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Quarterly reviews are a staple in the business world, but shouldn’t we also pause to evaluate our personal lives?

We work hard at our jobs, but we don’t often stop to think about our personal life. Why not?

Is a good job the only thing that makes us successful?

It’s time to try something different.

I’ve been doing more than just looking at how my work’s going. Every quarter, I also look at different parts of my life, like:

You can’t be perfect in every part of life all the time, but if you never ask yourself these questions, you won’t even know where you stand.

At Doinn we enhance the importance of checking in with yourself to help you see what’s really going on, and it makes you stop and think.

This way, you’re more likely to do well in life.

Sometimes you need to focus on your health, family, or relationships more than work.

If you only think about work, you might end up feeling empty or sad because you’re missing out on other important things.

You can have a good life with a balance of everything.
It’s up to you to choose.
Decide what really matters.

P.S.: And guess what? When you’re happy in life, you do better at work too!

The top travel booking websites, Booking, Expedia, and Airbnb, had a big year in 2023. Let’s talk about what happened.

Making More Money:

Booking made the most money last year, pulling in a huge $21 billion. Expedia was close behind, and Airbnb did well too, especially since they’re growing fast.

Getting Bigger, Better, Faster:

All three companies are making more money than they did the year before. Airbnb’s growth was especially cool to see – they earned 18% more in 2023 compared to 2022.

Spending to Earn:

These companies spent a lot of money on ads to get more people to use their sites. Booking and Expedia spent a bit over $6 billion each – that’s a lot of ads.

Keeping the Cash:

When we look at profits, we see how well these companies are doing after paying for all their costs. Booking is the champ here, making more profit from the money they made.

What Investors Think:

Looking at how much the companies are worth, Booking is way out in front, with investors thinking it’s worth $136 billion. Expedia is next, and Airbnb is growing but still has some catching up to do with their $23 billion.

In simple terms, all three websites are doing pretty awesome, but each in their own way. They made a lot of money, grew their businesses, and have lots of plans to keep growing. As of 23 February 2024, the market capitalization of these entities provided insight into investor confidence. Booking held a commanding lead at $136 billion, with Expedia at $99 billion, and Airbnb at $23 billion. The EV/EBITDA (Trailing) multiples paint a picture of the market’s valuation of these companies’ earnings and potential for future growth.

How does this affect our business:

The performance of major travel booking platforms like Booking, Expedia, and Airbnb can have a significant impact on a business like Doinn. Here’s how:

  1. Increased Demand for Quality Accommodations: With revenues rising for these platforms, it suggests more people are booking travel accommodations. For Doinn, this can translate into a higher demand for cleaning and maintenance services for vacation rentals.
  2. Opportunity for Partnerships: The growth and marketing investment by these big platforms can provide partnership opportunities for Doinn, positioning your services as a value-add to property managers and hosts using these platforms.
  3. Market Trends Awareness: The focus on marketing and customer acquisition by these platforms can inform Doinn’s own marketing strategies, particularly in targeting the right audience and adapting to emerging market trends.
  4. Strategic Expansion: As Airbnb shows significant growth, Doinn can look into tailoring services for hosts on this platform, particularly in expanding markets and during peak seasons highlighted by their revenue trends.
  5. Adapting to Seasonality: The key metrics may indicate how seasonality affects booking patterns. Doinn can leverage this data to anticipate busy periods and plan resources accordingly.
  6. Competition and Collaboration: Understanding the competitive landscape can help Doinn position itself not only as a service provider but also as a collaborator in the industry, offering insights and solutions that complement the offerings of these booking giants.

In short, the success and strategies of these platforms provide valuable insights for Doinn to strategize growth, align services with market demand, and explore synergistic relationships within the travel industry.

Accessible tourism refers to the practice of creating all-inclusive and barrier-free travel experiences for people with disabilities, as well as for those without disabilities. It is an essential aspect of making travel and tourism equitable and accessible to all.

Make the world accessible

This is the Wheel the World brand’s purpose. They believe that people with disabilities should experience the world like anyone else.

