooting.

HDR photography is not for the unskilled or lazy because it requires patience and the fine hand of an artist. Up to 16 images are required for every single final photo. Each image is shot in a "Raw" format in order to stuff every pixel of possible light (or dark) into the file.

The resulting large files are uploaded to overlay each other in a super-powered computer, where they can be examined to find the best exposure for every inch of the room. This is to get that dark corner lit up or to see detail out of a window. The photographer then must tone each image to match what type of light it was shot in. The whole process takes 15 to 45 minutes per image. Pesky problems, like blinds, that are composed of very dark and very light components must be manually adjusted.

In the end, the photos are truly dense in pixels and hence the description "High Dynamic Range". The massive file sizes must be visually recalibrated to reduce the size and improve website loading speed. The end result is what we call the "Perfect Touch".

The difference between Michaelangelo and his contemporaries wasn't his paints or brushes, but that Michaelangelo had the artist's touch. So does our Signatour photo staff.

Putting inaccurate and embarrassing photos on websites indicates to consumers that the property is not of the highest caliber. If your manager does not comprehend this simple premise, ask yourself what other mistakes is your manager making?

On the other hand, Signatour photos tell guests that a property is well cared for by diligent people who understand quality. This results in more bookings, higher rates and greater income for every property we manage.

Is it time to upgrade your property with photos that show it in the best light?

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0588 – 12/31/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Indentured Servitude Comes to Vacation Rentals

By William May
Published: 12/01/17 Topics: Employment, Housekeeping, Vacation Rental Management Comments: 0

There is a hidden under belly about how Venture Capitalists are entering the Vacation Rental industry in hopes of dominating it to cash out for big bucks.

It appears some pursue growth at all costs, by over working staff, and even evading labor laws that call for overtime wages. Jobs are hard to come by, and they take advantage of well meaning employees who have no other option but to work far harder for far less.

Her real name is being withheld for fear of retaliation, so we'll call her Susie. She worked for some years for one of those VC backed firms hoping to amalgamate the industry by buying up local vacation rental managers and taking over their listings.

Nothing wrong with that, if you like the corporate approach to what has previously been a very personalized service business. In fact, at the rate that some of these venture capital backed companies are hemorrhaging money, it is no wonder they survive by taking advantage of workers.

Susie was hired to clean homes and provide property services but the job quickly turned into 80 hours weeks, for a set salary appropriate for 40 hours. She was not paid for the extra hours and did not receive payment for overtime, nor the time-and-a-half hourly rate required by law.

Those companies skirt the law, by trying to claim employees as contractors, or managers making them exempt from overtime compensation. It is a ruse that sometimes works, but is never considerate to people who work so hard.

Susie said she never received a day off in several years, nor the promised paid vacation time and when she begged to hire additional housekeepers was told, if you don't like it you can leave.

Susie fell for the "We are newer, and smarter, and bigger and better than all those local Podunk managers. We are going to take over the world with technology" and you are going to be part of something great. Working hard will have its rewards.

For Susie that meant constant fatigue, dawn to dusk duties seven days a week, a rude supervisor, corporate officers who could care less, and the constant threat of job loss - if she was to raise a complaint about off-the-clock hours.

Was Susie really just a disgruntled employee? Not really. For years she drank the "upward mobility" poison that corporate workers have been swallowing for years. That working long and hard will benefit them in the long run.

Pursuing career growth and personal achievement is a requirement in many industries. But in Susie's case it was all led by a few corporate officers who constantly praised themselves but fail to honor the most sacred of business ethics - to provide proper compensation from line staff who do all the heavy lifting.

Eventually Susie just could not take the grind any longer. She quit with no prospects for a job elsewhere, "I didn't plan it" she said, "But I just could not do 80 hours a week anymore."

As a service business, vacation rental staff are what guests and owners come to appreciate. There is no sense in doubling listings if complaints triple.

Smart owners realize that people like Susie are, and have always been, the backbone of vacation rental management. Without the Susies of the world, renting out a home is a risky investment.

Since she left, Susie's prior employer has hired and lost additional workers just like she. They struggle to find new employees and can’t keep good people. They advertise jobs constantly because the word is out about their employment practices.

Reputable companies don't build their business by over working staff, or promising more than can be delivered. "Its no wonder quality lacks and they have so many online complaints" Susie notes, "Everyone works so much, that we just don't have enough to give. I tried, I really did. But 80 hours a week is too much."

Worst of all, property owners are no longer getting the care and consideration they deserve. They see a revolving door of housekeepers and maintenance workers and that causes quality to suffer and commitment to wane.

Smart property owners are learning to evaluate management firms by their staff and not by misleading promises that bigger is better. In vacation rental management, local is what makes it work.

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0565 – 12/01/17

Monster Trucks - Lodging Newsletter November 30th, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 11/30/17 Topics: Advertising, Dynamic Rates, Housekeeping, Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter, Vacation Rentals Comments: 0

Jeff Bainer of Kittitas County Washington State may know nothing about the vacation rental industry, but he does know all about monster trucks.

The Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper reports that Bainer is a member of the Monster Truck Hall of Fame. Who knew there was such a thing?

Fans of monster trucks know of Jeff's first truck "Hot Stuff" which was launched in 1986, and later rebuilt into a humongous red jeep, said to be the world's largest.

Today he considers himself to be semi-retired because he transports, races and wins "only" 17 events per year, around the country. Who knew there were even that many?.

Bainer makes a comment that is just as relevant to the Vacation Rental business as it is to monster trucks. "Our industry has changed so much in the last three years." It has gone from an industry of independent drives to one dominated by a single company.

As the vacation rental industry has also morphed into something different than what it was just a few years ago. Luckily for us, the big guys are making big mistakes. Smaller vacation rental managers who band together have far more to offer by operating locally while also marketing globally.

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Just like Monster Trucks, Vacation Rental management is changing fast. Innovation has always been at the heart of business. In some industries bigger can be better, but vacation rentals are the opposite. It requires stellar onsite services combined with today's technological tools to advertise globally.

Big Company #1 - has been around for decades, being sold from one conglomerate to another, charging high commissions and loading their overhead with "executives" who do more talking than they do cleaning toilets. Today the company is again for sale to the highest corporate bidder. No where do they promote the sale as better for property owners and guests. In effect, they are selling their property owners short.

Big Company #2 - Likes to buy up local competitors and then discard the local personal touch. They promise technological competence and dynamic pricing which is really no different than what savvy local managers can provide. They offer a comprehensive fee, but supplant it with undisclosed fees, resulting in a large class action law suit. Staff members come and go resulting in HUNDREDS of livid online complaints.

Big Company #3 - Offers a low commission but "manages" from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Owners are forced to find local housekeepers, maintenance staff and hosts because, as the Big 3# spins it, those people are cheap and desperate to work for you. How predatory. The heart of every lodging are the hard-working, loyal, committed and friendly people who do the heavy lifting and are on call 24/7. Then when this company gets a complaint, they blame it on the owner and the local staff.

Big Company #4 - Also promises a lower commission and secret technology to advertise rentals worldwide and on major websites. They fail to admit that all top local managers can now meet or beat their advertising distribution, dynamic rates and photos. They also fail to disclose that they are encumbered with greedy venture capital that requires growth at all costs, even if their services are not up to snuff locally.

Our Company - If you like some of the big company capabilities, but fear the lack of personal local service to care of your valuable vacation home, there is good news. We offer the best of both worlds.

Our well tenured local partners live nearby to keep close track of your place. Our world-class back office professionals provide compelling websites, superior software, dynamic rates, stunning HDR photos as well as 3D tours, not to mention courteous quick sales and reservations, topped off with attentive guest and owner services. Although our first office opened in 1964, we have tech tools none of the big guys have even dreamed of yet.

