With a love for hospitality and an entrepreneurial spirit, Sergio Castaneda jumped headfirst into the short-term rental industry and has never looked back. He brilliantly branded his STR empire with a trendy jungle theme and now operates nine properties in Columbus, Ohio. Read on as he shares insights on how to build success in the industry!
Q: How long have you been a short term rental host?
A: I have been a short-term rental host for about 5 years and absolutely love it! It allowed me to quit my 9-5 job when I was 26. On top of hosting, I now consult and have helped over 1,600 new STR hosts from all over the world.
Q: What inspired you to get into STR hosting?
A: I always loved the hospitality industry — I would serve tables in a tequila bar FOR FUN after my full-time operation manager job. My friends thought I was nuts for working so much but I thrived off the energy of meeting people from all over and had so much fun.
Q: How many short term rentals do you operate?
A: I currently operate 9 short-term rentals in the Columbus, Ohio area.
Explore Jungle Properties:
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Jungalow
- Urbn Jungle
- Jungle Fever
- Jungle Book
- The Book Loft
- Casa On High
- Jungle Thyme
- Into the Jungle
Q: What are your biggest pain points as an STR owner?
A: One of my biggest pain points when I first got started was trying to do everything myself. Being a host can secretly be very demanding. There are many hats to wear and only one head to put them on, so do not try to wear them all!
Surround yourself with a team that you can grow with and leverage off one another’s strengths! When you first start out, it may be just you or your partner/friend, and that is completely okay. I was a one-man show when I first started. But as you grow, you want to surround yourself with like-minded team members who you can see yourself growing with.
Remember, you only have so many hours in a day so you can’t do it all, learn to delegate!
Q: How have you tried to differentiate your properties from other STRs and make them stand out?
A: Our Jungle House brand is what differentiates us from the rest and is a personal passion of mine! In fact, most of the plants in the original property (Welcome to the Jungle) were my own personal plants once.
The fact that I am now able to share a personal hobby to enhance our guests’ experience just makes it that much better!
Q: What's your favorite thing about being an STR host?
A: Definitely the opportunity to meet people from all over the world! I love to hear everyone’s story, to show them the hidden spots in town and to help our guests create that fun memory that they will cherish forever.
Q: What is the #1 most important thing for STR hosts to get right, in your opinion?
A: Smile and have fun hosting! Your guests chose YOUR home, that is so exciting! They could have stayed at any other STR home or boring hotel room, but they chose to stay with YOU. Embrace that and have fun with them!
Equally important, the small gestures go a long way. If it’s a guest’s anniversary, tell them happy anniversary and leave them a bottle of champagne on the house! If they are in town for the first time, give them some local recommendations.
Take care of your guests and believe me, they will take care of you.
Q: What are your favorite Minoan brands (particularly the more niche ones, if you have any)?
A: I make purchases often from Article and Anthropologie! You can’t beat the discounts you get from Minoan from these brands and nothing is more impressive than a statement couch from either of these brands - your guests will thank you!
Q: How has Minoan helped you with your short-term rentals?
A: Minoan is an absolute no-brainer and I recommend it to all of the hosts I consult. It is completely free and has helped us save so much money furnishing our homes.
I wish Minoan was around years ago when I first got started. I can’t believe the time I wasted setting up commercial accounts individually with a few of these brands for a much smaller discount than I now can get with Minoan.
The best part is the ability to track all purchases from one master dashboard as well as reference orders for any future repeat purchases!
Q: What's one thing you know now that you wished you knew when you first started setting up your STRs?
A: Document everything you purchase when setting up a new STR (Minoan helps with this) - you will thank yourself the next time you have to set up another property!
Q: Any other tips for your fellow hosts?
- Have professional photos taken to enhance your listing
- Ask your guests for 5-star reviews if they enjoyed their stay (nothing ventured, nothing gained)
- Know your numbers (profit/loss) as it's easy to lose track that this is a business at the end of the day and will not survive unless it’s profitable
Sergio also offers consulting services to other hosts, so please inquire here if you'd like to learn more!