Accessible tourism enables people with disabilities, including those with mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive impairments, to enjoy touristic activities and travel independently, with equity and dignity through the delivery of universally designed tourism products, services, and environments.

This also includes seniors and families traveling with young children in strollers.

Accessible Tourism: the three dimensions of accessibility

The three dimensions of accessibility are physical access, sensory access, and communication access.

Physical access includes the provision of facilities and services that cater to the needs of people with physical disabilities who use wheelchairs, walking aids, or handrails.

Sensory access includes the provision of facilities and services that improve the accessibility of tourism activities for those with hearing or visual impairments. Accessible features include captioning, audio description, and sign language interpretation.

Communication access includes the provision of facilities and services that cater to the needs of those with cognitive, speech, and hearing disabilities. Examples of accessible features include audio guides, large print materials, and braille signage.

Accessible Tourism in vacation rentals

As a vacation rental owner, you have a significant role to play in creating accessible tourism experiences.

By providing the right services and design in your vacation home, you can be part of a positive shift towards sustainable and responsible tourism while attracting new guests.

Here are some examples of accessible vacation rentals:

The list of accessible features is endless, but the key is to focus on designing your vacation rental in a way that provides a barrier-free environment for all. You can gather more examples from ADA, The Americans with Disabilities Act, here.

Accessible Tourism tools for vacation rentals

Doinn´s app enhances communication between deaf-mute colleagues working in the cleaning of tourist apartments and collaborates effectively with specialized companies focused on their labor reintegration.

If you use QR codes for your house rules, remember that it is challenging for a blind or partially sighted person to scan it. Luckily with the company NaviLens you can transform up to 10 QR codes into accessible QR codes for free.

Accessible Tourism, a human right

In conclusion, accessible tourism is important because it is a human right for everyone. It is also beneficial for the economy, as it creates business opportunities for destinations to expand their range of tourists by catering to a wider audience.

With the collaboration of tourism stakeholders, including governments, tourism organizations, businesses, and tourists, we can work towards becoming a more equal and inclusive sector.

In Europe, short-term rental capacity is at pre-pandemic levels.

Airdna brought fantastic news! The short-term rental demand in Europe had a strong first quarter and 2023 looks just bright with a significant increase in the number of nights stayed.

Compared to January 2022, there was an 18.1% increase in demand, and a substantial 28% increase compared to 2019.

This extended seasonality led to a 5% increase in occupancy from last year and a 6% increase above pre-pandemic levels.

Of the top 20 countries, 14 experienced an increase in occupancy, with Portugal, where we were born, with a +19.8% YOY, Austria +16.9%, Czechia +12%, and Greece +10.4% seeing the highest growth.

For the first time since the pandemic began, the available supply of short-term rentals in Europe exceeded 2019 levels, with 4.7% more properties available in January than in January 2019.

The not-so-great

On the other hand, Croatia, Denmark  Sweden, Hungary, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom occupancy levels saw a decline in occupancy levels.

However, these countries still had higher demand compared to the previous year.

The growth in available listing nights in these nations exceeded the growth in demand, leading to lower occupancy levels.

This increase in available listing nights signals a recovery toward typical occupancy rates after a period of reduced supply due to the pandemic.

Is it possible for the fastest-growing real estate type in Europe to sustain this?

The four real estate categories

Since January 2019, there has been a shift in the market share of the four real estate categories, with House/Villas and Unique Stays gaining 2.6% and 0.7%, respectively, while Apt/Condo/Lofts and B&Bs have each lost 2.9% and 0.4%.

This change can be attributed to shifting traveler preferences in the post-pandemic era. Apt/Condo/Lofts, which are predominantly located in urban areas, have yet to fully recover from the pandemic in terms of supply, while more options outside of urban areas have emerged, leading to a decline in their market share.

On the other hand, Houses/Villas and Unique Stays have become increasingly popular due to their more experiential, spacious, and private accommodations, resulting in their market share growth.

Finally, B&Bs, which typically involve sharing common areas with other guests, have seen a 0.4% decline in market share as they have become less desirable during the pandemic era.

