Mastering Guest Experience with AI and Automation

In this episode of the Hospitable Hosts Podcast, we are joined by Stefan Scheurer, a member of the editorial team at SWR3, one of the most popular radio stations in Germany, and a successful short-term rental host. Stefan rents out his holiday home with an old funicular railway on Airbnb and Booking.com and uses Hospitable to automate routine tasks and make hosting easier.

In the episode, Stefan talks about his short-term rental journey and how automating guest communication helped him make his listing the best-rated Airbnb in Germany. He shares how he uses the Hospitable API to build custom solutions for his STR business and how he generates ideas for new automations. Stefan also discusses how small, thoughtful touches help make emotional connections with guests, leading to high ratings and great reviews.

Press Play now to learn about the tech stack that Stefan built for his short-term rental using Hospitable API.

If you prefer to read the highlights, we’ve got a summary of the key takeaways below.

The Need for More Automation

Stefan now works as an editor at the popular German radio station SWR3, but he was trained as a media engineer and, for 12 years, has managed the online department. So, Stefan admits he knows how websites work, although he doesn’t get into programming. “I just use tools here and there.”

Stefan says they have an old cable car in the garden that looks very interesting, so he and his family decided to build a wooden house there and rent it on Airbnb. They also started using Hospitable to automate communication with their guests and other routine hosting tasks, which helped them earn many positive reviews and high ratings on Airbnb. 

“For all we know, the guests really don't like to read long messages. They have seven seconds to read and see if anything interests them. I make short messages with specialized content, and Hospitable helps me with them. But there are other things. I know Hospitable can't fix all the problems in the world.”

Using the Hospitable API to Build Custom Solutions

Stefan decided to add more automations to handle tasks that Hospitable can’t. For example, Stefan wanted to provide cleaners with additional information about the number of guests and their preferences so they could better prepare the rental for the next stay. So, he used the Hospitable API to integrate AI agents into the system, and then programmed a calendar for his cleaner on his STR website.

Stefan says he created several custom solutions that help keep everything organized and make his guests feel cool. “For example, when they check in, they have the latest news about events in my city. Something that Hospitable is unable to do for obvious reasons, and can’t do that for the whole world. But I can do it for my location, and the guests love it. And I often hear that they have so much information for a great stay.”

Automating Check-In Process

Stefan uses Hospitable to automate smart locks, ensuring a smooth check-in experience for his guests. “This has one reason: it's reliable,” he explains. “If you make your automation yourself, maybe there is once a month something that doesn't work. And this is horrible if the guest can't enter the house. For this reason, I chose the Hospitable way, even though it costs me more money for the new key I use, and it costs a license.”

Stefan also uses a smart home platform called Homey to automate and control other smart devices in his holiday rental, “all using the APIs and the interconnections between Hospitable or other platforms.” That allows him to save on energy without compromising his guests' comfort.

“It's really, really easy to make this, and it's fun,” Stefan notes. “And this is a thing that gives me money and gives me confidence that I save money for the heating, for example. It gives me good prices because of the good reviews and the good rankings on Airbnb and Booking.com.”

Further, Stefan explains which platforms he uses and the steps he takes to build automation solutions for his short-term rental, leveraging the Hospitable API.