Let me paint you a picture. It’s 11:37 PM on a Friday. You’re finally curled up on the couch, ready to watch that movie you’ve been putting off for weeks. And then... buzz. It’s a message from a guest. “What’s the Wi-Fi password again?” Ten minutes later, buzz. A different guest, different property. “The key isn’t in the lockbox!” (Spoiler: it was, they just didn’t look properly). Suddenly, your movie night is a remote IT support session and a part-time detective gig.
If you’re in the vacation rental game, you know this scene all too well. We dream of passive income, but the reality is often a never-ending stream of micro-tasks and frantic messaging across half a dozen platforms. For years, I’ve been hunting for something that could genuinely take the weight off. Not just another dashboard, but a real co-pilot. That’s what led me to Enso Connect. And honestly? It's been pretty interesting.
So, What Is Enso Connect Anyway?
Let's get the official description out of the way. Enso Connect calls itself a digital guest experience platform for vacation rentals and hotels. What that really means is it’s a layer of tech that sits on top of your existing Property Management System (PMS) to automate and elevate pretty much every guest interaction you can think of. It’s not trying to replace your Guesty or Hostaway; it’s designed to make them better.
Think of it as the ultimate guest concierge, front desk agent, and communications hub all rolled into one slick, AI-powered package. It aims to handle the repetitive stuff so you can focus on, well, not working at 11:37 PM on a Friday.
The Features That Genuinely Make a Difference
A features list is just a features list until you see how it solves a real problem. I’ve seen countless platforms promise the world, but here’s where I think Enso Connect actually delivers on its promises.
The AI Unified Inbox is a Sanity-Saver
This was the big one for me. Before, my life was a chaotic mess of toggling between the Airbnb app, the Vrbo dashboard, my email for direct bookings, and maybe even WhatsApp. It was exhausting. Enso Connect pulls every single guest conversation into one inbox. One. That alone is worth its weight in gold.
But the AI is the secret sauce. It can be trained to automatically answer the common questions that eat up 80% of your time. Wi-Fi passwords, check-in instructions, questions about parking… the AI handles it. It’s surprisingly good, and for the complex stuff it can’t handle, it flags it for you. It’s like having a virtual assistant who never sleeps or asks for a day off.
Your Own Branded "Boarding Pass" Guest App
Okay, the term “guest app” usually makes me groan. No guest wants to download yet another app to their phone for a three-night stay. Thankfully, the folks at Enso Connect get this. Their “Boarding Pass” is a web-based app—no download required. Guests get a link, and it opens a beautifully branded page in their browser with everything they need.
This becomes your central hub for that guest. Check-in details, house manuals, smart lock codes, and even your local recommendations are all in one place. It feels professional, builds your brand, and dramatically cuts down on the “where do I find…?” questions.
Visit Enso Connect
Actually Earning More with Smart Upsells
For a long time, guest communication felt like a cost center. It cost me time and energy. Enso Connect flips that script by making it a revenue generator. Through the guest app, you can offer personalized upsells. Think things like:
- Early check-in / Late check-out (for a fee, of course)
- Mid-stay cleaning services
- Welcome baskets or a stocked fridge
- Partnering with local tour operators for affiliate commissions
It’s presented to the guest at just the right time, making it feel like a helpful offer rather than a pushy sales pitch. It’s a fantastic way to boost your revenue per stay with almost zero extra effort.
Automation That Feels Intelligent
This goes way beyond a simple scheduled “thanks for booking” message. Enso Connect integrates with smart home devices, like smart locks. So, when a guest completes their pre-arrival verification, a unique door code is automatically generated and sent to them just before check-in. It’s seamless for them and completely hands-off for you. You can build entire workflows for the guest journey, from pre-arrival to post-checkout review requests.
The Good, The Bad, and The "Coming Soon"
No tool is perfect, right? I’m always skeptical of overly glowing reviews. So let’s be real about Enso Connect. It has some incredible strengths, but also a few things you need to be aware of.
