Automation as the edge: how Yes Stays manages 23 vacation homes with Guesty

Meet Yes Stays

Jakub Grzelak built Yes Stays one model at a time. He started by managing properties for owners, moved into rent-to-rent, and is now expanding into buying properties to run as short-term rentals. Today, Yes Stays runs 23 vacation homes across the UK, hosting families on holiday and contractors working away from home.

In a market full of operators, Grzelak’s edge comes down to one word: automation.

The challenge of doing everything yourself

In the early days, Grzelak ran every part of the business on his own. Before Guesty, he had tried Kigo and Lavanda, but neither felt easy to use. When you’re the whole team, software that slows you down costs you time you don’t have.

He needed one platform that could handle the full operation, so he could focus on growing the business instead of managing it by hand.

Why Yes Stays chose Guesty

Grzelak had no hesitations about the move. What stood out was how complete the platform was, and how easy it was to use.

“Guesty has the full package really. Very user friendly.”

The difference showed up right away: clearer visibility into reviews and financials, stronger connections to distribution channels, and an API ecosystem that ties the rest of his tools together. Compared with his previous systems, Grzelak rates Guesty much better on ease of use, support, and overall functionality.

The results of an automation-first operation

Automation freed up Grzelak’s time and gave him the confidence to keep growing.

• Grew from 15 to 23 properties: Scaled the portfolio 53% since joining Guesty.
• Held a 71% average occupancy: Keeps homes booked through connected distribution channels.
• Onboards a new property in about 10 minutes: Adds listings quickly, so growth never waits on setup.
• Saves tens of hours every week: Hands repetitive work to automations, leaving more time for everything else.

“I am more confident I have everything under control with Guesty.”

How Yes Stays runs day to day

Automations handle the routine work behind every stay, from guest communication to calendar updates across channels. Reviews and financials sit in one dashboard, so Grzelak can check performance at a glance. When a new home joins the portfolio, it’s live and ready for bookings in minutes.

Looking ahead to a larger portfolio

Grzelak’s growth plan is simple: more listings. As Yes Stays moves into buying its own properties, Guesty is the platform he plans to build on.

Asked to describe Guesty in three words, he chose: dominant, relentless, and immaculate.

“Want fewer headaches? Switch to Guesty.”

Featured tools

Channel manager | Automation workflows | Review management | Financial reporting | Open API and integrations