Enhancing International Guest Experience: A Suggested Feature for OwnerRez from a Former Lodgify User

In April 2023, I transitioned from Lodgify to OwnerRez, attracted by its impressive array of features and user-friendly interface. While I’m genuinely pleased with OwnerRez, there’s a specific functionality from Lodgify that I find myself missing, particularly for its impact on securing bookings.

Lodgify had this remarkable feature: whenever I sent a quote to potential guests, they could view it online in their local currency, determined by their IP address. This was incredibly convenient and user-friendly. For instance, if I quoted $5,000 for a stay at my vacation home, a guest from the UK would see this amount converted to British Pounds, with a clear note stating that billing would be in USD. This note included a disclaimer about the conversion being based on current exchange rates and reaffirmed the charge in dollars.

This feature was more than just a convenience; it was a significant facilitator in securing international bookings. Many of my guests, especially those coming to my Florida vacation home from outside the USA, found this feature exceptionally helpful. It saved them the hassle of checking conversion rates themselves and provided immediate clarity on the cost in a currency they were familiar with.

Several times, guests initially hesitant about the cost changed their minds once I manually converted the price into their local currency. This direct comparison made the deal seem more affordable and transparent.

For a practical demonstration, take a look at my neighbor’s website, which still uses Lodgify here. Using a VPN set to a UK or France IP, you can generate a quote and see this feature in action.

I strongly believe that incorporating this currency conversion feature into OwnerRez would significantly enhance its appeal to international guests, potentially increasing bookings. This functionality isn’t just a tool; it’s a bridge, connecting a diverse global clientele with the services they need in the most accessible way possible.

Great idea, Heroes.  We have a bunch of stuff coming out around the guest forms and guest experience, leading to internationalization and language settings.  We had not talked about the currency thing, but you're right - we could incorporate a setting to "show in different currency" which gives a good estimate of what it will be, even though the actual processing is in a different currency.

PS. For a glimpse at what I mean by stuff coming out around guest experience, notice the new redesigned guest forms: https://www.ownerrez.com/blog/redesigned-guest-travel-insurance-form-multi-select-tool-for-properties-more#guest-form 

I’d really love it if you could do the currency option as this would immediately boost by bookings again back to the level we had with Lodgify without me needing to call / email those who have generated prices on our site to explain the difference once I convert it to the local currency (which is usually almost always GBP).