This positive trend is expected to continue in the coming months, providing continued benefits to those involved in managing vacation rental properties.

The significance of digitization, particularly in the overlooked operational aspect, cannot be overstated. Doinn is committed to helping you grow and is here for good.

Cleaning standard operating procedures (SOPs) are essential for any short-term rental that wants to remain efficient and productive. By having a set of SOPs in place, cleaners, in-house or outsourced, can quickly and effectively complete tasks without having to worry about making mistakes or wasting time.

Not only does this help keep the workplace running smoothly, but it also helps to ensure that safety protocols are followed and that the quality of work is consistent.

Cleaning SOPs help organizations save time and money, increase customer satisfaction, and reduce the risk of accidents or injuries while they clean.

Writing Cleaning standard operating procedures (SOPs): Where To Begin

SOPs should be written in a step-by-step, easy-to-read format by subject-matter experts who know the processes and the structure of the organization.

The process descriptions and steps should not be overly lengthy or wordy; they should be simple and short.

Illustrations, pictures, diagrams, and charts are helpful when it’s necessary to demonstrate processes as they are described visually.

It may be helpful to include additional experts to help gather information and to review, test and approve draft SOPs.

Here is a general SOP for cleaning a short-term rental from our providers, but there are many examples on the internet that you can customize for your own needs.

I’m not going to lie.

Creating SOPs is a lot of hard work. Like really hard work. But once you have them in place and running well, they’re going to change your business. And your life.

You’re going to save time. You’re going to save money. And your customers and every single person you’ve hired for your business are going to love you.

It will be worth it a hundred times over.

It’s crucial to emphasize the significance of testing your SOPs. Try them out on multiple individuals, including at least one person who has limited knowledge of the procedure. This will help ensure that they’re not relying on their previous knowledge rather than what you’ve explicitly written out.

If you’d like more invaluable information on how Doinn can improve your operations, talk to us here

The vacation rental industry has seen a major surge in the past few years, with Airbnb leading the charge. Recently, Airbnb reported record financial results for 2022, signaling that this trend is likely to continue into the future.

This news should be exciting for property managers who are looking to capitalize on this booming market and increase their profits.

Professional cleaning

One of the most important things property managers can do to ensure continued success is to partner with professional cleaning companies.

Cleanliness and sanitation play an integral role in creating positive experiences for guests, which leads to more bookings and higher reviews – all of which contribute directly towards increased revenue potentials from your properties!

Professional cleaners have access to quality supplies as well as specialized training that helps them get every nook and cranny sparkling clean quickly so you can turn around rentals faster than ever before. Plus they take care of all aspects related to cleaning – from dusting furniture surfaces down deep-cleaning carpets & rugs – so you don’t have to worry about it yourself!

Finally, working with professional cleaning companies such as Doinn‘s vetted companies also means having peace of mind knowing that your properties will always remain up-to-date on health codes & safety regulations mandated by local authorities or governing bodies like OSHA (Occupational Safety Health Administration).

Not only does this protect both you & your guests against any legal issues but it also reflects positively upon how others view your business operations overall – giving potential customers even more reasons why they should choose YOU over competitors when deciding where to stay next time they visit town!

With Airbnb delivering such impressive financial results in 2022; now is definitely an opportune time for vacation rental property owners/managers out there looking to maximize their earning potential while providing excellent customer service simultaneously through partnering up with professional cleaners near them today

In closing, the fact remains clear: Airbnb’s impressive performance directly benefits those involved with managing vacation rental properties -and it doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon!

Thank you to the guests and Hosts who helped make this possible!

Steven Liew(He/Him) • 1stDirector Of Public Policy – APAC at Airbnb


By staying current trends within space, property owners should feel confident knowing they’ve made the right decision investing time and money into making sure guests always receive the highest quality experience possible each every stay.

Sustainable travel has become a major focus for many travelers and companies alike.

The short-term rental industry is now taking steps to ensure that guests are making a positive impact on the environment by introducing a greenium fee.

