Guesty’s Property Management Software: Our Honest Review

When we began searching for the perfect property management software, we had a clear wishlist: seamless booking management, transparent owner reporting, and effortless guest communication.

This led us to Guesty—a popular property management software in Dubai, so we gave the demo a shot.

In this review, we’ll tell you what stood out, what didn’t hit the mark, and how we eventually made a decision.

If you’re a property manager in the middle of choosing a system yourself, we hope our demo experience saves you from the usual trial-and-error headache.

Disclaimer: We encourage anyone in the same position to look closely at their goals and operations before deciding what to invest in.

Our First Impression of Guesty’s Property Management Software

Photo from Guesty’s Homepage

Guesty’s dashboard made a strong first impression. The layout was clean and thoughtfully organized, with key information placed exactly where you’d expect it. It felt like a system built for professionals—simple and not too much.

The calendar view stood out as well. The color-coding was clear, and the drag-and-drop functionality was easy to understand. Even without diving too deep, it was obvious that Guesty had been created by people familiar with the everyday demands of managing multiple properties across different platforms.

Guesty’s 60-minute Demo: What Can You Expect?

During the 60-minute demo, we watched as the Guesty representative walked through a typical day’s operations. We focused on workflow efficiency, that is, how many steps it took to complete common tasks and how well information moved across the system.

It became clear that Guesty was built to handle complexity. The platform offered a wide range of capabilities, but it also came with layers of configuration. It felt flexible but also hinted at a learning curve that our team would have to prepare for.

What stood out most were the automation features. The system could trigger messages based on booking events, sync calendars across platforms, and generate detailed financial reports—all with little manual effort. 

The mobile app also made a good impression. It mirrored the desktop functionality, which makes a huge difference when your team is constantly moving between properties.

What are the Key Features of Guesty? An Honest Analysis 

Guesty has 4 key features, and this is what we think about them:

1. The Unified Inbox

Photo from Guesty’s Website

The unified inbox functioned as a central spot for all guest communication. Messages from Airbnb, Booking.com, and other direct channels were routed into a single, organized interface. Automated tags and categories kept things in order, which would allow our team to focus on what needed attention first.

But it didn’t stop there.

Guesty could identify common guest questions and suggest responses, cutting down the time spent on repetitive messages. For a growing company like ours, this means we can maintain excellent communication without proportionally increasing our staff.

2. Revenue Management Tools

Guesty’s pricing tools reflected a strong understanding of the market. The system adjusted rates automatically based on the following factors: 

• Local events
• Seasonal trends
• Competitor pricing
• Historical booking data
• Length of stay

During the demo, we were shown how these adjustments could lead to a potential 15–20% increase in revenue through more responsive pricing. The visual graphs made the logic behind each recommendation clear, and it left room for manual control when needed.

3. Property Owner Portal

In our opinion, the owner portal is one of Guesty’s most thoughtfully designed features. We could log in to view real-time occupancy, clear financial statements, upcoming maintenance schedules, and future booking projections—all within a clean, intuitive interface.

The design struck the right balance: detailed enough to be useful and simple enough to navigate without difficulty. Even owners with limited tech experience would find it accessible. This level of clarity supports the kind of transparency we provide at Homevy.

4. Good Task Management

Guesty’s operational tools reflected a clear understanding of the day-to-day logistics involved in property management. The system tracked tasks, assigned them to staff, and confirmed completion through photo verification.

The scheduling feature was particularly effective. It automatically identified turnover days, generated corresponding cleaning tasks, and adjusted the schedule if bookings shifted. For a team managing multiple properties, this level of automation offered a practical way to reduce manual coordination and reclaim valuable time.

What’s Guesty’s User Experience Like?

After the demo, we figured Guesty’s learning curve may take a while, especially for team members who’d be using the more advanced features. Yes, the layout was easy to follow, and the tooltips were helpful, but our operations team estimated it would take roughly a week or two to get fully comfortable with everything.

That said, it seemed like the software could truly boost our efficiency. Features like the calendar view, automated messages, and task tracking had the potential to cut down our manual work by 30–40% compared to what we do now.

The mobile app also stood out. Unlike some platforms that only offer basic tools on mobile, Guesty’s app included almost everything the desktop version had. That would make it easier for our team to stay on top of things while out in the field or moving between properties.

What Price Does Guesty Charge for its Software?

Guesty’s pricing made it clear that this was a premium option.

Photo from Guesty’s Website

The starting cost was reasonable for a small number of properties, but the price would rise quickly as more properties were added. For a company like ours with plans to grow, that raised questions of affordability in the long run.

The sales rep pointed out that the system could pay for itself through better pricing and reduced manual work. And while that was a fair point, we also had to think about how the upfront and ongoing costs would affect our budget.

Some features and integrations came with extra fees, too. The main system covered most of what we needed, but the add-ons could add up (no pun intended), especially for a business managing different types of properties across multiple locations.

How Guesty Fell Short: What are the Downsides of Using Guesty?

As great as it seemed, Guesty fell short in a few areas:

1. High Pricing

Guesty came with plenty of advanced features, but the pricing made us pause. Like most platforms, the cost increased with each property, but even at scale, the per-property rate was higher than many others we considered.

Some of the more advanced tools, like API access and specific integrations, were locked behind higher-tier plans. For a company in growth mode like ours, it raised questions about how sustainable the cost would be as we added more properties and needed more functionality.

 2. Customization Was Powerful but Time-Consuming

Another limitation we noticed about Guesty’s property management software was the complexity around customization. Guesty offered plenty of ways to tailor the platform, but setting it up the right way would take time and a fair amount of technical know-how.

The representative mentioned that many companies either assign a team member to become the in-house Guesty expert or bring in a consultant during onboarding. For a lean team like ours, setting aside that kind of time or budget wasn’t a simple ask.

3. Disappointing Customer Support

What truly pushed Guesty down our list was something we didn’t expect: poor follow-up after the demo. We were seriously considering the platform and had been impressed by what it could do, but the support after the first call didn’t match up.

It felt like we were chasing them. Responses were slow, and there wasn’t much effort to answer our questions or guide us through the next steps. For a tool this complex and an investment this big, we expected a bit more partnership.

That experience made us think twice about what support would look like after signing up. If getting answers was this difficult early on, we weren’t confident it would get better later.

Final Verdict on Guesty: Is It the Right Property Management Software in 2025?

Guesty’s automated messaging stood out for its ability to manage guest communication without needing constant oversight. This would’ve given our team more time to focus on personalization and handling situations that do need a human eye.

The revenue management tools were equally strong. They used market data to adjust pricing, which fit well with our goal of helping property owners earn more while still offering fair rates to guests.

In the end, Guesty was a close contender. We seriously considered moving forward with it because they checked a lot of boxes. But between the higher pricing, the complexity of setup, and the underwhelming sales support, we felt the fit wasn’t quite right for where we are now.

For a larger company with a dedicated tech team, Guesty would probably be a great match. But for our current stage of growth, we needed something more accessible, cost-effective, and backed by a more collaborative support team.

And that…is what led us to review Hostfully.