During one of our Hospitality on Autopilot Clubhouse sessions, we had the pleasure of speaking with Ryan Killeen from the Annex Hotel about their innovative approach to operating and managing a hotel. The Annex offers a fresh, modern twist on the traditional and often outdated methods of hospitality, focusing on creating an immersive and highly personalized guest experience.
One standout takeaway from the conversation was their impactful tagline: “Enjoy the comforts of home. Come live like a local.” This idea of fostering an environment where guests feel truly at home, while also experiencing life as a local, is not only unique but also incredibly important in today’s hospitality landscape. As more travelers seek authentic and comfortable stays, the Annex’s approach resonates with the growing demand for personalized, home-like experiences that go beyond the standard hotel service.
Creating a space where guests can relax, feel at ease, and connect with the local culture brings a new level of hospitality. This balance between the comforts of home and the excitement of discovering a new place can elevate the guest experience to something more meaningful and memorable. For other property managers or rental operators, adopting a similar mindset—where the guest’s comfort and a sense of belonging are prioritized—can help create lasting impressions, lead to positive reviews, and encourage repeat stays. It’s about going beyond the basics and offering guests an experience that feels uniquely tailored to them, making your property stand out in the competitive world of short-term rentals and hotels.
Comforts of Home
When a guest travels to a new city or country, they are automatically put into the position of having their wits about them. As such, their stress is running high, and their quality of stay is lessened. When a guest chooses their stay, they are essentially figuring out where their temporary home will be — what can they comfortably call home? In order to reduce stress, guests may choose something that’s either familiar or completely different from their norm in order to make themselves feel more at ease. Where The Annex succeeds is by providing a great accommodation to the point where guests feel comfortable, and are able to call the hotel their second home (okay, this may be a stretch, but you never know).
Getting your rental to this point of comfort and lack of stress takes time and effort but is simple enough. For starters, one key thing that helps with removal of stress is a good night’s sleep. By investing in good quality mattresses, guests will most likely have a better night’s sleep, thus reducing their stress levels and increasing their overall comfort.
From sleep, the next aspect is the actual environment of the rental. Soft accents like small plants, some art work furnishings, and comfy furniture are all good things to make the guest feel more at home. By adding these aspects, the guest will feel more at ease and will be more likely to enjoy their stay.
By making the rental comfortable and welcoming, you’re not only showing that you have the guests’ best interest at the forefront of your mind, but also that you actually care if the guests have a good time or not. Although these are only some of the possible things you can do, there are always more. If you have any questions feel free to email us at contact@ensoconnect.com
