Smily: our review after testing – is it a good channel manager to start with?

Well, to be honest: running vacation rentals means managing capricious calendars, messages at any hour, payments to secure, and prices that move all the time. Smily (formerly BookingSync) promises to centralize everything: multi-OTA visibility, direct booking site, payments, unified messaging, dynamic pricing, CRM, AI… the whole package. So, is it really the ultimate weapon for owners, concierge services and agencies in 2025? Here is our clear, concrete take.

Smily: the intelligent suite to manage your vacation rentals in 2025

Smily is a French platform dedicated to short-term rental that established itself first as a Channel Manager, then as a complete suite to manage, sell, and grow a portfolio of rentals. The ambition: maximize bookings (OTA + direct) while reducing operational workload thanks to automation, AI, and an interface designed for teams.

In practice, Smily stands out with a coherent ecosystem: the Channel Manager channels data (availability, prices, content) to the channels, while the direct site, the payment solutions, the unified inbox, the revenue management, the CRM, email marketing and the AI work together to improve performance. In short: fewer scattered tools, more efficiency.

In 2022, the company BookingSync rebranded to become Smily, a rebranding move intended to embody not only what the platform does — “sync” of reservations — but also why it does it: to bring joy to all players in vacation rentals (travellers, owners, managers, teams).

Who is Smily for? From the solo host to the professional property management agency

Smily targets all profiles who manage short-term rentals, from the solo owner to multi-city concierge services, via the real estate agency with a sizeable portfolio. If you're looking to scale up without multiplying spreadsheets and copy-pasting, you're in the target audience.

Specifically, Smily addresses :

• To private property owners who want to automate without drowning in tech.
• To concierge services that manage multiple properties/clients and need collaborative tools.
• To specialized agencies that want to industrialize distribution and traveler relationships.
• To multi-market operators (50, 500, 5,000 units…) who require API, governance and processes.
• To field teams who need a mobile app to act quickly (messaging, tasks, stay information).

Smily features: a complete platform to automate your activity

Here, we get straight to the point. Each subsection = a key building block. A hook sentence, and what it changes for you.

Channel Manager: synchronize all your channels without double bookings

Real-time synchronization of calendars, rates and content (photos, descriptions, equipment) to Airbnb, Booking.com, Abritel-Vrbo, Expedia and hundreds of other portals. Goals: zero double bookings, consistent pricing (or differentiated by channel) and accelerated listing creation (drag-and-drop). The commission/OTA adjustments are managed to preserve your margin. Do not hesitate to check our list of the 10 best channel managers.

Create your direct booking site and increase your sales

A customizable site (responsive, multilingual, multi-currency, SEO-friendly) to reduce dependence on OTAs. A search engine with map + filters, dynamic content (HD images, videos, virtual tours), promo codes, wish lists, integrated analytics and payment integration. The goal: convert directly and foster loyalty.

Payments: secure gateways: Stripe, BookingPay, GDPR compliance

Gateways Stripe or BookingPay (offered by Smily), 3DS/PSD2/SCA, PCI-DSS and GDPR compliance, OTA integrations (Vrbo, Booking.com, etc.). Possibility of direct payments to owners (without G Card). You gain in accounting clarity, in security and in collection rates.

Unified messaging and AI: centralize your exchanges and save time

All your messages in one place (OTA, email, site, etc.). Assignments by collaborator/team, internal notes, powerful search/filters, mobile notifications and AI for smart drafts and urgent-detection (arrival blocked, complaint, cancellation…). Result: response times drop, service quality improves.

Revenue management: dynamic pricing and RevPAR control

Dynamic pricing (pricing partnerships), advanced rules engine, multi-month forecasts, multi-channel sync (coherence or differentiation by OTA), mass updates (free app MyRates, Excel/Sheets), API if you have your own models. In short: occupancy rate and RevPAR better managed.

Email marketing: automate upsells, follow-ups and loyalty

Segmentation, customizable templates, multilingual, automations (confirmations, upsell, pre-arrival, post-stay, cart abandonment reminders, NPS, newsletter), attachments (guides, instructions). Deliverability monitoring, detailed analytics (open, click, conversion). Objective: loyalty + repeat business.

CRM integrated: traveler profiles, history, segmentation and automation

Traveler profiles centralized (history, preferences, multi-contacts), engagement automations, a customer experience dashboard, review management with AI assistance, open API to broaden the ecosystem (analytics, BI, marketing). Result: more personal communication and clean data to better decide.

Artificial intelligence: automate without losing your style

Emergency detection, contextual drafts, quick translations, responses to reviews in your brand voice, cognitive filtering to retrieve the useful info. AI speeds up repetitive tasks without erasing your voice. And all of this is designed with a GDPR-first approach.

Mobile app: manage your properties in real time, even on the go

Receive notifications, respond to messages, view reservations and stay information on the move. Ideal for fieldwork, on-call shifts, and dispersed teams. You stay responsive wherever you are.

