SMOKY MOUNTAINS · EXCEPTIONAL PROPERTIES
More Than Property Management.
A Higher Standard.
Full-service vacation rental management for owners who expect more.
We operate, protect, and grow exceptional properties throughout the Smoky Mountains—combining revenue strategy, hospitality operations, property care, guest lifetime value, and SmartStay.ai technology under one accountable local team.
Operate Like a Hotel. Protect It Like an Investment.
The SmartStay Standard
— 01 / OUR APPROACH
We Operate the Entire Vacation Rental Asset.
OPERATE
Maximize revenue and deliver an exceptional stay.
Property-specific pricing, booking strategy, guest communication, turnover execution, and day-to-day hospitality operations.
PROTECT
Manage the home like the investment it is.
Property care, maintenance coordination, inspections, readiness standards, smart monitoring, and local accountability designed to reduce preventable surprises.
GROW
Build value beyond the first reservation.
Guest relationships, repeat stays, referrals, direct demand where appropriate, and SmartStay.ai tools that help make the property—and SmartStay—more memorable.
— 02 / THE RESERVATION IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Guest acquisition is expensive. Once that first reservation is won, the real work begins.
SmartStay focuses on delivering a stay guests remember, maintaining the relationship beyond checkout, and creating reasons for great guests to return, refer others, and—where appropriate—book directly in the future.
Airbnb and Vrbo remain important acquisition channels. But long-term performance improves when every stay creates more than one transaction.
THINK BEYOND THE FIRST STAY
01 — Deliver the Stay
Create the experience that earns trust, reviews, and remembered value.
02 — Keep the Relationship
Continue the guest relationship after checkout instead of starting from zero next time.
03 — Create Future Demand
Turn strong stays into repeat visits, referrals, and future direct opportunities where appropriate.
04 — Protect the Advantage
Use technology and hospitality systems to make the experience consistent without publishing the playbook behind it.
We Think Beyond the First Stay.
BUILDING LONG-TERM GUEST VALUE
— 03 / THE SMARTSTAY OPERATING SYSTEM
Six Areas. One Higher Standard.
Every detail matters. SmartStay connects revenue, hospitality operations, owner visibility, guest lifetime value, property care, and technology into one operating system designed to improve performance and reduce operational drift.
01
Revenue Strategy
Property-specific pricing, booking pace, demand, minimum stays, gaps, events, and channel performance—actively managed, not simply automated.
02
Turnovers & Readiness
Cleaning quality, linens, supplies, condition checks, and pre-arrival readiness designed to deliver what the listing promised.
03
Owner Visibility
Clear communication, performance insight, maintenance visibility, documentation, and one local team accountable for follow-through.
04
Guest Experience & Lifetime Value
Hospitality-first service that supports stronger reviews, repeat stays, referrals, and future direct demand where appropriate.
05
Property Care
Preventative attention, maintenance coordination, condition awareness, and local accountability to help protect the investment.
06
The SmartStay.ai Advantage
Our AI guest agent, digital welcome and house information, guestbook, local guide, smart monitoring, feedback tools, and more—at a substantially reduced managed-owner rate.
Better guest experience. Stronger property performance. Greater owner confidence.
— 04 / SELECTIVE BY DESIGN
Not Every Property.
The Right Properties.
SmartStay is intentionally selective. We would rather manage fewer exceptional properties extremely well than accumulate listings. We look for homes where stronger operations, guest strategy, property care, and technology can materially improve long-term performance.
A Strong Fit
Distinctive property with strong potential
Owner values guest experience and condition
Hands-on local accountability matters
Long-term asset performance matters
Owner wants management beyond reservations
Open to technology and active revenue strategy
Probably Not the Right Fit
Lowest management fee is the only priority
Property standards are treated as optional
Maintenance is routinely deferred
Owner wants a high-volume, low-touch manager
Every decision is driven only by short-term occupancy
We are not trying to manage every cabin in the Smokies. We are looking for the right properties—and the right owners.