For our clients we must admit the industry is not perfect and duties are relentless, but we promise to keep investing more time, money and commitment per house than those big guys.

If you are not yet a client, we make you the same promise - lower fees and greater service. Call today. Why wait?

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0572 – 11/30/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

No Disruptors - Lodging Newsletter October 31st, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 10/31/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

Vacation rental management really is a fun, enjoyable business.

We get to send guests to fun locations to stay in interesting, unique and enjoyable homes. Plus we get to take care of nice properties and send second home owners nice checks earned from renting.

But be warned - the Internet has also spawned carpet baggers who want to "disrupt" the industry with lots of ideas - some good, some not so good, some downright terrible for guests and owners.

Some would tell you they have bigger better marketing tools. Some will tell you they are cheaper, but they hide fees and generate huge online complaints. Some local companies say they provide services the big guys can't match but they don't have enough horse power to do it.

We solve this challenge by offering the best of both worlds.

Every office in our group is locally operated or owned so owners get a real-live manager. Our "back-office" services are shared, allowing every one of us to provide marketing, advertising, phone reservations, accounting and hundreds of other services our competitors can not match.

We market globally, operate locally, and we are here day and night for guests and owners, which makes it fun for everyone.

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UNIQUE CAPABILITIES: Here are some of the things we provide to offer the most comprehensive service in the vacation rental industry. We do them all because, well they are all required to provide the very best management services. No one else can match all of these.

We do them all to help owners and satisfy guests.

- A-la-carte or full-service programs

- From locally branded offices

- Flexible fees to fit every property

- Onsite staff partners to serve owners and guests when and where needed

- Hospitality grade cleaning

- Quick maintenance

- Proprietary dynamic market driven (S2D2) rates

- Helpful, cheery staff on phones open long hours everyday of the year

- Order booking, chat and guest services 24/7

- Online booking on all major websites such as AirBnB, VRBO, Booking.com, etc.

- Listings on hundreds of other lodging websites

- Synchronization of dates, rates and details to avoid double bookings

- Hot tub and pool services

- Group booking and marketing

- Instant booking on our local, regional and national branded websites we operate

- Custom E-Commerce websites for very home and every resort

- All websites mobile friendly

- Stunning High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography

- Site and floor plans

- Property and area videos

- Online and phone instant quotes

- Reputation management

- Private dashboards for owner review

- Deposit waiver program

- No owner credit card costs

- Lodging tax accounting

- Guest paid cleaning

- Deep clean services

- Guarantee income options

- Competition tracking

- Local vendor relations

- Guest comportment control

- Variable check in processes

- Redundant key control

- Custom property graphics

- Area & Resort flyers

- Sales force automation

- Housewatch attention

- Search Engine Optimization

- Search Engine Paid Ads

- Local content, news, events, shopping

- Accurate timely monthly statements

- Comprehensive guest contracts

- After stay guest reviews

- Industry Association support

- In house continuing education

- Staff profit sharing

- Constant sales training, and more. Much more. Whewwww.

Plus this month we are adding stunning new online three dimensional 3D images to every property. They are time consuming and expensive, but we've got the newest best technology all designed to make renting a home easier for guests and more profitable for owners.

But of all these wonderful, productive and tech-enabled tools - we must admit that it is our professionally trained and personally committed staff that make us heads and shoulders above any other management company - big or small

Want proof? Please give me a call and I will prove it.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0579 – 10/31/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Ghost Free Lodging - Lodging Newsletter September 30th, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 09/30/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

This is a Halloween ghost-free lodging update just in time for Halloween. No goblins, jack-o-lanterns, ghouls, witches, or other supernatural matters.

Instead, let's talk about helpful things; how to be helpful, how to get help, what sort of help is available and how our friendly, courteous and kind staff want to help wherever they can.

Help is one of those words that can be something benign like "Can you please help me reach that jar on the top shelf" to something terrible, like "Quick, those people in the car wreck need medical help."

For business, help is usually less drastic. We want property owners, guests, vendors to be able get help from us.

We hope they all understand that our responsiveness is balanced with our obligation to undertake hundreds of duties every day.

We hope that whole idea is not too spooky.

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Lodging Managers serve many masters. Guests want instant response. Owners want answers immediately. Field staff need support and coordination. Even neighbors may want help when that pesky bear turns over a garbage can.

Sometimes it seems like everyone wants help and wants it immediately, no matter the gravity. So here are the secrets of how to get help from us when you need it.

EMERGENCIES: Should you experience a true emergency, such as fire or medical, please call 9-1-1 first. Then you can follow up and contact us.

STAFF HOURS: Because we are open everyday of the year, and handle bookings 24/7, please understand that most staff do not work the usual 9AM to 5PM schedule. Many staff may be unreachable when they are out of mobile range.

HELP DESK: For almost everything you need, please call our Help Desk first. This is always the first place to go rather than to individual phone extensions or mobile numbers.

Telephone - - Dial the company phone number and press "1" to get the fastest response. Matters are handled in order of urgency. If calls pile up, it may be necessary to leave a message and you will receive a return call.

Email - - If your question includes many details, please send emails to our Info@Istay.net email address. Those are queued for the Help Desk and will be seen quicker than emailing individual staff.

Online Posts - - You can submit online forms through our website & the forms get emailed to the Help Desk where they will be handled like emails.

Text - - Please do not make requests or ask questions by text as they disrupt the work flow for property managers and staff. Please phone or email the Help Desk instead.

After hours - - Phone greetings provide an option to push for urgent after-hours needs.

DISPATCH: The Help Desk will answer or forward matters to the appropriate staff member. Onsite property requests will go to Property Managers or Housekeepers. Admin, accounting, or marketing questions will go to office staff and considered when the office opens.

PRIORITY: When making requests, please indicate if it is urgent. Simple questions may be answered within a day, issues requiring study may take longer. Difficult issues may be answered by email or letter. Please allow a reasonable time for response. Feel free to contact us again if you have not heard back.

URGENCY: Our primary focus is on the condition of properties, providing guest services, and producing income for owners. Clients hire us to perform duties, and excessive or repeated requests actually slow down our ability to be responsive.

Time is limited, so the best way to serve multiple masters is to work diligently, prioritize requests and asks guests and owners for reasonable time to look into and solve their requests.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0560 – 09/30/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Vacation Rental Picante Sauce

By Wm. May
Published: 09/01/17 Topics: Lodging Management, Vacation Rentals Comments: 0

Yet another corporate vacation rental management company has announced gobbling up tens of millions of dollars in investment, in hopes of dominating the vacation rental management industry in America, and perhaps even the world. But they are risky for property owners.

Beginning as far back at 1989, Pace Picante sauce began running television commercials. In one, grizzled cowboys threaten to lynch the camp cook when they learn he has been serving them picante sauce from "New York City?"

The cow pokes become offended because Picante sauce should be made by "places in San Antonio with fresh vegetables and spices by people who know what picante sauce is supposed to taste like."

Watch it here.

While the huge vacation rental management companies want to convince property owners that they can manage every home just right, even though they are located hundreds of thousands of miles away, the truth is - they can not.

One of these giant companies even has over 300 negative complaints and reviews online about shoddy housekeeping and lack of response. The average for vacation rental managers is zero, one or two over time. Something is seriously wrong with having 300 unhappy guests, because that means there are far more who don't take the time to post complaints.

For another competitor, their complaints reveal a wolf in sheep's clothing. Although they profess to be managers, they quickly throw owners and managers under the bus whenever there are any complications, as the following complaint answer proves:

COMPLAINT: "2 days before my trip receiving a voice and email telling me that my reservation had been cancelled because of a double booking."