This greenium fee will be used to help fund projects that have a positive environmental impact and help reduce the negative effects of tourism.

The greenium fee would be an additional fee that guests will pay when booking their stay, but it won’t be too expensive. It’s estimated to cost around $2-3 USD per night, depending on the length of stay and other factors.

The money raised from the greenium will go towards projects such as reforestation, energy efficiency, waste management and more.

Should this initiative be a part of the short-term rental commitment to sustainability and its goal to become carbon neutral by 2030?

With this new fee, we hope to make it easier for guests to contribute towards sustainability initiatives while also promoting responsible tourism practices around the world, especially regarding labor shortage.

Lack of human resources

The hospitality industry is a rapidly growing sector of the global economy, and short-term rental property managers are an integral part of this success. However, we are concerned about the sustainability of our industry due to a lack of human resources.

The demand for rental properties has increased dramatically over recent years as more people look to rent instead of buy homes or invest in other forms of real estate.

This surge in popularity has put pressure on existing property managers who struggle to keep up with demand while also providing high-quality service and managing all aspects associated with running their business efficiently and effectively. 

Without enough qualified personnel available, it can be difficult for Short-term property managers to meet customer expectations or keep up with new trends that may affect their businesses such as changes in technology or regulations around short-term rentals.

Furthermore, without adequate staff, there is also an increased risk that important tasks related to rental management will not be completed on time which could lead to dissatisfied customers and lost revenue opportunities if left unchecked.

Additionally, having fewer employees means less diversity within teams which can limit creativity when it comes problem-solving issues related directly or indirectly to renting out short-term rental properties 

Sustainability

To ensure our industry remains sustainable into the future we must focus on:

1. recruiting highly skilled individuals who have experience working within this field before they become overwhelmed by too many responsibilities at once;

2. creating systems that allow them to access necessary training materials; provide competitive salaries so top talent isn’t lured away elsewhere;

3. promote flexible working hours so team members don’t burnout quickly;

4. encourage collaboration amongst colleagues whenever possible so everyone feels supported throughout each project they take part in together.

This is what we are doinn with our tech, stronger foundations upon which successful long-term strategies can build – ensuring continued growth even during times when external factors threaten stability. 

Let’s work together to make guests and OTAs understand that short-term rental prices need greenium fees to make our industry and our world a sustainable better place.

Digital fatigue

As technology continues to evolve in the short-term rental industry, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for people to keep up with the changes in the digital world.

Digital fatigue is a real phenomenon that affects Generation Z and Millennials in particular, who are constantly bombarded with new gadgets, apps, and services. This can lead to customer disengagement and a lack of motivation when it comes to using digital products.

Becoming digital

More than 300 vetted cleaning and linen companies have become digital thanks to our operations center; a hub that gathers all their clients, jobs, cleaners, planning, and dispatching needs in a single platform where 94% of the processes are automated. Meaning you just need to do the remaining 6%, which you can easily do in 10 minutes per day. 

Doinn´s UX/UI designers are taking digital fatigue into account when designing our features to ensure that users don’t get overwhelmed or frustrated. We believe it’s important for short-term rental software to create engaging experiences that are easy to use and understand in order for customers to stay engaged with their products.

By taking the time to understand the needs of every user: short-term rentals operations manager, short-term rental cleaning provider, short-term rentals laundry providers, and, of course, short-term rentals cleaners, and create intuitive designs that are tailored towards them, Doinn can ensure that digital fatigue does not become an issue.

Digital fatigue is a core issue that affects consumer experience, as it stops them from continuing their digital journey. This concept can be considered the antithesis of “digital fluency”.

Beat distractions to free your mind

Distractions like email, social media, and breaking news are everywhere. Adjusting your devices, apps, and notifications is key to good mental health and to be efficient. As it is important as well to adjust and improve the way you work, tailor your unique habits and routines, your unique brain and body, and your unique goals and priorities.

If you are involved with the operational part of the short-term rentals, you need to be agile in responding to the field team, but implementing time management systems as the Pomodoro method, could be very effective.

