Host Tools

Pros

I have multiple properties listed with both Airbnb and VRBO, Host Tools makes it very easy to sync calendars and view messages all in one site. The automation of messages was icing on the cake for me. [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] is super responsive to any support issues/needs as well. There are always new features coming available and I look forward to taking advantage of things like lock automation.

Cons

Sometimes there is a little bit of a lag between the Host Tools calendar synching with the Airbnb/VRBO feeds.

Pros

This product has made our AirBnb hosting so much easier. We create custom messages which send at different intervals, we set up reminders for ourselves to get certain things done (such as set up door codes) based up check -in dates, we have the system send text message reminders to our cleaners on the day of check-out, and the automated reviews are fantastic. Host Tools has reduced the amount of time I spend managing these details by at least 80% and has actually made us far more organized than we would've bern otherwise

Cons

I wish it would remote set our Yale with Nest locks and I wish I could just share my calendars with my cleaners without having to have them texted every time there's a change

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Host Tools

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Host Tools

Pros

The price used to be competitive before the 2023 price hike. I also like the website link where your housekeeper can check all the future cleanings in one big list. However, this list doesn't have any optionality to add text or notes onto the reservations.

Cons

The unreliability. The connection can go down at any moment without any prior notice. If the connection doesn't go down fully, there may be other issues with it. Most of the issues are with reservation information from the OTAs not coming through to Host Tools as they should. I also do not like it that Host Tools only supports Airbnb, VRBO and Booking integration (No Google vacation rentals or others).

Pros

After trying several different programs to help automate our small boutique hotel operations, we knew after a short time with Host Tools that this was the program for us. It was clearly created by a fellow property owner and addresses our biggest concerns without unnecessary fluff. The price is fair, and we feel fortunate to have found it.

Cons

The pricing tools are a little intimidating, and there is a bit of a learning curve all around. Not quite as intuitive as one might hope, but once you get started and learn the lingo, it’s pretty user-friendly.

Pros

Automated messaging is the feature I can't live without. Works perfectly and makes everything run smooth.

Cons

Not very mobile friendly. I run about 95% off my phone.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Host Tools

Pros

Simple to construct event driven (checking, check out, settled in, inquiry, etc) from templates and edit those messages if necessarybin advance. Messages to coordinate services providers such as self-checkins, cleaners, cleaners etc never get overlooked or contain typing errors. We have two AirBnB's and this communication overhead is very significant.

Cons

We don't use the pricing feature as much yet.

Pros

Superhost Tools is easy to set up and has pre-written templates that you can customize to fit your Airbnb. It's made communication with our guests so much more reliable, and our guests have been gushing with how great of attention we pay to them.

Cons

I had some pricing glitches that caused some issues at first, and customer service didn't write me back after the initial email.

Pros

The automated messaging is really helpful. Also I use the automated feedback for my airbnb guests. Really helpful and a time saver.

Cons

I wish it had dynamic listing dates where you could limit the number of or day one day bookings but it opened up week of.

Pros

Supherost Tools is well worth the money in time management alone! It has saved me hundreds of dollars in such a small span of time, by not having to deal with the pain of manually entering EVERYTHING, and being able to automate a good deal of it. I expect my company will save THOUSANDS in the near future while continuing to use this product!

Cons

It took me a little bit to figure out how everything worked, but once I did, it was well worth the wait!

Pros

Anything that saves me time and helps me keep my 5 star review is worth it!
The email responder is what I use most. Also can t beat the price.

Cons

I'm not using the pricing yet since I was with another service, but may try it out.

Pros

This tool automates so much of my correspondence with AirBnB guests. I was spending too much time re-writing the same message, making sure I didn't miss a deadline, and checking the calendar. As my rentals grew, I knew I need a tool to automate this. I wanted something simple and affordable. I didn't want to pay for a solution that offered more functionality that what I would use. Host Tools fit the bill perfectly.

Cons

There are a few bugs here and there; I had a guest receive 9 'thanks for staying with us' messages once, until I noticed it and disabled the message completely. Sometime those messages will still send twice and I don't know why.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Host Tools

Pros

The automated messages were very useful and I could resolve 99% of guest inquiries using this feature. The price point was fair for the solution I was using.