ANSWER: "Booking was canceled within 48 hours prior to her arrival when it became apparent to the Host that there was a conflict with a previous client who'd booked."

And then they accidentally revealed the wrong problem, (our company) "The Host (homeowner) is the party responsible for resolving any conflicts. [Our company] is a marketing and booking service that Hosts use to assist with reservations. . . The rental agreement. You accepted . . . Clearly states that the booking is directly between the Guest and the Host."

And then they reveal the unreliability of their services by saying "Double bookings are an unfortunate side effects of the vacation rental and travel industry as a whole."

Well, duh, no that is not correct. That is excuse making

Although no one is perfect in the lodging industry, double bookings are NOT common and they are certainly not an unfortunate side effect. They are the result of a company pretending to be a lodging manager when they are, in fact, too far away and too powerless.

LOCAL IS BETTER:

Vacation Rental Firms have proven to be a locally branded business. Owners and guests prefer to deal with a local reliable professional firm that is on hand to attend to them. Members of the Vortex Organization have found the best way to do that.

They are independently operated to ensure great houses, hospitality cleaning, happy guests and happy owners. Our first office opened in 1964, but we are the most tech-enabled managers. We are in it for the long haul..

But the network ensures that managers have all the tools such as dynamic pricing, post listings on hundreds of advertising websites, and answer guest inquiries 24/7. In fact, local firms have access to local tourism promotion, websites and contacts the others can not match.

That means our managers produce more bookings as well as more peace of mind.

So if the vacation rental "manager" you are using to book your home is not actually located in the area where you rental home is situated, or even in "New York City", its time to go local.

Call a local professional vacation rental management company to learn about all the comprehensive and reliable services you have been missing.

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And a few more just for fun:

1989 Pace Picante Sauce

1990 Pace Picante Sauce

1993 Pace Picante Sauce

1993 Pace Picante Sauce

1994 Pace Picante Sauce

1995 Pace Picante Sauce

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex Managers
Blog #: 0530 – 09/01/17

Speciality Lodging - Lodging Newsletter August 31st, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 08/31/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

Today the Inns, Resorts & Vacation Rental Industry has became known as "Specialty Lodging" to differentiate it from conventional hotels which are dominated by Brand Name Chain properties in many markets.

The mega giant hotel brand names offer some benefits to customers. They are universally similar, offer the same features, friendly uniformed staff, clean rooms and even free breakfast.

The reason for all those brands, is the industry's way of saying you get what you pay for. Best Western means good medium cost properties. Four Seasons Resorts are top of the line and will break your bank account. But Econolodge means, well, if you are on a budget you can save money here.

Naturally the quality, amenities and even location are commensurate to what you pay. So when you book a place online, study a bit in advance to understand what you are buying. You won't get Four Seasons pampered luxury for $79 per night.

Big brands have a problem however. Most are franchises owned by independent owners or smaller hotel groups. Although quality is supposed to match the specifications that the Franchisor requires, not all properties within a brand will be of the same quality.

Vacation Rentals are similar because management firms are independent. Their idea of quality, luxury, amenities and features are not all the same. Some corporations are trying to take over the market but struggle to maintain committed, qualified staff.

Our answer is to make our hard-working diligent managers into partners. They are the caretakers of quality because they have the incentive to do so.

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Many of our day-to-day services for property owners are hidden, but essential. Take for example - a day in the life of the reservation staff. Here is a peek.

Staff arrive early to check emails, text messages, email and even snail mail from hundreds of guests seeking lodging, answering surveys or making payments. The pace is rentless. They check all orders from our over-night reservation folks who have been busy doing the same while the world slept.

GUEST: I know check in is at 5PM but can I get in now at 11? STAFF: I am sorry, but the house is not yet cleaned. GUEST: That's OK we can sleep in dirty sheets. STAFF: I am sorry we can not do that. How about I call you when the house is clean?

GUEST: I left my phone in the house. Can you mail it to me? STAFF: I will ask the housekeepers to check. GUEST: Are you trying to steal my phone?

GUEST: The house says 12 occupants, but could I have my wedding there, about 30 people?

STAFF: I am sorry, but group gatherings are not allowed. GUEST: Can I get married at a church and just have the party there? STAFF: I am sorry but maximum occupancy at any one time is 8 people.

STAFF: May I get your credit card number again, I must have it wrong. GUEST: I put in a fake number. STAFF: Payment is required in advance. GUEST: But I don't have any money. STAFF: I can leave the booking on hold for 24 hours if you would like to call back within a working credit card. GUEST: No, I am going to find a place that does not ask so many questions.

GUEST: I am writing ask for a full refund because it rained for 2 of our 7 days there. STAFF: I am sorry but we can not guarantee the weather. GUEST: You should tell people it could rain.

STAFF: I am sorry but I do not see your name in our records. GUEST: But I booked online. STAFF: On which website? GUEST: I don't remember. STAFF: What home did you book. GUEST: I don't remember. STAFF: When did you book? GUEST: I don't remember. STAFF: Hmmmmm.

GUEST: I can not get the TV remote control to work. STAFF: Are you using the black device? GUEST: No, sorry I can now see I have been using the fan remote control.

GUEST: I am trying to find the house but am lost. STAFF: May I ask where you are at. GUEST: I don't know. STAFF: Do you see a street sign? GUEST: No. STAFF: Is anyone with you who can help. GUEST: Only my dog.

GUEST: Does the lake go up and down every day? STAFF: It the ocean tides. GUEST: I don't care, they should fix it or warn people.

STAFF: The housekeepers can not find your phone. GUEST: That's OK it was in my purse. STAFF: I am glad you found it. GUEST: It took you a whole hour to look?

GUEST1: We had a marvelous time. The house was wonderful. GUEST2: We are giving you five stars, everything about booking was smooth. GUEST3: We met the housekeeper who was delightful. GUEST4: We will recommend your company to all our friends. OWNER: After 12 years with you, I am continually amazed at your professionalism.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0549 – 08/31/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Groupon Outangeously Expensive - Lodging Newsletter July 31st, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 07/31/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

The hard working, stick to it, never give up, burn the midnight oil, all hands on deck, never say die, practice what you preach, people who work in our organization are amazing.

Most vacation rental markets are not year round. Some have some great winter seasons or may have an influx of visitors for festivals and events, but summer is the 24/7 season as guests flock to popular places. The work is overwhelming but everyone here rises to the occasion.

And it's fun (if you like that kinda thing).

When guests come they expect clean and well maintained properties where everything works, and works well. Hospitality clean linens and towels, fully equipped kitchens, comfy furniture and the absolute requirement is a good internet connection. Everything must work.

So thanks to everyone who has made this a great season for guests, for owners and yes, even for all the rest of us here.

This month, we are lifting the curtain to reveal the magic that gains us more bookings than the competition. Just like in the Wizard of Oz it's not really magic, but even the Wizard needed all the right tools.

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LODGING MEDIA

No other lodging manager can claim to be as fully advertising tech-enabled as we are. That is how we produce the highest net income for owners. That means putting properties on hundreds of websites, referred to as Online Travel Agencies (OTA's), using the secret technology we developed in ways no one else can match. Here are just a few:

GROUPON.COM: This online coupon website is overly expensive and demands hefty discounts so it is only used for new Inns and Resorts expecting unsold inventory. Surprisingly, these shoppers have strong financial qualifications. Although expensive, Groupon increases owner net income.

AIRBNB.COM: As the current news darling, AirBnB sends guests who are picky but the two-way review system qualifies guests other than just financially. Advertising commissions are lower, but AirBnB invented the idea of charging guests a surcharge, on top of rental rates.

