A practical co-host how-to
Turn your PMS into a
co-hosting advantage.
Use this 18-setting checklist to make sure your PMS protects revenue, keeps clients and guests confident, and removes the repeat work that gets in the way of growth.
Phase 1 · Protect booking opportunity
Make every bookable night intentional.
Set calendar, rates, stay rules, responses, and confirmation triggers so every bookable date supports your revenue plan.
- 1
One calendar source of truth
Choose one source for reservations, blocks, cancellations, and channel availability.
- 2
Calendar and pricing optimization
Set rates, lead time, booking windows, and stay rules for how this property earns.
- 3
Valuable-night protection
Protect high-value weekends, events, and booking runs from weak stay patterns.
- 4
Small-gap rules
Use targeted minimum-stay rules to fill short gaps without hurting stronger dates.
- 5
Timely inquiry response
Create fast, property-specific replies and route questions that need a human.
- 6
Booking confirmation trigger
When a booking confirms, trigger the work. Do not just send a receipt.
Configuration check: A new booking should not require you to text a cleaner, find an old guide, or remember the next message.
That manual scramble usually means the reservation is not connected to the rest of the operation. A confirmed booking should carry its dates, property rules, and guest context into the next steps automatically.
- One calendar across every channel
- Rates and stay rules tied to the calendar
- High-value dates protected from weak stays
- Small gaps handled with deliberate rules
- Fast, property-specific inquiry responses
- Confirmation starts the operating routine
Phase 2 · Prepare a guest-ready stay
Turn one booking into one coordinated arrival plan.
Give the guest and local team the right information at the right time, without becoming the manual bridge between everyone.
- 7
Guest-ready workflow trigger
Build the arrival plan from the confirmed reservation, dates, and property rules.
- 8
Cleaner and task scheduling
Schedule cleaning, inspections, and team tasks within the completion window you set.
- 9
Two-day check-in guide
Send clear visual instructions for parking, access, Wi-Fi, gates, stairs, and arrival.
- 10
Unique access code
Create a reservation-bound code and define the backup plan for access issues.
- 11
Guest-ready comfort
Set the preferred arrival temperature for your climate and check-in timing.
- 12
Arrival alert
Decide who is notified when the guest first enters so problems can be handled early.
Configuration check: The cleaner, guest, and co-host should each have the current reservation details without having to hunt for them.
Each person needs a different part of the same stay, at a different moment. The PMS should provide that context without turning you into the messenger between the booking, cleaner, guest, and smart-property devices.
- Confirmation creates the arrival plan
- Cleaner tasks have the right date and window
- Guests receive a current visual check-in guide
- Access codes follow the reservation timing
- A/C is ready for the actual arrival
- The right person sees the arrival alert
Phase 3 · Care, learn, and improve
Close every stay with care and make the next one better.
Protect the next turnover, give guests a thoughtful ending, and turn repeat questions, praise, and friction into practical improvements.
- 13
Morning courtesy note
Send a short, property-specific check-in after the first night to catch small issues early.
- 14
24-hour turnover reminder
Remind the cleaner or local team before checkout, using the window you set.
- 15
Checkout instructions
Keep departure instructions simple, current, and focused on what guests often miss.
- 16
Eco setting after checkout
Return the property to its preferred between-stay A/C or smart-property setting.
- 17
Thank-you and review routine
Close the stay thoughtfully, while keeping the ability to pause or change the workflow.
- 18
Next-stay improvement review
Turn repeated questions, feedback, praise, and friction into a clear next action.
Configuration check: If the same guest, owner, or team question keeps appearing, it should be visible and assignable, not buried in an old thread.
A good PMS does not just close stays. It gives you a reliable way to protect the next turnover, handle the guest relationship well, and use repeated signals to improve the property, listing, guide, or workflow.
- Morning messages catch small issues early
- Turnover reminders reduce missed handoffs
- Checkout guidance stays current and clear
- Eco settings protect the empty property
- Thank-you and review routines remain editable
- Patterns become an assigned next action
Your self-audit
Mark every setting honestly.
Start with one property. Identify the work that is configured and reliable, the work that depends on memory, and the work that is simply not happening.
- Working: configured, current, and reliable.
- Inconsistent: works only when somebody remembers.
- Missing: manual, unclear, or not happening at all.
Need a second set of eyes?
You may not need a new PMS. You may need a better-configured one.
Host Sidecar helps co-hosts build and maintain the booking, guest, turnover, access, and improvement routines behind each property—so you can earn more, work less, keep control, and keep clients happy.