Owner portal: transparency and secure access for your mandators

Provide owners with secure, real-time access to useful data (planning, revenue, reservations, documents). Fewer emails/reminders, more transparency and satisfaction for mandants.

Dashboards: real-time KPIs, performance tracking, conversion channels

Real-time KPIs, YoY comparisons, tracking occupancy/revenue, visibility into the booking sources and the channels. Faster and more informed decisions.

Field task management: automation of cleaning and interventions

Plan cleaning, checks, maintenance, track progress, notify teams, automate tasks triggered by stay statuses. The goal: zero gaps in the schedule.

Automatic re-engagement: remarketing former visitors and guests

Automated reminders to former visitors and former travelers (email, promo codes, targeted offers) to boost the return rate and balance the OTA/direct mix.

Smily pricing: performance-based model, fixed commission and professional installation

Smily adopts a commission model aligned with your performance: you pay 1.2% of the gross amount of your bookings, in an all-inclusive mode (payment gateways included), with a monthly minimum based on the number of properties you manage. Additionally, a startup/training fee from €690 is applied at the start of your collaboration, to ensure optimal setup.

The commission (1.2%) is calculated on the VAT-inclusive amount of bookings whose check-out date is in the previous month. It does not apply to cleaning fees nor to the occupancy tax. You will be charged either the amount calculated by the commission, or the minimum monthly fixed, depending on which is higher.

Example of indicative pricing (illustrative)

Number of properties managed	Estimated monthly price	Estimated savings
20	~ 1 777 €	~ –29 % compared to 2 475 €
50	(not shown)
100	(not shown)
> 2000	Personalized pricing	Contact required

(Figures provided for guidance by Smily to illustrate pricing; a demonstration allows receiving your personalized quote.)

In summary

• 1.2 % VAT-inclusive on bookings (excluding cleaning and tax) – all-inclusive commission.
• Monthly minimum depending on the volume of properties, always greater than or equal to the commission.
• Installation fees starting from €690 for setup, import, training, etc.
• Modulation by portfolio size: significant savings beyond a threshold, or personalized pricing for large volume.

Smily: user reviews and testimonials on the solution

Overall, Smily enjoys a very positive image among its users. On Trustpilot, the platform shows an average rating of 4.4/5 at the time of writing, a sign of high overall satisfaction. Feedback regularly highlights the reliability of multi-OTA synchronization, the simplicity of operations management, and the time savings provided by centralizing tools.

Many users also praise the quality of customer support, deemed responsive and competent, as well as the feature richness of the tool, which allows you to manage everything from a single interface: distribution, messaging, payments, pricing, CRM…

On improvements, some feel that the mobile app could be enhanced to offer even more on the go, and that the initial onboarding may feel dense to new users, due to the breadth of features. However, these points are often seen as inherent to a full, professional-grade tool.

Advantages and disadvantages of Smily: our detailed analysis

Two words first: no tool is magical. Smily covers many bases, but you must deploy it well to get its essence (process, team, configuration).

Advantages

✔️ True all-in-one (distribution, direct, payments, revenue, CRM, email, AI): fewer friction points, more results.
✔️ Robust synchronization (content, availabilities, prices): you retain control over consistency and margin.
✔️ Unified inbox + AI: response times and SLA automatically improve (and it shows in the ratings).

Disadvantages

❌ Adoption curve and perceived cost for very small portfolios if you activate all modules at once. Better to phase it in and prioritize.

In summary: our opinion on Smily

Smily is a solid and mature suite to professionalize vacation rentals in 2025. If your challenge is more revenue (OTA + direct), less manual work and better traveler/owner experience, you're in the right place. It’s not the cheapest tool on the market, but the value is there as soon as you leverage the key building blocks (Channel Manager, direct site, payments, unified messaging, revenues, AI). In short: serious, complete, and built to scale.

Comparison: the best Smily alternatives (Guesty, Lodgify, Smoobu…)

• Lodgify — Strong focus on the direct booking site (design + simplicity). A solid channel manager, a clear ecosystem, easy onboarding. Ideal if your top priority is to speed up direct bookings with a simple setup.
• Hostfully — Strong North American orientation, robust PMS/CRM, good team/workflow and operations workflows. An excellent choice if you need advanced concierge tools and a large integration marketplace.
• Smoobu — Positioned more affordable and easy to use for small portfolios. Perfect to start cleanly without the complexity of an enterprise suite.
• Guesty — Very complete and powerful, clearly oriented toward large accounts (pricing, governance, support), with an impressive ecosystem of apps. Relevant if you already have a substantial scale and demanding integration capabilities.

Bien utiliser Smily : étapes clés pour réussir votre déploiement

Do you want to move from “we manage as best as we can” to “we run a well-oiled machine”? Here is a practical plan to successfully deploy Smily, without losing your teams or your cool.

