It just got far easier to manage an Airbnb rental

Photo credit: Allie Michelle.

One of the things preventing the sharing economy from swallowing traditional operators is professionalization and standardization of services.

There’s no doubt that platforms like Airbnb have ravaged the dominance of hotels and serviced apartments. Airbnb offers arguably a wider variety of choices and an intimate environment that hotels struggle to maintain.

But hotels aren’t going to go away anytime soon. That’s because travelers know they’ll always get a neat, clean room at check-in. There’s no need to coordinate arrival time with an individual either, as a hotel lobby is open around the clock. And, if there are any nasty surprises, the room will probably be changed, with apologetic smiles and freebies thrown in for good measure.

There’s no such recourse at Airbnb.

Lou Chan helped create GuestReady to bridge the gap between the thrill of the sharing economy and the efficiency of holiday rentals. The startup helps manage properties for Airbnb hosts, which includes cleaning, laundry, check-in/out, as well as optimizing listings on the site itself.

Surviving Rocket Internet was a one-of-a-kind experience.

The startup, headquartered in London, operates in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur, with Asia accounting for half of its markets.

“Airbnb operations can become much more difficult when you have a full time job or out traveling a lot,” explains Lou, GuestReady’s co-founder. “Getting friends or family members to help out might not be as ideal as compared to a service that is dedicated to establishing a standard.”

GuestReady charges a commission for each booking it nabs on behalf of a guest. There are also separate fees for concierge services such as cleaning, laundry, and coordinating guest arrivals.

Rocket alums

The startup, which launched in August, boasts a total of eight founders, six of whom held senior management roles at Rocket Internet prior to starting this venture. They have experience stemming from Foodpanda, Zalora, Kaymu, and Wimdu. That last one is Rocket’s Airbnb clone.

GuestReady’s Lou Chan.

It was during Lou’s last role with Rocket that he identified this market opportunity on the back of Airbnb’s rise.

Workers on-demand