The Pomodoro technique 🍅

The idea behind the technique is that the timer instills a sense of urgency. Rather than feeling like you have endless time in the workday to get things done and then ultimately squandering those precious work hours on distractions, you know you only have 25 minutes to make as much progress on a task as possible.

The periodic forced breaks remind you to get up, move around, and take a few minutes to relax and clear your head. It allows you to reset mentally and come back to your work with a fresh perspective. With this technique, you haven’t spent hours in front of your computer without even realizing it. Instead, that ticking timer reminds you to get up and take a breather.

Educating the team not to expect an immediate answer to their questions and to respect your focus time, will also help them to have their own focus time. Just define which is your answering time ex. every hour between minute 15 and 25, and between minute 45 and minute number 55.

Using a message system like the one we have in our operations APP, will help you work asynchronously with your field team. If your colleagues love calling you, just set the sound off during your 15 minutes silent period.

As Short-term rental companies are still working understaffed, it has never been this important to have time management best practices.

Hello. This is Doinn

The new Doinn.

The Doinners have the same mission, but a new brand identity

The past 6 months at Doinn have been some of the most challenging and interesting for us as a company. We have been focusing on our strategy and discovering how we can fit in such a diverse and nuanced ecosystem ranging from Europe to the US and across the South East Asian markets.

Looking back we believe that our messaging was somewhat ambiguous and we wanted to bring greater clarity to what we do, and most importantly why we have embraced this mission. The Doinners have a B4B mindset, since we have always embraced our customer’s needs, and thrived on helping them grow. Ultimately we believe that this will shape our community and bring greater value to this industry that we all love so much.

Cleaning is critical and when not performed well can severely jeopardize profitability and competitiveness for the short-term rental operators. We are on a mission to digitize cleaning and laundry companies within just a few minutes, by providing them with a platform that will enable them to achieve excellence, perform far more efficiently and increase profitability. 

We are also helping hospitality operators save hundreds of hours per month, enabling their teams to focus on strategic activities such as growing their portfolio and driving greater revenue.

Doinn facilitates the relationship between our users via employing cutting-edge technology and thanks to our platform’s constant innovation. 

We felt it was the right time to equally enhance our communication and brand identity.


Doinn is the first platform to provide a full scope of predictable data intelligence, for sales, operations, HR and more. The data we harness is valuable to the Hospitality Operators as well as the Service Providers and all other players along this value chain.

Our mission of making a better world, promoting a responsible way of hosting, started as a dream and it’s coming true:

  1. We prioritize green cleaning companies.
  2. We optimize the linen deliveries and currently, 10% of them are done by bicycle. 
  3. We stand by the people! Our providers are free from exploitative practices and discrimination. They integrate people with disabilities and comply with labor laws. 
  4. We want to end the cleaners’ black market in the hospitality industry and bring financial transparency to improve tax and payment collection.


We want to inspire and help our users to better themselves and to turn their goals into reality 

We’re very excited about the clean and fresh look of our new website, and we hope you like it too!

Enjoy the journey

Introduction

Housekeepers Week is our opportunity to celebrate the members of the housekeeping staff and show our appreciation for their hard work and dedication.

It’s a chance for everyone in the company to take a moment and recognize the vital role housekeeping plays in ensuring that guests have comfortable stays in your short-term rentals.

It was first observed in 1949 and was organized by The National Cleaning Management Association (now known as Cleaning Management Institute).

How do you show your appreciation for the housekeeping staff this week?

Ways to show your appreciation for the housekeeping department throughout the year.

Housekeeping is not just about properties, it’s about providing a great experience for all the guests.

Conclusion

Housekeepers are the backbone of any property management company. They can make or break your guest experience, so it’s important to show them the respect and appreciation they deserve.

Housekeeping staff works hard every day to ensure that guests are pleased with their stay at your property, but it takes more than just good service to keep people coming back for more.

It doesn’t matter if you have your housekeepers under your paycheck or if you outsource the housekeeping service, they all need to have the feeling of belonging with your team.  It also takes recognition from management and front-line supervisors who understand how important these workers really are!