HOMEAWAY.COM: Still a giant, with its dominant VRBO.com, HomeAway was sold to Expedia 18 months ago, and they changed all the rules. Limiting pre-booking guest contact, and adopting a commission system like AirBnB has peeved property mangers. Yet they still provide a steady flow of bookings, even though it actually increases our labor.

TRIPADVISOR.COM: After buying FlipKey.com years ago, this website started posting vacation rentals. They have altered their prices over time but still produce a good inquiry flow. Rumor has it big tech changes are coming and we hope so.

BOOKING.COM: Operated differently than other OTA's, Booking.com shoves bookings down the electronic pipeline to us without much intervention. Their constant promotion of "Easy to cancel" confounds vacation rentals but it can be avoided.

EXPEDIA.COM: Many properties qualify to be put directly on this giant where the cost is high but the demand is great. We are fully integrated and use Expedia tools to bump up orders. Plus they are testing integration of HomeAway listings. Time will tell.

VRMLS: We helped start the Vacation Rental Association, a not-for-profit group, which can build localized websites to attract guests. They don’t match the big boys but do produce leads at a lower commission. This is a secret advertising weapon.

INTEGRATED: Counting affiliates, our properties are electronically distributed to about 100 websites, so that descriptions, photos, rates and dates are updated daily and orders are delivered into our secret software for handling.

SECONDARY: Hundreds of other websites do not offer integration, but we are nudging them to do so. In the meantime, we manually upload content to them, and some offer date synching to avoid double bookings. Far too much labor, but it reduces reliance on expensive media.

Thinking of all the changes in the vacation rental industry over the past years is, well, mind boggling.

Ten years ago we saw it coming and built our own software and web technology to manipulate advertising to get the highest booking while controlling costs. That produces greater net income for owners.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0548 – 07/31/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Have Summer Fun - Lodging Newsletter June 30, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 06/30/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

I must say it has been a funny summer.

Not funny as in odd but funny like laugh out loud, have a lot of fun, host a lot of guests and have things mostly run smooth and doable.

Any industry that deals with consumers knows that expectations are high and sometimes higher than anyone could attain. Rather than worry about that, the plan is always to aim high, offer great products and anticipate the customers demands.

Lodging is just like that.

I am so grateful to all the great owners who allow us to book their homes and to all the great staff who help us do it.

That is what makes it fun.

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To continue with this months theme of funny, ha ha, have fun summer, here are a few wry comments that keep us bustling during the high seasons.

Weather - No matter the work, no matter the challenges I will come right out and admit everything is easy when the weather is great. Does this summer seem even better than ever? I think so.

Guests - Because there are sometimes little snafus, quandaries, and kerfuffles (I had to look up that last one) we must keep in mind the tens of thousands (yes tens of thousands) of guests are delighted with the cabins, cottages, houses and villas we provide them. What fun.

Owners - Where would we be without all the thoughtful, kind and considerate clients who allow us to offer their wonderful second homes? You make us smile and you make guests smile too.

Staff - While most lodging operators suffer with employee turnover, we get to have pleasant high seasons because so many of our people have been with us for many years. It shows when you hire the right people, pay them better, and ALWAYS treat them with respect, everyone has fun.

Onsite services are difficult but are smoother when the pros are there to keep homes in tip-top shape. Marketing, Sales, and Accounting get to work in cozy offices but run sprints this time of year. Because they have such great attitudes, summer is still the best time of the year.

Engineers - Technology has come to dominate advertising of Vacation Rentals but the programming continues to change at break-neck speed. Luckily we have had the same team for ten years or are always ten years ahead of everyone else. Although they are seldom seen, please put on a big smile for those unsung heroes.

Competitors - We even get the giggles about "the others." One national company is expanding all costs, but has 300 complaints and scathing reviews. Most managers would have zero, maybe one or two. But 300? Really? You just gotta laugh, but feel sorry for their guests and owners. Another is losing a million dollars a month to buy owners, but what happens when they run out of money?

Picante Sauce - Another competitor is trying to "manage" homes from far, far away by just hiring "local vendors" who they say are easy to find. But when pilloried in public reviews, their stock answer is "We are only the booking agent, it’s the owners problem." We would never shirk work. (** See our online blog "Vacation Rental Picante Sauce" for a good laugh.)

Advertising - Dozens of start-ups continue to dive into the specialty lodging website business. We have watched some come and go over the years. Even Google is jumping into the fray. Others are also too big to avoid and, with our technology we integrate and cooperate with them all. No one else can.

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PROFILE: Something funny here too. This month we profile a "secret" staff member who is too shy to be named. A long time lodging industry expert, who helps clean, maintain and oversee homes on a part-time basis. Where would be without her? How great to have pros like this on our side? Some of you have met her. Can you guess who it is?

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0547 – 06/30/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Listing Site Independence - Lodging Newsletter June 30th, 2016

By Wm. May
Published: 06/30/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

The lodging business just keeps getting stranger. Expedia buys HomeAway, HomeAway owns some unknown little websites and some of those have started producing bookings. Something fishy (good fishy) going on here.

So called experts are clamoring for "Listing Site Independence" but there is no sense in arguing. The big fish eat the little fish. The only solution is to get along and work with every lodging website advertising channel to produce more net income for owners.

Plus we create more feeder websites, individual property websites and support them with extra advertising and search engine optimization. Answer emails fast. Answer the phone even faster.

Dare I say, we are the only lodging management company that does this? Maybe we are not the biggest, but we are definitely out-working them all.

OK, enough of the sales pitch I guess. Here is your monthly updater

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Our JOB #1 is to provide clean, comfortable safe accommodations. Housekeepers, maintenance people and property managers are on the front line 7 days a week making that happen.

Summer is an especially harrowing, with properties often booked back-to-back. The grind never stops so we are lucky to have such great people.

Many lodging management companies complain incessantly of their ability to find, retain and attain high quality hospitality cleaning. We have avoided that fate by living by the Golden Rule. It really works.

Hiring - We do take time to interview recruits about their life, family, and other factors in hopes of learning what kind of person they are. We want those who take care of others with grace and charm.

Expectation - We only hold staff to the level of achievement that we could personally attain. Cleaning full size houses is far more difficult than small hotel rooms. Most people would pale at the physical challenge.

Compensation - The lodging industry is not a place to get rich quick. We pay more, we pay quick and we provide incentives to staff members.

Tips - People who clean toilets for a living appreciate every gratuity they get. Perhaps even more than servers, bell hops, and concierges who always have their hand out. Housekeepers are authorized to leave tip envelopes in every property, asking guests to contact us if they have needs.

Consideration - To help staff meet personal and family requirements, we schedule around their needs, juggle hours, and go out of our way to make working here pleasant. We want to provide a solid reliable income for these wonderfully diligent folks.

Respect - People who clean toilets, deserve our highest respect (not our lowest.) Being President of the United States must be a tough job. But truly, it is not as hard as housekeeping.

Communication - Managers never yell at staff, never intimidate, never threaten. Instead, we encourage, train and emphasize. Managers stand shoulder to shoulder working with staff. Leaders lead by example.

So, let's take just a minute to say thank you, thank you, thank you.

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PROFILE: This month it's time to introduce Noel Poage, one of our ace Dynamic Range photographers and creative directors to you. He joined a year ago and has been indispensable for many reasons. One is his unfailingly happy attitude and well mannered approach to everyone. We are lucky to have him and others like him with such admirable attitudes.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0550 – 06/30/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Two Decades of Change - Lodging Newsletter May 31st, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 05/31/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

I am writing to let you know that the world is changing and fast.

No, not on the level of earth shaking war and peace and human rights, but in our own little area of endeavor, that being Inns, Resorts and Vacation Rentals.