Cons

updates to either airbnb or host tools would cause properties to turn off their messaging, without warning, so I would miss guest questions by thinking the auto response was working. the text feature did not ever work for my maids.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Host Tools

Pros

Super easy to use and very customizable. It automates 90% of your communication and makes the guest feel like you have great communication. It also helps you get great reviews. Being a Superhost is easy now! The developer is very responsive to input.

Cons

Nothing - maybe if you have 100+ properties it might seem expensive, but the value would still be there. There might be less value if you only rent 2-3 times a year.

Pros

I love that I have instant access to the owner and builder of the platform. Always accepting of new features and supporting of current features. I love the blogs that are written as well as it helps me determine some business methods.

Cons

There are quite a lot of features that could be better and more user friendly.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Host Tools

Pros

This tool allowed us to enjoy our lives and get away from the computer keyboard.

Cons

There was a small learning curve we had to learn.

Pros

Let's face it, Airbnb smart pricing is typically on the low end which is an advantage for Airbnb and the guest but not for the host. This allows you to adjust it by an amount of your choosing.

Cons

I wish it had length of stay adjustments. Other than that it is very capable with lots of options. Syncs well too.

Pros

I am really liking the automated messages. It is saving me time and stress with my rental property. I also like that it can link airbnb and vrbo. That is super helpful for calendaring.

Cons

The interface seems a little simple and plain but I have liked using it so far.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Host Tools

Pros

The automated messages are key to running a successful short term rental business. I get five star reviews on my communication because of this tool. It’s very easy to use and I’ve told all my friends about it

Cons

I wish it integrated with other services like VRBO

Pros

Created the messages with ease and they automatically send so I don’t have to think about it. Great templates, easy to change when you need.

Cons

Nothing I have seen so far. Has been great for what I needed

Pros

It works every time, is very customable, and is a great value

Cons

Pricing tool is not as robust with outside data, so you have to make all the decisions on your own

Pros

Host Tools helped us easily mange multiple listings and automate check in and check out.

Cons

Was a little tricky using multiple accounts and I'm probably a unique case, but I created our listing using an account that is not the primary account but a co-host account, which ended up limited some features. Since we have 5-6 listings, re-doing our set up under the main account became fairly challenging and time intensive.

Pros

Easy to set up and edit.
Can have as many automated messages as you need.
Keeps my guests informed.
Encourages guests to alert me of any problems.

Cons

Cant think of anything at all! All great from my experience.

Pros

This is the only pricing tool I have found for Airbnb that actually gives me full control over my prices. Through pricing tweaks I have discovered that I can substantially increase my profits. Since my rules have been in place (and the developer is super responsive with helping to set them up if you have any questions- which I did!) I've been able to turn my attention elsewhere and have my prices auto update the way I want them to every day.

Cons

I was a little confused with setting up the pricing rules but the developer walked me through it and since they've been in place I don't have to touch them!

Pros

It’s taken a lot of the work away from me. I can now convey exactly what I need to to my guests in a way that is easy to understand and comprehensive.

Cons

Timed emails can sometimes overlap and cause confusion. Depending on when the guest books. Until I worked out a better set of messages to send, it was very annoying.

Pros

Automatic messaging and guest reviews on Airbnb.

Cons

Not possible to pay only for features used.

Pros

'Host Tools' is so easy to set-up and a must-have if much of your clientele is based on getting them a quick response. Knowing that all of my vacation rental inquiries will receive an email that is specific to their needs gives me peace-of-mind! The software gives examples of pre-written replies or allows me to personalize each response in my own words to suit the specific needs of my vacation rental property. Emails are automatically sent to my potential guests and includes accurate information that is pertinent to their inquiries (rate quote, rental agreement, house rules, direct bookings, check-in information, review requests, security information...). I can edit as I see fit and dictate responses to fit my personality. I am convinced that the quick and personalized responses that are made available by using 'Host Tools' has provided an incredible service to my business and my clients feel that their needs have been met. 'Host Tools' has given me confidence (and competence) as a vacation rental host that my vacationing guests will get fast and accurate responses to meet their needs.

Cons

I have yet to find any problems and have nothing but praise for 'Host Tools'!

