One of Queenstown’s newest property management companies, Airbnb Host, is the brainchild of local eco property developer Adam Smith and hospitality specialists Lucy Moig and Luke Eagles.

Adam, whose group is behind Queenstown’s uber stylish wellness hotel and restaurant, Sherwood, identified a gap in the market for a management group that aligned with the increasingly popular Airbnb online community.

He was joined by Lucy and Luke and the result is Airbnb Host, specialising in the management of Queenstown properties listed exclusively on the Airbnb platform. The new venture complements their existing apartment management business, Element Escapes, which has been operating for nine years.

“We are a full-time specialist team operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week caring for properties, maintaining their online profiles and being the on the spot host for guests staying in the houses,” says Lucy. “We focus on managing short-term holiday properties with efficiency and professionalism and that has been the key to our success.”

Since launching at the start of 2018, the company has gained a reputation as a one-stop-shop for holiday homeowners looking to maximise their property investment. It has attracted a wide cross section of holiday houses and apartments in Queenstown, Frankton, Kelvin Heights and Arthurs Point.

Lucy says owners are motivated to optimise revenue and protect their asset while ensuring guests staying in their property are looked after.

“We do everything for them from setting rates, managing their calendars to cleaning, general maintenance, communicating, meeting and greeting their guests. Flexibility is important when looking after short stay properties and our owners find they can save a lot of time and money using our management team who are on the ground and ready for action.”

With most property owners looking for high guest rotation, Lucy says a good level of communication and service is required sometimes at a moment’s notice.

“Our team also manages all the cleaning and property maintenance for the Sherwood hotel, and we offer the same high standard of cleanliness and care for holiday homes. Our service includes hotel standard linen supply, ordering and restocking of consumables, general housekeeping and property trouble shooting. We have great local knowledge and established relationships with repairs and maintenance contractors so we can fix a problem immediately.”

The link to the Sherwood Hotel is significant with guests staying in holiday houses managed by the Airbnb Host team receiving special deals at the hotel such as free yoga sessions, discounted breakfast options and Sherwood gift vouchers.

“Sherwood offers such a wonderful community vibe and that’s something all our holiday home guests can tap into which is a nice bonus. We also make up attractive gift baskets for the houses and create house manuals tailored to each property.”

“Luke and I are often the first people guests meet when they collect keys and because our names are linked with each house, guests already feel as if they know us and that can help with creating respectful relationships for everyone during the stay,” says Lucy. “It’s a win- win for everyone.”

Joining Airbnb Host

For holiday homeowners looking for a professional property management team to look after their property for a few months or all year-round it is as simple as filling out an online application form to engage the Airbnb Host team.

“The process is very straight forward and once we have all the property details, we then create a plan and budget of exactly what the owner requires,” says Lucy. “We are a full-service provider which includes cleaning, maintenance and housekeeping to linen supply, profile and bookings’ management.”

Lucy says helping homeowners get started in renting out their holiday home is an important part of the business.

“Sometimes people are just starting out on this process and we can assist with getting resource consents, appraising the property to set rental rates, sorting photography and creating online profiles. Having someone manage your online profile can make all the difference in reaping the rewards of holiday rentals in Queenstown and we spend a lot of time ensuring profiles are working. Ultimately the aim is for homeowners to be happy with their returns and guests to be happy because it is their recommendation that matters.”