Background
Anton owns a 2-bedroom apartment in Bávaro — a property that should have been performing better than it was. Year-round occupancy was at 56%, with strong European summer demand and a weak North American winter season.
The diagnosis was simple: the listing was set up for the wrong audience. Photos showed a “European” aesthetic. Pricing assumed short lead times and weekend trips. Channel weighting favored Booking.com (heavily European for this property type).
The repositioning
Bávaro’s largest demand source for 2-bedroom apartments is North American — particularly couples and small families from the US and Canadian East Coast. The property had everything they were looking for; it just wasn’t positioned to attract them.
CHM’s Airbnb Management package included a full listing rewrite for the North American audience:
- Photo reshoot. Emphasizing pool access, A/C, walkable beach, US-spec outlets and adapters available, English-language local concierge.
- Pricing model. Adjusted for North American booking patterns: longer lead times, weekly stays preferred, holiday-season surcharges.
- OTA weighting. Heavier on Airbnb (US/Canada-dominant) and VRBO. Lighter on Booking.com.
- Local guides. Curated US/Canada-friendly recommendations (restaurants accepting cards, English-speaking medical clinics, kid-friendly attractions).
The result
Within 6 months, North American bookings had grown 114% year-over-year. Year-round occupancy climbed from 56% to 83%, peak winter season hit 94%.
The most interesting metric: 23% of bookings are now repeat guests, many booking direct (bypassing OTA fees). This compounds — every year that passes, the repeat-guest base grows.
Anton’s take
“The advantage of CHM is that they specialize in delivering clients from US and Canada. They know how to work with guests from these regions: what they are interested in, what amenities they pay special attention to, what they prefer and what don’t like. The team knows how to highlight the special features of the property that can grab the guest’s attention — and as a result, he or she will choose to stay with us.”
Audience matters. The same property with the same amenities can perform 2× depending on who you’re pitching. CHM’s job is to figure out who the property is for, then build everything — listing, photos, pricing, channels — around that audience.
