Appreciate you checking out our “About us” page

 

Our business focuses on helping hosts and property managers decrease their dependency on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO by showing them how to leverage technology to increase their bookings while providing a clear roadmap of what is needed to succeed when going direct.

 

 

1) They are almost entirely dependent on Airbnb, VRBO & other platforms for all of their bookings

 

2) They are being out leveraged by other hosts and property managers in their area that use technology and automation to run their vacation rental (VR) / short term rental (STR) business

 

3) They want to start building a direct booking website, but they are overwhelmed by the lack of information available about the steps required to set up and start getting direct bookings.

 

If that’s you, there’s a free video above that breaks down my signature 4 phase strategy to go direct in more detail if you’d like to check it out.

 

Let me give you the back story about me and how I got started in the short-term rental world:

 

In 2020 at the mist of the worldwide pandemic, I received an email from the property manager of a very picturesque guesthouse located in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.

 

Like many other hosts, all of the bookings they’ve received suddenly got canceled by third-party platforms.

 

Chaos ensued, they lost revenue, and the whole world came to a stop…

 

But they were not just going to bow down and lose the precious property they’ve built and managed since 2013.

 

So they decided to bet on themselves and the future of the whole travel industry and had two clear goals:

 

1) They wanted to launch a direct booking strategy to pay fewer fees and decrease their dependency on platforms

 

2) They wanted to add two new rooms to their property in under a year

 

However, when they contacted me they:

 

– Didn’t have a proven strategy to go direct

– Wasted money on a direct booking website that didn’t work

and thus,

– Were left even more confused about where to start to get the results they were looking for.

When they contacted me, I had already worked with more than a handful of businesses in other industries getting them new clients and results through digital marketing strategies.

 

But to be honest…

 

I was just as confused as them about where to start and how to get them the results they wanted.

 

See, I was inspired by their story and the work they’ve done on their property. I truly wanted to help them…

 

However, I quickly saw the Short-Term Rental / Vacation Rental industry was a lot different than the other industries I’ve helped other clients in.

 

I found there were many other hosts and property managers with the same problems as the one that contacted me.

 

BUT…

 

There was a sea of conflicting information about the necessary steps required to decrease dependency on third-party platforms by going direct.

 

So after taking a few days to research the industry and the possible solution I could provide to help this property manager out…

 

I reached out back to them, and offered them the following proposal:

 

a) I will organize all of this conflicting information about how to get direct booking and decrease dependency on platforms

 

b) I will then develop a coherent strategy with the best information I can find

 

and lastly,

 

c) I will combine it with the best practices I have learned from working with other clients in other industries.

I told them:

 

“Give me 30 days, a lot of coffee, and 1% of your trust… and I will find a way to get you the results you are looking for, earning the other 99% of your trust”.

 

They agreed.

 

Now let me tell you… it was hard work.

 

There were many moving pieces I hadn’t accounted for.

 

But after some time, we launched the direct booking strategy I created for them.

 

The first month after we launched they received 16 direct bookings, the second month 19… By month 6, direct bookings accounted for 54% of their overall bookings.

 

Fast forward to the first year after I implemented the direct booking strategy for them, direct bookings accounted for more than 70% of their overall bookings.

 

I was hooked and they were super excited and pleased with the results!

 

Now, of course, the timing was very important – vacation rentals grew a lot after restrictions were dialed back and they’ve already been in business since way before the pandemic.

 

However, this showed me there was a way to get this type of results in this industry.

 

So, it motivated me to help more hosts and property managers in the short-term/vacation rental industry decrease their dependency on platforms with a proven system to go direct.

 

And here I am today…

 

I’ve worked with multiple hosts and property managers to help them do just that.

 

Through this, I’ve refined and honed in what I call the “360 Direct Booking Strategy”, a system composed of 4 different phases to guarantee success when going direct.

 

I like to work with hosts and property managers that are passionate like me about what they do. They love the STR/VR industry (and the hospitality industry as a whole) and want to take their business to the next level without spending countless hours researching and figuring out how to do it on their own.

 

It won’t be for everyone & that’s cool…

 

But if you have read up to this part, I have a free video below where I break down in more detail the strategy I implement to get results for my clients alongside everything that’s needed to succeed in going direct.

 

Watch the video above and if you want us to create a direct booking website and implement our signature direct booking strategy for your property, contact me.

 

I will be glad to help you out.

 

Thanks,

 

Founder of Rubicon Hospitality