AI is already handling 70% of guest messages for the most efficient short-term rental operators. The question is: are you one of them?

In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – Ruben Verplancke, Co-Founder & COO of Guestway, breaks down how to automate Airbnb guest messaging without losing the human touch.

From saving 20 hours a week to cutting your energy bills through automation, this is the practical playbook for hosts serious about scaling.

Ruben covers:

✅ The pain point that led him to build Guestway

✅ How AI guest messaging differs from a standard PMS

✅ The 70% of messages AI can handle – and the 30% that still need you

✅ What hosts get wrong when they start automating

✅ The danger of slow response times and how to eliminate them

✅ Ruben's warning to anyone managing multiple inboxes

✅ How to make AI replies feel genuinely human

✅ Cutting your energy bills through short-term rental automation

📩 Reach Ruben: ruben@guestway.io

🌐 Guestway: https://www.guestway.io

This episode is sponsored by Lodgify — the all-in-one vacation rental software trusted by thousands of hosts worldwide. Discount code: HOSTPLANET20

👉 Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

1:07 Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

1:38 The pain point which encouraged Ruben to start Guestway

3:08 Saving hosts and property managers 20 hours per week

5:15 How Guestway is different from a property management software (PMS)

7:47 The 70% of guest messages which can be handled by AI (and the 30% that need human input)

9:21 What hosts get wrong when they start automating

10:40 The danger of slow response times and how to fix them

12:10 Ruben's warning to hosts dealing with multiple inboxes

13:38 How hosts can stop AI replies feeling like AI replies

15:00 How to cut your energy bills through automation

17:01 Three key takeaways from this conversation

17:49 Learn more about Guestway

🏠 Host Planet is your go-to resource for short-term rental growth, automation, and management strategy. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

#AirbnbAutomation #ShortTermRental #GuestMessaging