1) Frame your objectives (30 to 60 minutes)

• Quantify where you stand: % OTA vs. direct, response time, occupancy rate, cancellations, reviews.
• Set 3 measurable goals over 90 days (e.g., +15% direct, response < 15 min, +0.2★ in reviews).
• Prioritize the Smily blocks based on (e.g., direct site + payments + email if direct objective).

2) Establish a clean database

• Normalize your listing names, property types, amenities, capacity.
• Upgrade your photos (HD, curation, captions).
• Write clear descriptions, USP per property, policies consistent.
• Define a pricing strategy by season + events (baseline before activating the dynamic pricing).

3) Connect the Channel Manager

• Connect Airbnb, Booking.com, Abritel-Vrbo, Expedia (and your niches, if relevant).
• Choose consistent pricing everywhere or differentiated (OTA-wise) according to your margin goals.
• Take advantage of drag-and-drop listing creation to accelerate multi-channel deployment.
• Test calendars and restrictions (LOS, check-in/out, reservation windows) before go-live.

4) Launch the direct booking site

• Choose a design aligned with your brand (minimalist, fast, reassuring).
• Enable the map + filters search, the wishlist, the promo codes.
• Integrate payment (3DS/PCI) + clear policies (deposit, cancellation).
• Basic SEO: titles/H1, meta tags, internal linking, category pages (city/theme), FAQ.
• Install analytics and monitor conversion.

5) Secure and automate payments

• Choose the gateway (Stripe or BookingPay depending on your needs).
• Switch deposit + balance to automatic workflows (reminders, due dates).
• If you are a concierge service: study direct owner payments (accounting benefit).
• Check 3DS/SCA, refunds, invoices, and align your admin process.

6) Orchestrate traveler relationships (messaging + AI)

• Centralize everything in the unified inbox.
• Create templates (pre-check-in, access, parking, rules, upsell).
• Use the AI for contextual drafts, translations, emergency detection.
• Assign threads to the right people (front desk, field, manager) and document via notes.

7) Accelerate performance (revenues)

• Enable dynamic pricing (partners + rules).
• Use MyRates if you like to drive with Excel/Sheets (mass update).
• Define special offers and promo codes (off-peak periods, mid-stay).
• Track your KPIs (occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, OTA/direct mix) and adjust monthly.

8) Leverage CRM and email marketing

• Build segments (families, couples, business, long stays…).
• Set up journeys : confirmation > pre-arrival > during > post-stay.
• Send local guides, loyalty coupons, return offers (Day 7, Day 30, Day 90).
• Monitor deliverability and performance (open, click, conversion).

9) Governance for owners & teams

• Open the owners portal (transparency = trust = retention).
• Standardize tasks (cleaning, checks, maintenance).
• Train teams on the messaging + AI (templates + escalation rules).
• Hold a monthly KPI + actions review (and celebrate what works).

10) Iterate, iterate, iterate

• Each quarter: 3 objectives, 3 projects, 3 deliverables.
• Remove the superfluous, double what pays off.
• And keep your direct site alive (content, reviews, FAQ, offers).

Pitfalls to avoid :

• Activate everything on day 1 (overkill).
• Ignore content quality (photos/text) and be surprised by low conversion.
• Leave price/stock unmanaged (hello inconsistencies).
• Fail to train the team on unified messaging (and stick with WhatsApp + mails everywhere).

Good reflex: phase your deployment (Distribution → Direct + Payments → Messaging + AI → Revenues → CRM/Email → Tasks/Portal), with a project manager identified and a review every two weeks.

And there you think…

• “Is it worth it if I have 3 properties?” → Yes if you want to save time, avoid duplicates and prepare growth. Otherwise, a lighter Lodgify-like solution may be enough at the start.
• “I’m worried for the team. Too many tools!” → Exactly, Smily replaces several tools. Roll out in steps and show the gains (response time, reviews, cash collection).
• “I want to sell more directly.” → Then site + payments + email become your winning trio, with a well-thought promo codes policy.

The final word

Smily ticks the boxes we expect from a pro tool in 2025: reliable distribution, direct that converts, payments that are square, messaging centralized, revenues managed, CRM + email for loyalty, and an AI that really eases daily life. If your goal is to professionalize (or industrialize) vacation rentals, it’s a very serious candidate.

FAQ Smily: account creation, OTA connections, cancellation and support

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To start with Smily, you simply need to request a demonstration via the official site. A consultant will guide you through the initial setup, account creation and import of your listings. This step typically includes training to master the basics quickly.

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Once your account is created, you can link your listings to the OTAs from the Smily interface. The Channel Manager automatically synchronizes calendars, rates and content. Smily support is available to assist you during this connection to avoid any misconfiguration.

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Yes. You can add new properties or update your existing listings at any time from the Smily dashboard. Changes are synchronized in real time with your connected channels.

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Cancellation is done on simple request to the customer support or your account manager. It is advisable to retrieve your data and disconnect your listings before the final closure to avoid any unforeseen interruption on your reservation channels.

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