The market for short-term rentals is consistently intensifying, with nearly 1.6 million listings projected by mid-2025. According to the AirDNA U.S. Mid-Year Outlook for 2024-2025, while the number of listings is rising, occupancy rates have dropped and are expected to hover around 57%. So, how do hosts make sure their rental doesn’t get lost in the sea of options?
For many hosts, the answer is Hello Guest Screen. With its innovative virtual tour guide feature, this digital tool enhances the guest experience and drives local business traffic—something that most hosts overlook in their rush to chase higher RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Rental), which is forecasted to grow by just 3.2% by the end of 2024.
Drawing from her experience managing short-term rentals, Crystal Shell, CEO and founder of Hello Guest Screen, understands property owners’ frustrations. “The inspiration for this came from a visit to a property that had a monitor displaying a beautiful picture of the city lights, and walking into this property set the tone for the stay. My technical brain started looking for this product and eventually found out it wasn’t really interactive at all,” she says.
“I started thinking from a short-term rental host for almost ten years about the pain points for hosts, owners, and property managers. One is the elimination of housekeeping books, guides, menus, and more, especially during COVID-19. This could provide most, if not all of that information. The other being guests who say they forgot the check-out time.” Shell created Hello Guest Screen to solve these exact challenges, offering a simple, intuitive solution that elevates short-term rentals.
While many hosts are focused on cutting costs or optimizing their listings for algorithms, those who utilize Hello Guest Screen are creating a new kind of value that is both beneficial for guests and the local economy.
Making Local Recommendations Easy with Hello Guest Screen
Hello Guest Screen’s virtual tour guide feature provides a solution to the most common pain points hosts face. For one, hosts can easily add video tour guides to their Hello Guest Screen. “You can use an existing YouTube video link as a tour guide, highlighting your city’s attractions, top restaurants, and things to do. Hello Guest Screen also offers a drop-down menu with popular things to do in most major cities.” Shell explains. “For a personal touch, you can record a welcome video or share details about amenities like the pool heater, sauna, or favorite spots on your iPhone and upload it to YouTube for free. Just copy the unique URL and paste it into the video section.”
It’s understandable that some hosts have been focused on the business for too long that they somewhat lag behind technological advancements. If you’re not keen on YouTube, Hello Guest Screen offers a subscription to upload and stream videos directly for just $4.99 a month. “Subscription pricing is less than 50¢ per day, and it’s a legitimate tax write-off for your short-term rental expenses,” says Shell.
This feature offers hosts flexibility to customize the guest experience while also making sure guests can easily access local recommendations, right on the screen.
Helping Hosts and Local Businesses Thrive
Hello Guest Screen does more than just simplify the rental experience. Through the platform, hosts can feature videos or QR codes that link guests directly to local restaurants and attractions, a great advertisement boost for local businesses. “We created a pilot program for Chambers of Commerce to implement with restaurants and activities, providing short-term rental owners a QR code linked to a URL listing local options. When guests use the QR code, hosts/owners receive 5% of the 10% discount offered. Restaurants benefit from having new guests several times a month from short-term rentals, compared to a local family who might visit only once a month.”
Hello Guest Screen provides a win-win solution for guests, local businesses, and hosts. Guests enjoy exclusive deals, local businesses get more traffic, and hosts earn commission while giving their guests a better stay. It’s an easy way for guests to engage with local businesses while enjoying their stay.
What’s Next for Hello Guest Screen?
As Hello Guest Screen continues to grow, Shell is excited about upcoming features that will further strengthen the platform’s ability to connect guests with their communities. “We currently also offer a business side of Hello Guest Screen that’s popular with restaurants and car dealerships. Dealerships love showcasing videos of their newest models or promotional financing offers while customers wait. Restaurants benefit by displaying videos of their chefs preparing meals, especially on outdoor TVs—there’s no better way to entice customers inside than with a mouth-watering dish on screen. Realtors also utilize the business side of Hello Guest Screen by showcasing their listings on a Firestick so it’s a basic plug-n-play to the TV,” Crystal Shell enthusiastically shares.
Hello Guest Screen consistently looks for ways to help hosts provide more personalized, streamlined guest experiences while also giving back to the local economy. They offer demos to new subscribers or anyone interested in learning about extra features, where they share their screen and provide a recording link for future reference. With a 97% retention rate, Hello Guest Screen is proud of the services it provides.
