The new Housekeeper login is now live, and we're closely monitoring feedback to enhance the experience. Based on your input, we’re planning further updates, including differentiating between owner and commercial bookings within the Housekeeper login, as well as bringing more settings directly into the main report view, previously available only in the PDF download. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue refining this tool.

Phase 2 of the Grid View is under way including key improvements based on your feedback from the initial launch.

Reduce height of the grid to view more properties in a single view: You can now view more properties in a single screen by selecting the new "Small" option for cell height in Grid settings. This allows for a more condensed layout without compromising design, giving you a broader overview of your properties. Additionally, to improve visibility, guest last names on bookings have been made larger and darker, making it easier to quickly identify guests at a glance. To set up go to Bookings > Grid view and click on your Grid defaults icon:

You now have the ability to create static highlighted dates. This feature will enable you to permanently mark important dates, such as bank holidays, school breaks, or special events, ensuring key dates are always visible when managing your grid. These enhancements aim to make your Grid View experience even more intuitive and efficient, with more updates on the horizon. To set up go to Bookings > Grid view and click on your Grid defaults icon:

Slide out panel to display additional information:  Now you will see the same information that is in the hover over pane of the booking into the slide out panel when clicking on a booking from the Grid view. Feedback was that the hover over was difficult to use on mobile and to see booking information you had to click into the booking and re-directing away from the Grid. In both desktop and mobile, we are adding the same information into the slide out panel so you can see the booking details at a quick glance.

Surname font size bigger and darker for better clarity: We’ve increased the font size of the surname in the Grid View to enhance readability.

Property Closed tick box display also shows on slide out panel:

We’ve introduced a new integration with Love to Visit, designed to enhance your guests' stay by offering them easy access to local attractions and activities. Through this partnership, guests can now explore and book exciting experiences directly via their Guest Login, making it easier than ever to plan their stay.

Opting in is simple. Just log in to your SuperControl account, head to the ‘Admin’ section, and enable the ‘Guest access to local attractions’ switch in the Guest Login area. Once activated, your guests will have local experiences at their fingertips, adding an extra touch to their stay.

We've added XCover to the Guest Login (My Stay Planner). Previously, some guests missed out on XCover due to different booking methods. With our latest update, a simple pop-up in the Guest Login will let all guests know about XCover and easily add it to their booking, no matter how they booked. This update is designed to increase guest satisfaction and encourage XCover use, which could lead to more revenue for your business. You can manage this feature in Admin > Guest Login.

Airbnb has introduced a new listing promotion, allowing you to apply a 20% discount to eligible listings for their next three bookings. This update can help increase visibility for your properties, with the discount being highlighted in search results, emails, and your listing page. It’s also a chance to attract new guests and collect the reviews needed for a star rating. The promotion is available for both new and existing listings with fewer than three bookings, and you can opt out at any time if needed. This update aims to support underperforming listings and provide more flexibility for property owners.

To support self-catering agencies in complying with HMRC’s new reporting rules, we are developing tools to assist with data collection and report generation. These tools, currently in beta testing, will be available in early October. They will help streamline the process of gathering necessary information from property owners and generating reports in the correct format, ensuring compliance with both HMRC and GDPR requirements. For more details on how you can start preparing now, check out our latest blog post where we cover the key steps you can take ahead of the deadline. Stay tuned for further updates as these tools become available.

The Compliance API project is currently in beta testing, aimed at streamlining the process of managing regulatory self-catering compliance data for platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo. This new feature within SuperControl will allow you to input and manage licencing and compliance data directly, without needing to access each platform’s portal individually. This update will also make it easier for agencies with newly onboarded properties, ensuring all channels are compliant by default. Stay tuned for further updates as we work to make compliance management smoother and more efficient across all platforms.

We’ve made minor updates to our integration with Holidu to improve the accuracy of the minimum per night price displayed to bookers. Ensuring this price is calculated and translated correctly is crucial for improving booking conversions, helping potential guests see accurate pricing and make informed decisions.

We’ve improved the loading speed of the accommodation reviews page on the UpFront Reviews website, addressing previous issues with slow loading and time-outs. These enhancements offer a faster initial load time, and we are actively working on further improvements to boost both speed and usability in the near future.

We’ve made essential updates to ensure compliance with Barclaycard's new requirements for payments processed through Opayo and Trust Payments, aligning with the upcoming Visa Secure Data Field Mandate. Here's what you need to know:

• Mandatory Information Update: Barclaycard now requires additional fields for all transactions. This affects clients using Barclaycard as their merchant provider through Opayo.

   

• Visa Secure Data Field Compliance: We’ve ensured that the necessary information aligns with Visa’s requirements, preventing any payment issues.

   

• Deadline Met: All updates were implemented and tested before the August 12, 2024, deadline.

No action is needed from you, as the changes have been applied automatically. However, we suggest reviewing transaction data to confirm all required fields are correctly filled.

We’ve updated the VRBO amenities to include important safety features that were previously missing, such as Smoke Detector, Carbon Monoxide Detector, Fire Extinguisher, Deadbolt Lock, Emergency Exit, and Outdoor Lighting. These amenities are now fully mappable within SuperControl. For more details on how to map these and other amenities, refer to our general amenity mapping articles in the Help Centre.

SuperControl has integrated with Beyond's latest update, providing you with powerful new tools. Now, you can access real-time data to adjust your pricing, enhance marketing, and boost booking conversions.

Key benefits include:

• Market Analytics: Track booking trends, occupancy rates, and pricing from platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com.
• Guest Insights: Understand what your guests want, including popular amenities, stay lengths, and dates.
• Competitor Monitoring: Create custom comparison sets to track competitors and explore new markets.

For more details, download the PDF below.