Research Says Boutique Hoteliers, Property Owners and Accommodation Hosts Want a Mobile App to Monitor, Access their Business 

According to a new survey released by eviivo, a hospitality software company known for its award-winning booking and property management platform, eviivo Suite, independent accommodation hosts (ie: Airbnb and VRBO), property owners (ie: vacation rentals, urban rentals and inns) and boutique hoteliers find a booking and property management mobile app to be “extremely important” to run and operate their business.

The new report — conducted April 11 to 28 in partnership with SurveyMonkey — polled 1,000 independent accommodation property owners, boutique hoteliers and hosts specializing in short-term rentals, and as part of the debut of eviivo Mobile, a booking and property management mobile app, which offers first-of-its-kind features and tools to enhance convenience, provide more freedom and flexibility and improve quality of life, 91% respondents said a mobile app is “extremely important” (32% said its “very important”) to run and manage their business, and 92% use or anticipate using the mobile app regularly in the future. 

Key findings:

- 84% respondents want the ability to monitor/access their business — anywhere anytime — right at their fingertips

- 58% find the ability to manage multiple properties in one app as the most useful feature.

- “Convenience of day to day management at my fingertips” was the main reason users downloaded the app (91%), while 23% responded “improve communication with guests,” and 21% said the motivation was to improve communication with staff. 

-42% respondents said a booking and property management mobile app was important for their work-life balance, while 34% responded “very important” and 24% responded “somewhat important.”

-91% respondents will /would use eviivo Mobile regularly in the future.

“We listened to thousands of customers for what they wanted in an app,” says eviivo CTO Eric White, “and we’re proud to have exceeded their expectations. Automation is truly key for the accommodation sector, as is mobility, and eviivo Mobile is revolutionizing how property owners and hosts manage their day to day bookings. In fact, work/life balance was a key factor, and now our customers have the freedom to manage their guests and bookings from anywhere, anytime — even while they’re on vacation themselves.”

In a recent World Health Organization report, the pandemic triggered a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide. As part of its commitment to social responsibility, eviivo takes every measure to address mental health and wellness with its partners. With eviivo Mobile, property owners, hosts and boutique hoteliers in independent accommodations have all the freedom to be remote and spend time outdoors in nature, which can significantly boost mental health and reduce stress, according to a recent Harvard Health report.

In addition to the survey results, the app was launched to appease the growing sector of millennials buying second properties to enter the short-term rental market, a growing trend as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The survey was conducted four months after the December soft launch of eviivo Mobile. Built from the ground up, eviivo Mobile offers unique features and tools that mirror the company’s award-winning eviivo Suite, a property and management platform, right in the customer’s Smartphone. eviivo Mobile is easy to use, convenient and fast, and users can manage guest reservations from anywhere, anytime, which improves their work/life balance, increases satisfaction and enhances quality of life.

Key eviivo Mobile features and tools include: 

-Ability to manage, modify and update reservations and update booking rates on the go.

-Integration of all OTA (online travel agency, such as Airbnb, VRBO, etc) right in the app; any rate changes are automatically updated with their OTA.

-Ability to manage payments on the go.

-Cleaning dashboard that allows property owners/managers to connect with housekeeping for task needs and performance.*

-Ability for property owners to handle multi-unit properties.*

-Ability to adjust (increase/decrease) daily rates and minimum stay by a fixed amount or percentage within a three-month window.

-Instant overview of new bookings, arrivals, departures and in-house guests.

-Instant push notifications. 

-Daily snapshots/real-time views of the property’s KPIs and analytics.

-Incredible landscape calendar view of diary and daily rates with source channel icons and arrival view times.

*Unique to eviivo Mobile

“Convenience was our biggest factor in launching a mobile app,” says eviivo CEO Michele Fitzpatrick, “as was health. We don’t want our customers sitting behind a desk all day. As Covid cases go down, and travel begins to pick up, we want our partners to go explore, be outdoors, visit family and friends, and truly live life. With eviivo Mobile, our partners can do all this while also check in with their guest bookings whenever they want, right at their fingertips. Even B&B owners, who remain on property, can tend to their garden or renovations without missing any notifications. Our app is designed to improve the well being of our partners, but most importantly, eliminate stress and upgrade their quality of life.”

For the full survey, which was distributed in UK, US, Canada, Germany, France and Iberia, click here for results.