Welcome apps are becoming more and more popular among tech-enabled property managers.
They can help you save time on guest communication, automate your check-ins and earn some extra cash by upselling tours and services.
Guests love the convenience of digital welcome books. If you have one, expect to get overwhelmingly positive reviews!
Here are 8 vacation rental welcome apps – in no particular order – to help you streamline your vacation rental business.
1. TouchStay
TouchStay is a digital guest welcome book that helps short-term rental managers save time on guest communication.
The platform allows you to give your guests easy-to-find property and area information so you don’t have to keep answering the same questions over and over again.
All your content is stored in a mobile web app, which you can share with your guests by sending them a link. Your guests can access the welcome book from any device, in their own language, without having to download an app. And it even works offline!
You can include anything you want in the TouchStay digital guestbook, from practical information like parking instructions and check-out times to insider tips like your favourite restaurants and bars in the area.
And the best thing about TouchStay? Guests love it, so it can help you get more raving reviews!
Pricing: Between $2 to $6 per property per month depending on the size of your portfolio. Free trial available.
What guests will find in this vacation rental welcome app:
- Practical information about the property/area
- Insider tips on the best bars, restaurants, sights to see and activities to do via Google Places integration
- The option to save the digital welcome book as a PDF and print it
2. Yoomondo
Yoomondo is a guest interaction platform with a built-in guest welcome guide that comes in many different shapes. You can use it as a mobile web app, an Android or iPhone app, or an in-property tablet.
The Yoomondo welcome guide can help you become a more efficient property manager by preempting your guests’ most commonly asked questions and answering them in a sleek digital format.
Present your guests with property and welcome videos, a house manual and house rules book, wifi codes, local area tips, and more.
The digital guestbook can be completely tailored to your needs. You can easily copy it and customise it for each of your rental properties.
Don’t worry if you don’t have time to add all your information to the app. Yoomondo will do the work for you if you – just send them a PDF or your web addresses.
Provide a good guest experience after Holiday Preparation.
And last but not least, Yoomondo has plenty of upselling opportunities so you can earn some extra cash.
Pricing: Starting at $12. Free trial available.
What guests will find in this vacation rental welcome app:
- A digital welcome guide with videos, practical information and useful tips
- A check-in and check-out feature where guests can upload their IDs and pay a safety deposit
- The option to purchase extra services, such as late check-out, luggage storage, or equipment rental
- The option to book local activities
- A chat feature that guests can use to message you, suppliers, or Yoomondo support
3. YourWelcome
YourWelcome lets you connect with your guests and upsell to them during their stay. Each subscription includes a tablet that your guests can use to access the YourWelcome app for a digital in-property experience. Don’t worry if the tablet breaks or gets stolen: YourWelcome will replace it free of charge!
You can use YourWelcome to greet your guests with a personal welcome message and get instant feedback from them on arrival. If you like, you can also include a welcome video or a health and safety video – which is a great option considering the new COVID-19 cleaning protocols.
This vacation rental guest app is great for streamlining your guest communication, as it centralises all messaging in one place. You can also use it to upsell your own services and connect your guests to local service providers, which can help you diversify your revenue streams and increase your profits.
What’s more, you can make the app look exactly like you want by adding your own brand colours and logos, including promotional banners and uploading video guides.
Give easy access aligned with Guest Safety Tips.
Pricing: Starting at $15.83 per property per month. Free demo available.
What guests will find in this vacation rental welcome app:
- Check-in screens and welcome videos
- The option to purchase extra services and local activities
- Area guides and recommendations
4. HelloHere
HelloHere lets property managers streamline their guest communication with a digital welcome book, a destination guide, a marketplace, a chat function and automated messaging.
The HelloHere app has an intuitive, user-friendly interface to wrap your property information in. There are 15 recommendations categories (tours, beaches, cafés, cycling paths, local restaurants, etc). You can create multiple different guest welcome books with personalised content for each guest type.
The app is web-based, so your guests don’t have to download an app. And, they can access it even when they’re offline.
