In just one month, Artifact Hospitality launched a fully remote short-term rental brand that manages multimillion-dollar listings across Dubai’s most exclusive neighborhoods, with zero in-person staff. Powered by a blend of deep tech and hospitality expertise, and built on top of Hospitable’s automation engine, they’re now expanding globally without missing a beat.
From Burnout to Breakthrough: The Birth of a Smarter Model
For co-founder Nikolai Kiriakov, the path to launching Artifact Hospitality began with a hard-earned lesson. His previous company managed over 50 STR units in Dubai, but the growth came at a high cost. “Our expenses skyrocketed, and we were buried under day-to-day operations,” Nikolai recalls. “It was clear that the old model - scaling with more staff and manual work - just wasn’t sustainable.”
The core issue? Operational drag. As the business grew, so did its complexity: tax filings, compliance, guest communications, housekeeping coordination, and more. At around 30 units, things broke down.
Instead of giving up on STRs, Nikolai teamed up with Egor, an experienced AI developer, to rethink property management from the ground up. The goal was ambitious: deliver five-star service, but with minimal human labor. “We wanted to build a model where technology handles everything routine,” Egor said. “Automation, AI, integrations—everything designed to be scalable from day one.”
Thus, Artifact Hospitality was born.
Hospitality 2.0: Tech Meets Luxury
Artifact’s vision isn’t just about automation; it’s about redefining what modern hospitality looks like. Focused exclusively on ultra-premium listings, they manage a growing portfolio of properties in Dubai’s elite locations: Palm Jumeirah, Emaar Beachfront, Downtown Dubai, and Business Bay. Each unit is valued in the multimillion-dollar range and caters to discerning global travelers.
But behind the opulence is an ultra-lean operational stack:
- No on-site team
- Fully remote setup
- Automated daily workflows
- AI-enabled guest communication
- Smart guest verification synced with local compliance systems
This wasn’t just about saving time. “We built Artifact so we can scale across cities, countries, even continents, without sacrificing control or service quality,” Nikolai explained.
Why Hospitable Was the Linchpin
When it came to choosing a platform to power their operation, Egor and Nikolai evaluated several short-term rental management tools - but only Hospitable offered the integration depth, automation capabilities, and usability they needed.
“Hospitable is our control tower. It’s not just a software—it’s the nerve center of our entire business.” – Egor
Here’s how Hospitable helped bring their vision to life:
- Guest Communication: Smart messaging automations ensure instant responses, boosting response rates and guest satisfaction. Their average response time dropped from over 60 minutes to under 5.
- Guest Verification: Integrated check-in and ID validation workflows ensure compliance with Dubai’s strict STR laws, including syncing with local police registration systems.
- Operations Automation: Daily cleaning and maintenance tasks are dispatched automatically. What once required a coordinator is now managed through templated, automated task assignments.
- Zapier Integration: Using Zapier, Artifact connected Hospitable to WhatsApp and other tools, building creative automations like alert routing and real-time host notifications.
“Other platforms offer bits and pieces. Hospitable gives you the full stack—and the freedom to build on top of it.” – Egor
Have conversations with your guests even when you sleep
Early Wins: Results in Just 30 Days
Artifact’s tech-first model is already producing tangible results:
- 📈 25% increase in occupancy rates across listings versus traditional management approaches
- 🏡 10+ high-value listings onboarded in 30 days, with 20 more in the pipeline
- 💬 Response time slashed from over 1 hour to under 5 minutes
- 👥 Zero in-person employees required—100% of operations are managed remotely
- 🌎 Global-ready infrastructure, with expansion to Thailand, Brazil, Spain, and South Africa underway
These wins aren’t just about metrics—they’re about investor confidence. “What matters most to our stakeholders is return on investment,” Nikolai said. “And Hospitable helps us deliver that at scale, without scaling complexity.”
A Scalable Future, Built on Automation
Artifact isn’t chasing volume for the sake of growth. Their strategy is measured: scale with intention, maintain high service standards, and avoid the operational sprawl that doomed their previous company.
Their short-term goal? Reach 30 luxury listings in Dubai by the end of the year. Long term, they aim to build a distributed network of high-end properties across international markets—all powered by one lean, automated core.
“We’re not building a property management company. We’re building a global STR brand that’s infinitely scalable.” – Nikolai
Feedback and the Road Ahead
While the Artifact team praised Hospitable’s flexibility and breadth of features, they also shared valuable feedback:
- Direct Payouts: Enabling direct-to-host payouts in the UAE would improve transparency and trust with owners.
- Expanded Zapier Functionality: More triggers and actions could further unlock automation potential for creative operators like Artifact.
- Regional Optimization: Enhancements like local SMS routing and support for regional compliance tools could drive even deeper adoption in emerging markets.
“Hospitable is already ahead of the curve. But with a few more features, it could completely dominate global markets.” – Nikolai
Final Thoughts
Artifact Hospitality is rewriting the rulebook for short-term rental management. By fusing luxury service with cutting-edge automation - and choosing Hospitable as their foundation - they’ve proven that tech-savvy operators can scale globally, delight guests, and maximize owner returns, all without sacrificing control.
“We want to be the Apple of hospitality: intuitive, powerful, and elegantly simple. With Hospitable, we’re getting there faster than we thought possible.” – Egor
