While artificial intelligence has been the top technology topic across the travel industry for the last two years, it appears fewer short term rental property managers are using the technology than might be expected, according to a report from Lodgify.
Only 32.3% of respondents said they were using AI.
“Surprising here is that nearly 8% of respondents weren't sure if they had used artificial intelligence in 2024, signaling that there's still a lack of understanding surrounding AI's applications,” according to the company's 2024 U.S. Vacation Rental Industry Report, which is based on responses from about 800 vacation rental hosts and property managers and one million bookings between January 1 and December 22, 2024 from Lodgify’s internal data. It also analyzed 116,000 reviews in partnership with Revyoos, a review aggregator.
Subscribe to our newsletter below
Lodgify, which created the position of "chief AI officer" in 2024, said that respondents highlighted other technologies as more useful, including channel management systems, website builders and property management software.
More than 86% of respondents said they manage their property or properties using a mobile app, and 60% are using smart locks to enhance security, save time and improve the guest experience.
While technology can be helpful, some who took part in the study called it out as a pain point.
“Navigating the options available can be overwhelming for businesses who don't know where to start,” Lodgify said. “It's no wonder that 22.1% of our survey respondents identified selecting the right tools and software as one of their top three challenges in 2024.”
Technology usage was just one of the areas covered in the study. The report also looked at remote property management strategies, with 61.6% of respondents saying that they handle their properties from a distance.
The report also provides data on booking windows, daily rates being charged, stay length and booking sources — a topic Hostfully flagged in its recent study.