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The short let industry is a core pillar of the sharing economy which has grown substantially over the last few years. We live in a digital age and phenomenon of short let properties are no exception to this. Economically, it makes a lot of sense however there is one core issue – how to maintain trust and rapport with hosts and guests alike from sitting behind a computer! Short-letting is all about real people’s homes and real guests who want to experience the best stay. That’s why we are proud to operate not only within the digital sphere but by maintaining a physical presence within the community.
At City Relay, our hosts, guests, and local communities remain at the core of our business. By breaking the barriers between the digital and offline worlds we are able to cater to the needs of all. We understand that in order to maintain a strong, local service base requires us to adapt to the increasing demand for a human-centered approach to service. This is why we have opened the doors to our Reception Spaces!
The reasoning behind this is due to several key factors. Firstly, maintaining a strong, local service base enables us to respond quickly and efficiently to guest and host demand. This is increasingly important in the short let industry. Secondly, consumers are increasingly demanding a human-centered approach to service – away from the pure digital route. This is something none of our competitors offer and the success of this is reflected in the excellent Trustpilot scores we consistently receive. Also, this enables us to deliver services above and beyond simply short letting a property. We are also able to offer a hotel-style concierge service for guests, hosts and other services for local residents including local recommendations, luggage storage, parcel collection, TAP water collection, and key storage.
City Relay is unique in the short letting space as we offer not only a local London-focused service unlike any of our competitors but also exceptional operations and the only dedicated reception spaces in the industry.
The Reception Spaces make the guests’ experience a lot more convenient upon arrival and departure, as we are able to provide easy face to face check-ins and free luggage storage. However, our Reception Spaces are not only beneficial for our guests. They also provide hosts with the peace of mind that we meet the guests face-to-face to hand them the keys personally. This service provides more reliability as there is no lockbox used to store the keys and it allows us to meet the guests to have a quick chat and share our local tips over a cup of coffee!
Being based in the heart of the local community we encourage our guests to enjoy all that is on offer in the neighbourhood by partnering with other local businesses, providing our guests with the opportunity to really experience London like a local!
We currently have two Reception Spaces open in London, one in Earl’s Court and one in Shepherd’s Bush. There are more to come however so watch this space!
If you are a host and simply would like to short let with us, keep in mind that becoming a City Relay host is quick and easy, just click the button below and fill out your details to view your property’s earning potential!