On the plus side, their ROI Guarantee is a huge vote of confidence. They’re so sure their platform will increase your revenue that they essentially guarantee it pays for itself. That's bold. The deep integrations with major PMS providers like Guesty and screening tools like Autohost show they understand the professional tech stack. It's not a closed-off system.
However, there are a few catches. The biggest one is that you must have a PMS to use it. This makes perfect sense, as it’s designed to enhance a PMS, but it means Enso Connect isn't for the casual host managing one or two properties on a spreadsheet. Also, some of their marketing materials mention features that are “coming soon.” This is exciting because it shows the platform is growing, but it also means you might be buying into a promise that isn't fully delivered on day one. Lastly, they do charge a 5% fee to the guest on non-tax-related upsells. It's a small price for the guest to pay for convenience, but its something to be aware of.
So, What Does Enso Connect Cost?
Ah, the million-dollar question. If you look at their website, you won’t find a neat little pricing table. Instead, there's a “Get Pricing Now” button that leads to a form. I know, I know. I usually hate this too.
But in this space, it’s pretty standard. The pricing is customized based on your specific needs, primarily the number of properties you manage. It’s not a one-size-fits-all product, so the pricing isn’t either. My advice is to just bite the bullet and fill out the form. A quick demo is the best way to see if the value is there for your business and what the investment would look like.
Who Is This Platform Really Built For?
After spending time with it, I have a pretty clear idea of who will get the most out of Enso Connect. This is for the serious, growth-minded vacation rental manager. If you have a portfolio of properties, are already using a PMS, and you feel like you're drowning in operational tasks and guest messages, this could be a lifesaver. It’s for the operator who understands that investing in tech to improve efficiency and guest satisfaction isn’t a cost—it’s a strategy.
If you're a single-property host who enjoys the high-touch, personal back-and-forth with every guest, this is probably overkill. But if you’re trying to scale from 5 properties to 15, or from 20 to 50, then a tool like this becomes almost a necessity.
Final Thoughts
Look, the hospitality industry is moving fast. Guest expectations are higher than ever, and the operators who can provide a smooth, tech-enabled, yet personal experience are the ones who are going to win. Enso Connect is a powerful tool in that fight. It’s not magic, but it’s a brilliant application of AI and automation to solve the most tedious and time-consuming problems we face as hosts.
It frees up your time, makes your brand look incredibly polished, and even opens up new revenue streams. While it requires a PMS and has some growing to do, for the right property manager, I genuinely believe it can be a transformative tool. It brings that dream of a more passive income just a little bit closer to reality.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Enso Connect replace my Property Management System (PMS)?
- No, it's designed to work with your PMS. It connects to systems like Guesty, Hostfully, and others to pull in booking information and then layers its guest experience features on top. You must have a compatible PMS to use it.
- Is there a free trial for Enso Connect?
- The website doesn't explicitly mention a free trial. The typical process is to request a demo and get custom pricing, where you can discuss trial or pilot options with their sales team.
- Do my guests have to download an app?
- Nope! This is one of its best features. The Enso Connect guest portal, or "Boarding Pass," is a web app. Guests just click a link on their phone or computer, and it opens right in their browser. No downloads, no friction.
- How does the AI messaging actually work?
- The AI is trained on thousands of common guest interactions. It can recognize and instantly answer frequent questions about your property (like Wi-Fi, parking, check-out times, etc.). For any query it doesn't understand, it will alert you in the unified inbox to step in and answer manually.
- What is the Enso Connect ROI Guarantee?
- Enso Connect offers a guarantee that the platform will pay for itself through increased revenue (from upsells) and operational savings. The specific terms are likely something you'd discuss during a demo, but it shows strong confidence in their product's ability to deliver value.
- What kind of integrations does Enso Connect support?
- They integrate with a growing list of major PMSs, as well as smart home technology like smart locks, and guest screening services like Autohost. Their goal is to fit into the modern property manager's existing tech stack.