— 05 / Who Runs It
The whole operation
is ours to answer for.
Most property management companies in the Smokies are a listing manager and a phone number. Cleaning is subcontracted. Marketing is whatever the channel algorithm decides that week. Technology is someone else's app with someone else's logo on it. SmartStay is a team that runs all three in-house — built by people from hospitality, real estate, logistics and technology who believe there is a better way.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Our own team, not a subcontractor. Turnovers, readiness checks and repairs handled by people we train and hold to our standard — an operation that services properties beyond the ones we manage.
Marketing
Listing copy, photography and channel strategy across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com — plus direct demand we build ourselves rather than renting it back from a portal every time a guest returns.
Technology
SmartStay.ai — technology we build ourselves: AI guest agent, digital welcome and house information, smart-home monitoring and guest feedback tools — available to managed owners at a reduced rate.
— 06 / Questions Owners Ask
Before you hand over the keys.
What does SmartStay's 18% management fee cover?
Our fee is 18% of the gross revenue paid by the guest, including the cleaning fee. That one number covers revenue strategy and dynamic pricing, listing management across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com, guest communication from first inquiry through checkout, turnover coordination, pre-arrival readiness checks, maintenance coordination, owner reporting, and access to SmartStay.ai at a reduced managed-owner rate.
Are there setup, onboarding or photography fees?
No. There is no onboarding fee, no setup fee and no charge for listing photography or listing creation. The 18% is the fee.
Who actually cleans my cabin?
We do. SmartStay runs its own cleaning and maintenance operation rather than subcontracting turnovers, and that operation services properties beyond the ones we manage. Turnovers, readiness checks and repairs are handled by people we train and hold to our own standard.
Which areas do you manage properties in?
We manage cabins throughout Sevier County, Tennessee — including Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, and the surrounding Smoky Mountains communities.
How do you set nightly rates?
Rates are managed property by property rather than left to an algorithm. We work booking pace, demand, minimum stays, calendar gaps, local events and channel performance actively, and we adjust when the market moves rather than on a fixed schedule.
How is SmartStay different from a large management company?
Large managers accumulate listings and run them to a template. We are deliberately selective and would rather manage fewer exceptional properties extremely well. It also means the work stays in-house: cleaning, marketing and technology are ours rather than farmed out to whoever is cheapest that week.
What technology comes with management?
Managed owners get SmartStay.ai at a reduced rate — an AI guest agent, digital welcome and house information, a guestbook and local guide, smart-home monitoring, and guest feedback tools. It is technology we build ourselves, not a white-labelled app.
What kind of property are you looking for?
Distinctive homes with real potential, owned by people who care about guest experience and property condition, who value hands-on local accountability, and who are open to technology and active revenue management. We are a poor fit for owners whose only priority is the lowest management fee, or where property standards and maintenance are treated as optional.
Do I have to sign a long-term contract?
We call it an agreement rather than a contract, and it is deliberately straightforward. It allows for termination. We would rather keep managing a property because the performance justifies it than because an owner is locked in.
Can I still use my own cabin?
Yes. Owner blocks go straight onto the calendar through your owner portal, whenever you want them — you don't need to email us and wait.
How do I see how my property is performing?
Every managed owner gets an owner portal showing your financials and a live calendar. You can check the numbers and add your own owner blocks yourself, rather than asking us for an update.
How and when do I get paid?
Monthly. Once the month closes we produce your owner statement, and your payment is deposited by the 15th of the following month — so August’s earnings are statemented and paid by September 15th.
Who approves maintenance spending?
Anything under $250 we handle straight away, so a small problem doesn't sit waiting on an email while a guest is in the house. Anything above $250 comes to you for approval before any work begins.
SELECTIVE PROPERTIES · LASTING RESULTS
Your Property Deserves More.
Let’s see if your property is a fit for SmartStay. We’ll evaluate the home, its positioning, operating needs, guest experience, revenue opportunity, property condition, and where stronger management could materially improve performance.