The past two decades have been a whirlwind of constant change. It started with the arrival of the Internet. Amazing really to think how new the world wide web is. (Do we still call it that?) But lately the change is down right crazy.

People have rented private cabins, condos and vacation rentals for centuries, but the internet made it possible to find, inspect and rent places far from home with more confidence that what we think we will get will indeed be what we wanted.

Since then, web designs have become big and beautiful with accurate photos and lots of them. Properties can be very fully described. Guests can check exact bed configurations, see the home on maps and check prices and fees for anytime of the year. Best of all they can book and pay online instantly.

But in recent years, our industry has been grabbed by the throat by major corporations bent on Taking an ever bigger piece of the pie, the lodging income.

Oddly we do not see this as a hindrance, but rather as an opportunity. We have been preparing for this for a decade, by melding the greatest technological skills with wonderful employees and partners to provide the most comprehensive lodging services.

No one can match it.

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Lodging is one of the industries most affected by the dominance of the Internet. Here are things you may not know about lodging today.

Distribution - The secret to advertising has always been to get a message in front of the most people with the greatest frequency. Many managers list on VRBO, AirBnB and maybe TripAdvisor, but those will not fill homes. So we post ads on hundreds of websites, in addition to those big websites.

Synchronization - Years ago we built our own XML technology to distribute rates, dates, photos and details to all the big websites. We integrate channel managers to synchronize data to hundreds of other websites, and are the only people who do that to both hotel and vacation rental websites. It is tricky, but our clients do get more bookings.

Blind Ads - Expedia, owner of HomeAway and owner of VRBO has recently removed phone numbers, links and even property names from two million listings. Along with AirBnB and others, they demand advertisers talk with guests only through their selfish closed dashboard systems.

Instant Bookings - Last week HomeAway stopped taking flat-fee listings, and now demand a commission on every booking. Plus, last year they began adding a "service fee" on top of it all. It makes our job harder, but we take the challenge because our competitors won't invest the time to do it and our clients win.

Instant Response - Those big websites now downgrade listings from managers who do not respond to inquiries quickly, even all night, even at 3am. Other managers lament, but we now staff reservations 24/7 for inquiries, emails and chat, with phones open every day of the year, with after-hours support for property services.

Dynamic Rates - Our secret S2D2 system adjusts rates for Seasonality and Strategy, but are also Study and Distribution. Rates are higher in summer, on holidays and weekends while lower in slow times. Rates go up and down repeatedly to attract more guests, at highest rates, for maximum owner net income. Its part algorithm, part human intervention.

Rate Push - A decade ago we created the HelpBook.me software to integrate back-office reservations, sales, accounting and administration with real-time control of websites, rentals and rates. We are the only managers who can send different rates to different websites in order to offset their ever increasing fees.

Supply & Demand - Industry pundits debate whether the growth in available homes and inns has become greater than the growing number of guests. Rent-by-owners and other managers can not keep up with all these changes. We see them cutting rates, so we counter-act those with more advertising, service and strategy.

Good News - What seems like bad news, is actually a bonus. We don’t win every sale or book every guest, but we are doing better than others. By staying ahead of the pack, we can promise better income for owners along with attentive onsite services.

Our confidential technology and diligent dedicates staff make it possible. If you are not using our services, you are losing money.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0546 – 05/31/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Guest Myths - Lodging Newsletter April 30th, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 04/30/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

Every industry has its quirky parts.

Not necessarily laugh out loud but you know, those goofy, silly, make you grin, make you wonder, perplex you and end with a smirk kind of things.

So this month we intend to take a look at lodging myths, misconceptions, maybe shoulda, woulda, kind of things.

The list is surprising long and we can only cover a few. The answers are sometimes just plain unexpected.

We can't cover them all, but we'll get started with some things you may already know, but maybe not.

Send your questions our way and we'll try to bust those myths too.

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This month let us burst some bubbles, dispel some myths and have some fun.

MYTH: Guests always want the lowest price? Luckily, there are many types of specialty lodging properties making an apples to apples comparison difficult. Our S2D2 manual algorithm sets the right price and our creative advertising makes it all work.

MYTH: Guests are difficult to deal with? The vast majority of guests who stay in vacation rentals, small inns and resorts are respectful. Gotta be 99%. But careful managers make lots of contingencies just in case they have to deal people who don't behave property.

MYTH: Expensive websites like VRBO, Expedia, AirBnB can be avoided? Yes and no. We publish dozens of websites and combine them with email blasts, classified websites, search engines, and more for excellent results. But nah, it is essential to be on every lodging websites like all those big ones, and hundreds of others. Other managers do far less and lose out.

MYTH: Big is beautiful in lodging? Starting with vacation rentals, and then with specialty room rentals, the industry has been turned on its head. Admit it, you too want something unique. We were in early with technology, knowledge and staff so we move faster and more assuredly than anyone else. Even those big buggers.

MYTH: Big national brands will dominate? Guests want local connections, unusual properties and the same hosts to agree them for years. All locations in our network, are individually operated. We call them locally branded which builds business long term for property owners. Guests keep coming back.

MYTH: Housekeeping is difficult? OK, that one is correct for our competitors. But we pay people well, train them repeatedly and treat them like the royalty they are. Our people work incessantly and stay with us for the long haul. That is how we succeed while others fail.

MYTH: There are many experts in lodging? Pundits are everywhere, but this is a business of lists. Manager who know all the steps and work incessantly to execute precisely get the best results. Oh, that's us.

MYTH: Rent-by-Owners save money? Research shows that the average home owner spends 8-10 hours per week trying to compete. All get bookings but most work twice as hard for half as much. Why?

MYTH: Lodging Management is easy? Most would say no. We can't say its always smooth sailing, but that's the goal. Hire great people, train them, collaborate, pay well, study, organize, and work diligently and we find its easier and more productive than the competitors.

Funny how hard work always wins out.

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PROFILE: Tonya Reynolds proves that those who serve us in the military have hidden skills and a get-it-done attitude that few can match. She helps with housekeeping, is 100% reliable and has taken on everything else we could throw at her. We are lucky to have her.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0545 – 04/30/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Occupancy Control - Lodging Newsletter March 31st, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 03/31/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

What have we done for you lately?

Bill Russell the famous basketball player and coach says he received non-stop calls from players who had been cut from other teams. They always said the same thing, "Well two years ago I averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds:

Coach Russell always said the same thing, "You are a great player, but what are you scoring now? What can you do for me now?"

It’s a fair question for any lodging manager. Of course doing everything well is the entire job in a nut shell. But this is a nutty business and sitting on our laurels is not enough.

So this letter outlines a few of the things we have done, are doing and are working on. There are bigger corporate type managers who want to tell you the have the inside track. But they do not.

No one moves with the quality, speed and intensity that we do.

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WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR YOU LATELY.

PENALTIES: Did you know that some website such as VRBO.com, AirBnB.com penalize managers who do not respond to inquiries VERY quickly? We have always been open long hours, but our staff monitor online bookings, posts and inquiries 24/7. So we turn a higher percentage of inquires into bookings. Even the corporate size management don't match this.

PHONE CALLS: The big ad websites are now insisting on instant-bookings. But after every online bookings, we telephone guests to verify their identity, see if they are qualified, and to politely inform them of the rules, all while we sell them on each home's features. Of course, we don't call them during the grave-yard shift, thinking they are not expecting a phone call at that hour. This personal service increases bookings and guest satisfaction.

PAYMENT PLANS: For years, most rental managers have required non-cancellable bookings because, unlike hotels, the chance of replacing a last-minute booking is low. After all, no one drives up the front door of a rental and asks to rent that night. (Like a hotel.)