You can use HelloHere to boost your revenue by upselling extra services and local experiences. The automated messaging and in-app chat function helps you save time on guest communication and cut down on operational costs.
Pricing: Contact HelloHere. Free trial available.
What guests will find in this vacation rental welcome app:
- Recommendations for local experiences
- The option to purchase extra services and tours
- A chat functionality
5. Hostfully
Hostfully guidebooks are delivered to guests in the form of a simple, mobile-first website that they can access through a link, with no mobile app to download. Using Hostfully, you can create a branded digital experience that your guests will remember.
Before the stay, you can use it to share directions to your property and other essential information. During the stay, you can use the digital guestbook to share wifi passwords, how-to guides for appliances, local transportation info, recommendations for restaurants and activities, and more. And, you can send check-out instructions and ask your guests to leave a review.
You can even make your Hostfully Guidebook content available through an Amazon Echo or Google Home device and provide your guests with an interactive voice concierge.
The digital guidebook seamlessly integrates with Hostfully’s property management platform.
Pricing: Starting at $19.99 per month for 1-5 listings. Free trial available.
What guests will find in this vacation rental welcome app:
- Essential information for before and during their stay, as well as check-out
- Local recommendations with Google Maps, Photos and Places integration
- Smart maps that show locations depending on app navigation
6. Wishbox
Wishbox has a lot of different features to help you improve your guest experience, including a branded guest app. It allows you to automate guest messaging, upsell additional services, collect passport scans and e-signatures, and engage your guests with targeted communication.
A white-labelled solution, Wishbox seamlessly integrates with property management systems and other software solutions, like keyless entry providers. It also offers automatic translations and payment processing.
The Wishbox vacation rental welcome app can be customised to include all the important information about your guest’s stay, your house manual and recommendations for local services.
Pricing: Starting at €4 per month per rental. Free trial available.
What guests will find in this vacation rental welcome app:
- Arrival info, access codes, guidebook (parking information, smoking policy, swimming pool rules, etc)
- An FAQ section where guest can find out everything they need to know
- Special offers for services
7. WelcomeTV
WelcomeTV is a custom-built TV channel that allows property managers to greet guests even if they’re not on site. You can share information on your property’s amenities, recommend local attractions and clarify house rules through engaging video content.
You can choose from a vast library of professionally-made videos of your area that showcase everything from local attractions to recommended day trips. You can also record and upload your own how-to videos in a single mobile app.
Deliver info via high-tech Welcome Packs.
Your vacation rental property doesn’t have a TV? No problem! Guests can also access WelcomeTV on their mobile devices.
Using WelcomeTV is a great way to welcome your guests to your property when you can’t greet them in person, make sure they follow the rules and answer all their questions. It’s a great way to save time and boost your ratings at the same time.
Pricing: Contact WelcomeTV.
What guests will find in this vacation rental welcome app:
- Professional-quality videos of nearby places to help guests plan their trips
- How-to videos explaining the house rules and how to use the property’s amenities
- Translated text and captioned videos
8. Glad to Have You (Escapia)
Glad to Have You is a digital welcome book that seamlessly integrates with the Escapia vacation rental software.
With Glad To Have You, you can pull property information from the Escapia PMS and display it to your guests in a user-friendly mobile app. You can include additional information like directions to the beach, wifi passwords and helpful videos.
Glad to Have You is integrated with top online local recommendation services, so guests can easily find photos and read reviews of nearby restaurants and attractions.
The platform’s analytics and reporting tools allow you to increase your revenue by using targeted remarketing, capturing data about your guests when they download and log into the app. You can also send targeted special offers via push-notifications.
Using the app’s messaging function, you can ask your guests to write a review and display the review on your website via the Digital Guestbook widget.
Pricing: Contact Escapia.
What guests will find in this vacation rental welcome app:
- Real-time reservation information and community information
- Useful property information, house manual and local recommendations
- Events in your area
Are you a professional short-term rental property manager? Let’s get you listed on global and niche booking sites with the help of our enterprise-level Channel Manager!
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2016 and has been updated for accuracy, depth and comprehensiveness.