Pros

This is the worst channel manager I have ever worked with. Cheap but not even worth that .

Cons

This is the worst channel manager I have ever worked with. Not only does it lose the connection to the properties all the time and I have to reconnect my properties at least five times a month. But also, I just recently added to Booking.com to my Hosttools, and then it deleted all my entries on Booking.com, forcing me to re-enter all the information on my 10 properties, again, which took me over five hours. This is a cheap channel manager, but it’s full of bugs and entirely useless. The customer service is ridiculous, they don’t respond to anything, nor do they even offer phone support. Entirely unprofessional.

Pros

What Host Tools does it does very well; messaging and pricing. With the new August Lock integration, my guests no longer need to dig through their inbox to find their lock code, since Host Tools puts it right in their Airbnb message thread. As for the pricing, while it's already much more flexible than Airbnb, allowing the ability to price a percentage above or below Airbnb's smart pricing, I've also found it's more reliable. Questions I've asked about the product are always answered within a day.

Cons

There's not much I would change about Host Tools. Conditional messages in which parts of messages can be customized might be nice (use case: remind guests to fill out the NYS COVID travel form, but only if they're coming from out of state). Or the ability to see the results of messages based on actual upcoming events.

Pros

I love this app - host tools as it was my primary app that allowed me to automate my whole business. It would increase/decrease the price as I needed and/or set it up like so. I have 0 complaints about the app itself. Once you learn how to set up pricing and its not too hard you just sit back and watch your airbnb fill up. The way my system was set up - I was never home to greet the guests unless I really needed to or they wanted to see me. I found that most of the time the guests don't want to see the host anyway and so this application was a life-saver. Combined with Instant-Book - it worked out perfectly and allowed me to bypass the Airbnb Algorithm that gives you less money for a booking if you use their "recommended" settings. I wholeheartedly recommend this tool for anyone hosting with Airbnb - especially if you have multiple listings. 12/10 from me.

Cons

nothing - it worked as I needed it.. I mean if price can be cheaper - why not? but I think its fairly priced.

Pros

The pricing rules cover many combinations and flexibility, allowing one to define custom pricing based on dates and other conditions.

Cons

Hosttools still has many bugs and occasionally causes accounts to disconnect, syncing issues, etc. For example, we have received many double bookings due to sync problems. I reposted many of the bugs to the owners over the years, but even after a few years, many haven't been fixed.

Pros

I'm a 68 year-old woman and not very computer skilled, but I've found Superhost easy to use. What I use most is the messaging. It is customizable. I've chosen to write my own messages when I first receive a reservation, but if it is a last-minute reservation I have Superhost set to send a welcome message. I've also set Superhost to send a message the morning after the guests' first night to ask if they have everything they need, and then the night before departure to remind them how to check out. This saves a lot of time and scheduling on my part, and most guests seem to feel that I am being attentive.

Cons

I haven't had any problems with it. I haven't used the pricing software yet.

Pros

Better automation features than that provided by AirBnB. Scheduled messaging, automated email capability, flexible pricing options - all superior than that provided by AirBnB at the time of sign up

Cost per month is a no-brainer given the amount of time it saves you in automating capabilities.

Cons

Mostly difficulty in getting certain things to work - automated emails sent by Host Tools getting blocked as spam by ISPs is an ongoing unresovled problem.

Also probably a lack of good quality doucmentation. The flexibility around the pricing options is excellent, but it is not the most intuitive set-up, and therefore a detailed 'user guide' would be of great benefit.

Pros

Saves hours of messaging, quick response time ( handy when we get messages at 3am) ensures all import messages are sent ( directions, check in, check out) automates the time consuming reviews .

Cons

There was a couple of minor improvements I thought would be useful when I first started using it, I send a message to them, expecting no reply or the usual thank you note, support team came back to me more or less by return agreed with me and 2 days later had made the improvement, great service.

Thinking about it, I guess the only improvement would be to have several feedback comments loaded that are selected at random.

Pros

Host Tools is easily the best $5 I spend every month. I've only used a fraction of the capabilities, simply using to respond to automatically respond to initial bookings and send check out instructions to my guests, but it works like a charm and has reduced the amount of time I spend communicating with guests. I'm looking forward to connecting Host Tools to my Yale locks and further automating the process of checking in and out, and knowing when cleaners have come and gone all with custom codes.