But, when thing were crazy weird early in the recession, we rebuilt our systems to offer payment plans. Of course, it is essential for guests to pay before arrival. But if they book far in advance, our online booking software (and phone crew) invite guests to pay some now and some later. If your manager avoids this extra work, they are losing you money.

Our websites even explain to guests how much they are paying "Per Night" (including taxes, cleaning etc.) and "Per Person" per night. When guests see a large total price, sometimes they abort booking. In our system they are comforted by the much smaller cost per night, and affordable per person. That's a bargain compared to hotels.

Oddly, we have never seen this feature on any other website and thanks to Salman, our ace programming engineer, it works flawlessly, attracts more guests, and means more money for owners.

OCCUPANCY CONTROL: Good managers watch carefully to guard against over occupancy. Emphasizing limits on websites, in contracts, in instructions and on the phone helps. But our per-person-pricing (PPP) system improves compliance.

We advertise set prices for "Normal" occupancy for the base rate, such as $300 per night for 4 people but every home is different. We then set a "Sleeps" cap such as 6 people, along with a "Maximum" occupancy such as 7. This helps answer the persistent questions of "but can I bring a toddler or a youngster" who sleeps in a crib or on the floor.

Then the guest pays PPP charges for anyone over Normal. Guests often call to add or subtract occupants, which increases or decreases charges. That proves they understand limits and subliminally reveals we are watching occupancy at all times. Strangely, most others managers fail to use this system that works so well.

These are just a few of the things we have done for you lately. If your manager doesn't do all of these things, and hasn't mastered them, please give us a call for a free market comparison. Sounds like you need a new manager.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0544 – 03/31/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Seaway Dance Hall at Copalis Beach Rocked Out

By Wm. May
Published: 03/01/17 Topics: Comments: 0

Just West of the Green Lantern Tavern in Copalis Beach Washington State is a very strange looking building where Rock and Roll reigned supreme in the 1960's.

Hundreds of thousands of Quonset huts were produced by the U.S. Military in World War Two. These prefabricated structures of galvanized steel were semicircular cross-sections that looked like half of barrel sitting upside down on the ground.

After the war, Quonset huts were sold as surplus to the public and a very large version ended up along side the road by the Pacific Ocean where enterprising music lovers decided it would be a perfect venue for the hordes of teenagers who came to the beach each weekend.

Dubbed the Seaway Dance Hall, many young rock bands got their first serious gigs there and my group "The District Five" was one of them.

At the age of 15, we were made to feel like stars as the walls of the hut seemed to pulse and swell by guitar amps played far too loud and dancers who jumped and yelled and screamed. We played a little better, played a little longer and glowed with the acceptance the crowds gave us as we were starting our musical careers.

Bigger name bands from Washington State and the Northwest also appeared, including names that may be unfamiliar except by those who haunted the Seaway all summer long.

Bands like - The Beachcombers, Little Bill & The Bluenotes, The Candidos, The Chaotics (Sumner), The Chessmen, Dennis Wayne and the Cole Jets, The Epics, The Frantics, The Galaxies, The Intricates, Noblemen, Cymantha McGugin & The Cherry Frost , The Titans.

The Seaway also showed movies during the slow season, but the wise owner had put the chairs onto risers which could be rolled out of the building to clear the floor for dances which were only held in the months of June, July and August.

Today the building sits dark and quiet just waiting for a new generation of music lovers to rediscover what great music, salt air and a bunch of fun loving people can do to transform a humble Quonset hut into a musical mansion, at least for a while.

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Author: Wm. May – Beach Lover, Plumbob Publishing
Blog #: 0517 – 03/01/17

Sponsor: At The Crest – Nearby, but far from Ocean Shores. Just 10 miles North is the beachiest 54 unit condo. On the dunes, year round pool and hot tub. 1 Bedroom, sleeps 6 people. Barbecue, playground and clean salt air. – AtTheCrest.com

Hire a Crack Head to Clean your Home

By William May
Published: 03/01/17 Topics: Housekeeping, Vacation Rentals Comments: 0

"Hiring cheaper housekeepers is no problem", said the property owner. That way they can make more money.

"I mean how hard can it be to clean my little 3-bedroom 2,000 square foot house?"

Do you mean clean it any day of the week including weekends? Be on-call for special cleaning? Always show up on time and never complain? Be willing to do extra cleaning, and without notice, when some guests leave a terrible mess?

Do you mean a cleaner who has lots of family and friends to back her up when she gets busy with other things and decides she can't work on a day you have a back-to-back? Or when a child is ill or a car breaks down?

Some owners want to believe there are many people just begging to clean their homes. Unfortunately, there are not. Worse yet, most of them don’t pass a background check. They don't have references. They don’t want to take training. They detest checklists.

These cleaners don’t stick around when things get too busy and they never clean at high hospitality standards. They do not clean sufficiently and they are not there when you need them the most.

Let us all be honest, not all job applicants will be dedicated to our industry. There is no glamour unless they work for a desirable company that treats them well.

Many applicants just want a quick buck to pay for their drug habit. This is more common than you might imagine. The homeowner may never know until the druggie goes missing along with assets from their home.

If you are paying your cleaner in cash, do beware that it's illegal and your money may be just feeding a habit.

Professional management firms must protect their reputation with guests as well as owners. They want to pay their staff a good working wage. They want to be fair, kind, and responsible employers. They need workers who are reliable, loyal and competent. They do background checks and they have extra staff for backup.

Of course, these things are just good business, but they are also the only way to provide hospitality grade cleaning - the kind that discerning travelers expect at every lodging establishment from four-star hotels to cottages in the woods.

"Oh, but if you can’t clean the house cheaply, it will drive away guests," said that owner.

It's actually the opposite that's true. Guests are not stupid, they understand that no one can clean homes for a measly amount. One guest enunciates what some owners refuse to acknowledge;

"Your home was amazingly clean. But last year I rented a beautiful new home from another manager and the place was disgustingly dirty. I should have known better - no one can clean a whole house as cheap as they charged."

Yes, and every owner should understand the basic formula for requiring professional and thorough cleaning. With the advent of the internet, guests now have a global platform to report unclean homes. One bad review can lose thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars in lost bookings.

Why risk that? The math is simple. Hiring great housekeepers, paying them well, rewarding them with praise and thanks is good for business. It's even greater for maximizing income while minimizing problems.

Still not a believer? Here is the challenge - after the next few departures, do your own cleaning.

Arrive to clean exactly on time and then wait while the guests loiters and leaves late, knowing that the incoming guests while inevitability show up early, and expect the house to be sparkling clean even before their scheduled arrival time.

Of course, you must chit chat and make nice with every guest, or they'll make nasty comments to your boss, even though they were not supposed to be inside yet.

To clean well, get your hands down deep into and behind the toilet, scrub your knuckles off in the shower, get on your hands and knees to scrub the kitchen and bathroom floors. Wash stacks of dishes, pots, and pans with gobs of dried on food.

Wash loads of towels and linens. Be sure to treat any of those unmentionable stains. Make every bed perfectly and plump every pillow. You'll just love trying to put on comforters on bunk beds. It is not impossible, but you won't enjoy it.

While you are at it, clean up the dog poop in the yard, or shovel the walkway of snow in the winter. Scrub that meat-encrusted barbecue until the brush breaks. Sweep the leaves from the porch.

Don't forget to check every light bulb, vacuum every square inch of every floor, and catch every cobweb or your boss will scold you like a child.

Do all this in the shortest number of hours because some owners out there want you to work cheap while treating you like an indentured servant.

After you do your own cleaning, the light will come on. You will want to pay cleaners more, you'll treat them better and you'll make more money because happy housekeepers make happy hospitality grade clean homes!

