More direct bookings: How StaySee Colombia did it

Founded by entrepreneur Cale McMartin, StaySee Colombia offers spacious, design-forward villas for large groups traveling to Medellín. With properties boasting 8+ bedrooms and standout amenities, the company caters to families, bachelor parties, and travelers seeking a private and stylish stay.

From humble beginnings in Airbnb arbitrage to owning and renovating full villas, Cale built his portfolio by reinvesting in quality and scale. But as bookings increased, so did operational complexity. Cale’s main challenges were securing direct booking, handling increasing volumes of guest communication, and getting pricing just right.

Before Guesty, Cale tested several PMS platforms but found them confusing, unhelpful, and functionally restrictive. His biggest frustration was the lack of a reliable, professional-grade direct booking site.

The tipping point came when a bug in his previous PMS caused his Airbnb calendar to display as unavailable. Bookings disappeared, and so did confidence in the platform. After several recommendations from industry peers, Cale chose Guesty for its clean user interface, reliable support, and standout automation and direct booking capabilities.

Despite initial hesitation, having access to a dedicated onboarding specialist made setup fast and painless.

Guesty’s easy-to-use direct booking engine gave StaySee a functional, polished site that builds guest trust and increases conversions, with no Airbnb fees or third-party friction.

This has led to a noticeable increase in direct bookings, along with better guest retention and repeat stays.

Beyond direct bookings, Guesty’s tools have significantly improved guest communications and listing performance:

• Auto-reviews have contributed to higher listing ratings
• Automated messaging and templates save time across the board
• Advanced analytics provides detailed analysis and reporting

With everything centralized and intuitive to use, StaySee now spends less time troubleshooting tech and more time focusing on growth. With Guesty as their foundation, they’ve found the freedom to move fast, stay efficient, and build a smarter, stronger business for the long term.