StayMonkey.com has launched as an innovative web-based platform for consumer education and support to the professional hospitality industry.
PANAMA CITY BEACH – Based in Northwest Florida, StayMonkey.com has launched as an innovative web-based platform for consumer education and support to the professional hospitality industry. StayMonkey.com’s mission is to act as an advocate to support professional hotel, lodging, and rental management companies, while dually educating travelers and homeowners in the most dependable and effective way possible.
More and more, the lodging industry has become negatively influenced as a result of individual owners renting their units or property directly to consumers. Advocacy for professional hotel, lodging, and rental management companies is needed more than ever before.
“StayMonkey.com is dedicated to keeping the vacation rental industry as safe and satisfactory as possible for all-the traveler, the property owner, and rental manager,” said Paul Wohlford, StayMonkey.com spokesperson.
“StayMonkey.com makes it easy to find information on the best hotels and rental properties, and for professionals in the industry to stay aware of what owners and guests want from a hospitality property.”
Many of the popular rental websites that chiefly promote vacation rentals by owner have a higher potential for presenting guests with challenges. Through partnerships with state and national lodging associations, StayMonkey.com stays informed of state legislation or issues which affect the operations of rental management companies and hotels, and, in turn, re-educates them on the new standards. StayMonkey.com provides a platform for hospitality management professionals to list properties, and in so doing, offers travelers the opportunity to search for and book stays with top-notch properties in a variety of destinations with complete assurance.
“The goal of StayMonkey.com is to educate the public on these issues and serve as an advocate for the professional hospitality industry,” said Wohlford. “Our alliance with professional rental management groups and hotels assures that the rental is a safe property with a management staff that is committed to excellence. The StayMonkey.com Seal of Approval assures travelers they are dealing with a dependable product.”
For third-party consumer education, a StayMonkey.com branded “Seal of Approval” is placed on partner sites to provide a live link to StayMonkey.com. This seal distinguishes those hotels and resort management companies that meet the standards of professionalism as set by StayMonkey.com. The standards are detailed on StayMonkey.com.
There is a growing trend of dissatisfaction among vacationers who have rented through individual owners: the unit is dirty from the previous renter due to improper cleaning; having to meet the owner off property makes check-in difficult; or getting locked out means having to climb a tree to a balcony because the keys to that unit are managed by the owner-not the front desk of the property. But it is not just the traveler that is negatively affected by the bad experience-sometimes an entire condominium or resort can be hurt simply by association.
Travel consumers often use travel sites like TripAdviser.com to post comments -good or bad- on their stays, and by doing so, the hotel or resort is ultimately held accountable by the consumer review, not the individual owner that provided poor management.
StayMonkey.com also encourages feedback within the website for consumers to share personal travel experiences when renting through owners. This will help StayMonkey.com to better advocate on behalf of the resort management industry by educating its visitors and staff of real-life issues and experiences when it comes to rental properties.
StayMonkey.com is currently offering a free six-month trial to hospitality industry partners who fit the StayMonkey.com standards. Visit StayMonkey.com for more information on the free trial and how to make the most of your product.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