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0583 – 03/01/17

How Clean is Enough - Lodging Newsletter February 28th, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 02/28/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

I am absolutely sure that our clients are not as fascinated with vacation rentals and lodging as we are. Maybe other industries move as fast and furious as travel but it would be hard to find one.

Every day we are barraged with emails, forums, newsletters and other news about how technology is improving, twisting and turning the how, what, where, when and why guests explore the world.

Luckily, we recruited our own inhouse team of programmers and engineers a decade ago and have been able to meet the technological demands head on. In many cases we are far ahead of the curve.

Some of our innovations have been years ahead of the competition including things like dynamic range web optimized photos, interactive maps, electronic signatures, data bred dynamic rates and local branding.

But our greatest achievement is that we advertise on far more websites than anyone else. We are electronically integrated with all giants such as VRBO, AirBnB, TripAdvisor but also with dozens and dozens of others. Plus properties are on hundreds of other websites, online travel agencies and our own geographic tourism websites. Whew.

All of this comes about slowly due to the intricacies of programming and Internet distributed data.

But, with all the tech, the behind the scenes get-your-hands-dirty tasks are the most important. Why increase occupancy and income if issues increase? We are so lucky to have long-term staff members who handle the heavy lifting.

This month's list covers a few out-clean and deep-clean things our managers focus on..

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HOW CLEAN IS CLEAN ENOUGH:

Cleaning full sized homes is far more complicated than simple hotel type rooms. They are much bigger, have more bathrooms, more beds, patios or yards, and those pesky kitchens.

Most guests are respectful, taking time to clean up after themselves, at least a bit. And no matter their care, our highly valuable cleaners come in and put the homes back to where they started. Here are just a few of the invisible cleaning tasks that keep vacation homes sparkling.

- Disinfect TV controls, games, Curios & knick knacks

- Remove everything from cabinets & scrub inside

- Wash ceiling fans, door knobs, light switches, outlets

- Vacuum fireplaces inside & out

- Inspect chimneys, maybe order chimney sweeper

- Vacuum baseboard filters & HVAC ducts

- Clean under cove base & high moldings

- Wire brush barbecues

- Wash windowsills top, sides, & bottom

- Open & empty faucet & shower heads

- Clean door jams & thresholds

- Empty & clean toaster, toaster ovens

- Wipe walls & reachable ceilings

- Clean & vacuum window screens

- Store window screens in winter

- Inspect washer hoses, dryer vent duct

- Replace smoke detector batteries

- Empty drawers, clean inside, replace items

- Clean or dust underside of tables, chairs, sofas

- Open & inspect hot tub & pool equipment

- Inspect & clean grout lines

- Clean & touch-up scuff marks

- Turn, inspect & spot clean mattresses

- Dust behind minors & artwork

- Clean behind refrigerator, stove, TVs, washer & dryer

- Sweep, sometime wash decks including handrails

- Inspect for pests.

- Scrub waaaaaay back behind the toilets

- Etc. Etc. Etc.

Deep Cleans should be done twice annually, depending on occupancy.

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Ruth Schwarberg has been cleaning homes and supervising cleaners for many years. At one time handling hundreds at a time. That takes great organization and, most of all, a wonderful smile and working attitude toward staff as well as home owners. We are so lucky to have her leadership and never-say no attitude..

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0551 – 02/28/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

How to Become a Professional Lodging Photographer

By Ron Lee
Published: 02/21/17 Topics: AirBnB, Lodging Management, Marketing, Photography Comments: 0

Becoming a professional lodging photographer has never been easier.

All you need is a camera and business cards. Just put the words "Professional Photographer" on the cards and people will think you are a pro.

 

Can you imagine a doctor getting away with that? Would you go to a dentist who says, "I am a professional dentist" who didn't have the training? Yikes. Those people would be driven out of the industry.

Unfortunately, there have always been a greatly many people who love the idea of being an artist, a photographer. It sounds like such a great job. For Inns, Resorts & Vacation Rentals, photos are the way guests make instant decisions to view your property or pass on to the next.

No longer is it necessary to burn hundreds of dollars of physical film, toil in the dark room and only later learn if your photos were adequate. Now a good digital camera gives you a thumbnail view instantly that you can call "good enough."

But, great camera gear doesn't make you a true photographer any more than buying your new born child a piano and pronouncing them a "Concert Pianist."

Today, a new higher title has been added to the photography professional. Its called "High Dynamic Range," or HDR, and it is a vastly superior way of shooting, processing, and delivering world class photography. It is a requirement for almost all photos, but an absolute requirement for shooting interior architectural images.

HDR Photos are crisp, clean and brighter, but only enough to match what the human eye actually perceives. By comparison, non-HDR photos are fuzzy, bland, and actually underestimate and mis-represent the property.

Unfortunately, most professional photographers are no longer professional because they are more in love with being "Artists" than they are in spending thousands of hours mastering HDR.

That means more lodging operators are wasting lots of money hiring pros or don’t begin to understand HDR.

To see the difference between Pros and HDR Pros, all you have to do is spend a little time examining listings on your favorite websites like VRBO.com, Expedia.com, or even AirBnB.com.

A company called Evolve Vacation Rentals offers "Free Professional Photography" to property owners. Because Evolve does not have on site staff they must call any "professional photographer" they can find and hire them without realizing that non HDR photos are robbing their listings of maximum bookings.

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Vacation Rentals does the same thing. Their recent foray into Matterport 3D photos is a good start, but ignoring HDR still photos causes them to lose bookings.

Turnkey Rentals out of Austin is trying to take over the world, but right there on their home page are fuzzy, out of focus, non-HDR photos. How could a management company call themselves professional when the number one listing tool - photos - are all messed up?

All of these companies talk the professional photographer game, but non walk the walk. And all because they refuse to spend the slightly more money necessary to find and employ high level HDR photographers.

Ignoring the absolute requirement for HDR photos is like the proverbial canary in the coal mine. If your manager does not understand the difference between truly professional HDR photos and want to be professional photographers, what else don’t they understand?

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Author: Ron Lee – Not a Photographer, Signatour Photo Team
Blog #: 0521 – 02/21/17

Sponsor: Signatours Photo Team – It is not enough to have a camera and cards that say you are photographer. Today's technology demands study, practice and perfection along with an artists eye. Every Signatour photographer has all of those along with a support and professional staff to ensure the highest quality HDR photos. – Signatours.com

All About Channels - Lodging Newsletter January 31st, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 01/31/17 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

Vacation Rentals are kind of a secret industry? I don't mean that we or anyone else is withholding information, but the intricacies and extreme details needed to perform at the top of the heap continue to grow.

This is a "seemingly simple" industry that works perfectly well, as long as you have a management firm that aces hundreds of big and small details. We do that in three ways.

First, we must have highly motivated and committed people. Of course, every company will tell you that, but most do not. Hospitality, in general, and lodging, in particular, require staff who are willing to take on fast moving work that requires accuracy, all while being friendly and courteous.

Second, it requires back office expertise including sales, marketing and, most of all, technology. We build our own and it's superior to any other firm.

Third, it is our job to read industry articles, forums and keep our eyes open for new ways to increase each property's rental income while helping to control costs.

On the attached page, I thought it is time to tell you of recent happenings. We are on top of them all.

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There is local, regional, national and global news that affect vacation rentals.

Research - Everyone knows vacation rental income is growing rapidly and much faster than lodging in general. One research company says vacation rentals generated $3.36 billion dollars in revenue in 2017 and will grow at 7% for years to come. Giant companies all want a piece of the "Specialty Lodging" market.

