When to Listen to the Data with Chris Wheeler of Scenic Stays

The Vacation Rental Show: How We Grow

In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show: How We Grow, host Lynell Gordon is joined by Chris Wheeler, Owner of Scenic Stays.

Together, they explore:

• How to book off-season rentals
• Using data to enhance the efficiency of housekeeping operations
• How to balance data insights with owner expectations in revenue management

Chris is Owner of Scenic Stays, a vacation rental company that is committed to delivering hospitality through consistent quality delivery. Prior to this, he was Chief Operating Officer at Sterling Resorts, having also held the Director of Revenue Management position there too. He’s also previously acted as Reservations and Revenue Manager at Southern Vacation Rentals, following a stint as Guest Relations Manager.

This episode is sponsored by LiveRez.

Episode Highlights:

[03:22] Booking Off-Season Rentals – There’s lower demand for rentals in the off-season, so booking them requires a little bit of extra effort. You need to research your competitors and understand the market in order to stay competitive, as fewer travelers means more competition. It’s also critical to ensure the property is visible to as many potential renters as possible. Fine-tune your strategy by balancing the right rates, promotions, and homeowner needs to keep everyone happy. The extra effort is worth it though, as successfully securing bookings in the off-season is very rewarding.

[05:21] Data-Driven Housekeeping – Chris uses data to improve efficiency, effectiveness, tracking, and accountability in housekeeping and maintenance operations. Housekeepers check in and out using a system that tracks their progress. As do inspectors, using pictures and star ratings to evaluate the quality of the cleans, with a similar process followed for maintenance tasks. This data is then compiled into different reports to assess performance and help in scheduling. It allows management to look for anomalies, such as unusually short or long cleaning times, to identify potential issues. From this data, they are also able to establish KPIs for average clean time and quality, allowing them to track the performance of staff. Of course, Chris still integrates the personal aspects of team management, as these keep people engaged.

[12:33] Data-Driven Revenue Management – Managing larger complexes with similar units is challenging, especially in optimizing revenue without cannibalizing other properties within the same complex. Scenic Stays use data analytics tools like Key Data and Wheelhouse, combined with the team’s expertise, to aid in revenue management, particularly for adjusting rates for similar properties to maximize their revenue. For example, in one complex, a coastline unit with an angled view outperformed a more expensive gulf-front unit, which was the opposite to the expectations. The data indicated that the coastline unit’s unique attributes, such as recent renovation and corner position, made it more appealing, despite the owner’s concerns. This is an overarching trend, with the team often relying on data-driven insights to adjust pricing strategies, despite owner expectations based on their property investment and perceived value.

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