I also greatly enjoy the newsletters from HostTools with practical tips for improving my hosting business.

Cons

The initial usability of creating custom messages was low, but through constant iterations, this seems to have greatly improved.

Pros

This is an amazing system that lets me easily set up messages for my guests. I love that I can change the timing so I can have a message go out once they book, then a message right before they check-in, etc.

Cons

I think one new feature that has been mentioned is connecting with locks. If I could have it set up so it was sending different codes to different guests that would be amazing.

Pros

We have used this for our 28 properties. The messages are reliable. I like the last minute booking features as well as the capability to send text reminders.

Cons

For the first few days, the messages are a bit unpredictable. I also do not use the pricing tool.

I do wish it had an app:)

Pros

Good automated email set. Other pricing tools that I haven’t yet made use of. Quick response from customer support.

Cons

Difficult to use on mobile device web browser after the recent update. I haven’t used it on a computer recently. Wasn’t able to get pricing tools working in my own.

Pros

The software automates communication with my prospects, guests, and cleaning teams. The software provides the ability to message in app, text, and email. The time savings for this communication is at least 6 hours per months.

Cons

Setting up multiple accounts can be tricky but the customer service team helped resolve the implementation the same day!

Pros

I like the ability to set up my pricing and auto generate messaging. Also cross site calendar keeping.

Cons

For the price point, you get what you pay for. It's great software for small operators such as myself. But it's not an AI manager. So it lacks some of the abilities that other platforms such as OwnerRez.

Pros

I really love this software. I wish I would have thought about it.

Routine messages to guests are automated, thanks you, day before checkin, how is your stay, checkout....

Very happy!

Cons

A very good experience, no negatives to mention.

Pros

Once I got the hang of the messaging system it has been a good send. It means we no longer have to watch the calendar as it is fully automated. Great customer / tech support very responsive. I can send guests documents via Drop box. Love it, it is a game changer!!!

Cons

Nothing. I love the ease and running it via my phone or Mac.

Pros

Save yourself hours of work using this tool.

Cons

well, I guess if there was any negativity it was the fact that I had to set it up initially.

Pros

The message automation is the best. It shows you a time line of the messages that will be sent and allows you to edit a message before it's sent. It will send the automated message at the prescribed time.

Cons

I wasn't sure how to use the automatic feedback tool. It didn't seem possible to leave less than 5 stars. I sometimes have to write a negative review and would love to have that automatically posted on the last day.

Pros

Before I use Host Tools, I had to do all manually.

After I use, oooh. it's so much easier, my life become so fresh.
Integration is so fast! and It gives me what I need.

I strongly recommend to use !! No regret!!

Cons

I am 100% satisfy with it.
Maybe some customer feels that it's too like AI, but I think it's okay for now.

Pros

You can make it your own and write your own algorithms.

Cons

Manuals are outdated. It is hard to find someone who is highly educated on this software.

Pros

Auto response to inquiries. Very difficult to implement without a tool such as Superhost tools. SHT does a great job of responding to inquiries.

Unlike some other products, SHT does not mark the response with their name. Guests and owners cannot see you are using SHT

Cons

none. Does what I need and what I am looking for.

Pros

Super duper easy to navigate. It's the easiest user interface I have ever dealt with for our AirBNB stays.

Cons

It doesn't give us full control of our AirBNB account. It would be nice if HostTools allowed us to confirm/deny reservations and if the calendar integrated with AirBNB.

Pros

Easy to use and you practically not worry about been writing messages and rules on every time you book a place. The software does everything for you, on a timely manner ( previously programmed )

Cons

There are some messages in the last minute that are set chronologically in sort order of conversation that some times the systema send disorderly and the guest probably realizes it is a bot or automated messages. I dont know if I could fix that or if is just like that.

Anopther Con is that Now airbnb is working on a free host tool, not so good at the moment but eventually will be similar and with no price.

Pros

It's easy to use. It is good because I can see progress of my work and get some benefits out of it.

Cons

There's nothing I like the least about this software.

Pros

I no longer have to worry about emailing guests. Saves me hours of work.

Cons

nothing this is a perfect tool that we use daily.