Online Travel Agents - Expedia.com (headquartered in Seattle) and Priceline.com (known as "OTA's") each spent a whopping $3.3 BILLION ad dollars last year. They charge a very high 18% fee, usurping local lodging providers.

Book Direct - Many large hotel companies, such as Hilton and Marriott, began campaigns giving guests incentives to book directly. By saving 18%, they can do more for guests and hope to pocket a bit more for themselves. Hilton's CEO says, "It's been quite successful."

Google - Long ago, Google began inserting ads above free "organic" listings. Now they obscure websites, directing people to OTA's. In this way they get much of their combined $6.6 Billion in OTA ads. Yes, we advertise on Google, too.

HomeAway & VRBO - A year ago, HomeAway (owner of VRBO) was sold to Expedia for $4 Billion. A month later, they demanded a percentage of every booking and guests now pay a kind of surcharge on top.

Property owners and managers went postal trying to fight it with class action lawsuits, but like so many controversies, the fervor dies down and the big guys win.

AirBnB - This darling of the technical investing world continues to grow, first by offering rooms, then whole homes (vacation rentals) and now with activities, such as tours. Reported to have over 3 million listings, they are actually a good advertising platform for us and not a competitor. While others fight AirBnB, we use them.

Our Take - Although we have grown in size, any effort by managers to directly confront the changes in the vacation rental model would be foolhardy and financially wasteful. Luckily over the years, we have developed the kind of technological tools that give us an upper hand over competitors.

We operate hundreds of local tourism websites, to gain inquires for far cheaper, and our custom software sends higher, marked-up rates to expensive advertising websites, resulting in more bookings, with good profit for owners.

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PROFILE: How did we ever get by before Ozair Khalid joined our team 10 years ago. He authors all of our back-office software which helps us control marketing, advertising, sales, websites, online bookings and so much more. Ozair's mastery of our mammoth database is astonishing. He is married, is a cycling enthusiast and a positive and tolerant person and friend.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0543 – 01/31/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Wisdom from Catherine the Great

By Wm. May
Published: 01/09/17 Topics: Education, Gratitude, People, Self Improvement Comments: 1

For a dozen years Catherine and I worked hand in hand with sometimes demanding clients and difficult people. She was never confused. Never flustered.

She talked with people on the phone from all corners of the U.S. and Canada. When I met those people at conferences they always wanted to know about Catherine instead of me. Who could blame them, she was far more intriguing.

She addressed everyone with their title such as "Mr. Jones." But when they insisted on being called Robert she would agree. But on their next phone call she was back to "Mr. Jones". She believed, "Everyone likes to be respected. It is such a small thing, why not?"

For many years, she had been an assistant to the mayor of a major city at a time when protests, riots and even bombings were common due to opposition to Vietnam and ongoing racial unrest.

Catherine saw herself as the only voice of reason. At our office, she always "dressed up, because you never know when you have to dress someone down." And yet, even that was said quietly, calmly and with a hint of a smile around her eyes.

In client meetings she always wore white gloves because "Everyone should learn how to conduct themselves graciously to be taken seriously." And, "Why not, I love to look lovely in gloves."

Catherine always donned a lovely, well-coiffured wig and had quite a collection to go with her every outfit. Along with gracious manners, she did not mince words. "I tell it like it is, but tell it respectfully" and she demanded the same from others.

"Be friendly with everyone, and soon they will become friends."

"If you can't say something nice, I recommend you learn how."

"Never raise your voice, or they will scream back at you."

"If you don't stand up for something, you will fall for everything."

At home, Catherine was a different person. A 6 foot 2 inch power house who spoke forcefully, sported 2- foot long dreadlocks (although we never actually saw them), loved dashiki's and performing her poetry. She had a laugh that could shake buildings.

She often wrote well into the night, but was never late for her 9am start time. She never missed a day of work, because "I can count on people, if they can count on me."

Catherine said there are always three sides to every issue, not just two. We talked often about religion, politics and racism. For example, there are not just racists and non-racists, but a third person she tried to be.

She lectured me that African Americans are no more homogenous than anyone else. "Like all races, rich may look down on poor, thin people avoid fat folks, tall people feel superior to short people, and - this was news to me - some lighter skin African Americans look down on darker skinned people."

"Racism among all Americans is the more overt part of "me-ism," she explained. "Everyone starts with 'me first', my children second, my family third, my friends fourth and, then, maybe everyone else. You can't wipe out racism until everyone of us admits that."

That led to her absolute conviction that "We are all prejudiced. Not just whites, but yellows and reds and blacks." She concluded that racism could be eliminated if every one of us does it personally and the place to start is in our own hearts.

"The question isn't whether you are racist, the question is are you trying not be?"

Sadly, we lost Catherine with a late night phone call saying she had died unexpectedly at the age of 52. We were stunned. My son had adored her. My wife had been charmed. We called her Catherine the Great.

But she left behind this - for years I have accepted the truth of me-ism and that every day I must try to do better than the day before. Maybe someday maybe slowly bigotry will become a thing of memory, if we can all do just that. Try.

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Author: Wm. May
Blog #: 0752 – 01/09/17

Hating Groups of People Is Ignorant

By Wm. May
Published: 01/09/17 Topics: Comments: 0

Contrary to common thinking, not everyone believes in love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek, or do unto others and you would have them do unto you. Many people try, and most of us fail, in some way.

Recent events and anger reveal those are missing ingredients from pretty much everyone involved.

Although our family is not of the faith, when my son switched schools at age 10, we chose a Catholic grade school. No particular reason, except we were looking for a good education from good people. We found it there.

He wasn't so sure about the uniforms and on the first Friday, he came home perplexed. "Dad, you are not going to believe this, " he said, "but after going to school all week, they expect us to come back on Sunday."

Some friends questioned a non-religious family sending their son to Catholic school. But there we met Father Bob Camusso, or should I say, re-met, because prior to the priesthood, Bob Camusso had been a prominent advertising agency executive, an industry in which my wife and I had worked.

He was really a "Man about town", dashing, handsome and well spoken, until he was called to the church and a life of service. He was then man about town in a fulfilling way.

 

Although my Dad had passed away five years earlier, I could just hear my never-miss-a-church-service man saying, "Hey, it's not going to kill him to go to a church school. You went to church and I think it was good for you."

My Dad said that kind of thing about many obligations we all face in life. Go to school and study, go to work and hustle, take care of our families, take care of ourselves by living right, avoiding alcohol and drugs.

He said, "You do anything you want in life, but if you stay with the 10 commandments, you'll do Ok and will have done a good job."

I enjoyed conversation with Father Bob and in one, I asked what do you do when people are difficult, or rude or misbehave. He smiled and said, "Well, Bill, we must all remember. Forgiveness is not a suggestion or a recommendation, it is an absolute requirement."

Watching the angry protests against racism and the hatred toward police causes me to think of these two "Fathers." One my natural Dad and the other a wise clergyman. I don't have answers to the race divide, now hundreds of years old. I don’t know how to relive the pain so many African Americans feel. I don't know about policing, except from my own limited interactions with law enforcement.

But I do know that we should all be frightened by the hatred we see. I can't see how it leads to resolution, but could easily result in the kind of physical confrontation that caused these problems in the first place.

I also know that there are there are certain individuals who do despicable things. Things beyond comprehension or even description, Things which are difficult to believe.

I am absolutely sure of this - to hate any group of people as a group, or because some members of that group are bad is unfair and ignorant. I won't hate any race because someone in that race is bad. I won't hate police because some people in their ranks are bad.

Instead, I want to be intelligent enough to assess each person I meet one by one, person to person, and to look for the good in everyone. I refuse to hate any group of people no matter the popular social pressure to so.

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Author: Wm. May
Blog #: 0753 – 01/09/17