How Stay with Darby at Century 21 Kootenay Homes Achieved 40% Direct Bookings with Hostaway

At a glance

• Company: Stay with Darby at Century 21 Kootenay Homes (short-term rental division)

• Manager: Darby Profili

• Founded: 2018 

• Team: 5 core team members, plus additional property managers, assistants, and administrators

• Portfolio: 25 active listings across Rossland, Red Mountain, and surrounding areas

• Headquarters: British Columbia, Canada

• Previous platforms: Buildium, then Guesty

• Migration time: 5 weeks, switching from Guesty to Hostaway

• Started with Hostaway: 2 years ago

• Key result: ~40% of reservations are now direct bookings through Hostaway's own booking website

• Website: staywithdarby.holidayfuture.com

From First Listings to a Fully Formed Hospitality Brand

When Century 21 Homes decided to branch into short-term rentals, Darby Profili was tasked with building a hospitality-focused business from the ground up. The goal was simple: create spaces that feel warm and inviting, and keep guest communication easy and friendly.

With a growing lineup of 25 listings and a team that truly cares, Stay with Darby at Century 21 Kootenay Homes built a reputation for standout customer service and fun extras, like those “stay and play” golf packages with local courses.

Before Hostaway, the PMS Was Built for the Wrong Job

Like many growing operators, Darby’s team tried to make do with tools that weren’t built for short-term rentals.

At first, the team tried Buildium. Great for long-term rentals, but tracking money for short-term stays was a total pain.

They switched to Guesty, hoping for an upgrade, but ran into a clunky dashboard, confusing reports, and endless headaches with owner statements and bookkeeping. To make things worse, support was hard to reach, and costs kept going up. Every day felt tougher than it should have. And to top it all off, guests and owners were rarely on the same page, which made daily operations a real challenge.

How We Switched to Hostaway in Just 5 Weeks

So, why the switch to Hostaway?

Darby knew it was time for a fresh start. No more hopping between platforms. Darby needed a new user-friendly system that offered real 24/7 support (not just in the sales pitch) and that made sense when it came to pricing as the business grew.

After checking out five different platforms, Hostaway stood out immediately.

The Hostaway sales team made a great first impression. The onboarding customer support was easy, with real people helping.

The best part? The whole transition from Guesty to Hostaway wrapped up in just five weeks, faster than expected.

With Hostaway, Darby’s team finally has one place to handle it all, from reservations, calendars, guest messages, owner statements, direct bookings, and even Canadian GST. No more switching between invoicing apps or contract tools.

Direct bookings account for about 40% of all reservations that come in through Hostaway’s own booking website

Direct bookings are easier than ever, making up about 40% of all reservations through Hostaway’s site. That means less spent on fees, more control over the guest experience, and a growing group of loyal guests.

Darby’s advice for other managers? "Do your research, read the reviews, and pick software that fits how you actually work. Easy-to-use should really mean easy."

And the story’s not over. With 17 new properties on the horizon, Stay with Darby is just getting started, growing bigger while keeping hospitality at the heart of everything they do.

Before Hostaway vs After Hostaway

Company details

• Name: Stay with Darby at Century 21 Kootenay Homes

• Website: staywithdarby.holidayfuture.com

• Primary markets: Rossland, Red Mountain, and surrounding areas

• Contact: Darby Profili

FAQs

Why did Stay with Darby switch away from Buildium and Guesty? 

Stay with Darby first used Buildium, which was built for long-term rentals and made tracking short-term rental finances difficult. A move to Guesty brought a clunky dashboard, confusing reports, ongoing headaches with owner statements and bookkeeping, hard-to-reach support, and rising costs, prompting Vacation Rental Manager Darby Profili to look for a vacation rental platform that was user-friendly, offered real 24/7 support, and was sensibly priced even as the business grew.

How long did it take Stay with Darby to migrate from Guesty to Hostaway? 

The full migration from Guesty to Hostaway took just 5 weeks, faster than short-term rental operator Stay with Darby's team had expected.

What results has Stay with Darby seen since switching to Hostaway? 

About 40% of Stay with Darby's reservations now come through Hostaway's own direct booking website, reducing fees paid to OTAs and giving Stay with Darby more control over the guest experience. The business also has 17 new properties in the pipeline.

What made Hostaway stand out compared to other platforms Stay with Darby considered? 

Stay with Darby evaluated five different platforms before choosing Hostaway, and it stood out for its user-friendly system, genuine 24/7 support, and pricing that made sense as the short-term rental business grew. The Hostaway sales and onboarding teams made a strong first impression with real, responsive support.

What does Hostaway now handle for Stay with Darby's day-to-day operations? 

Hostaway delivers Stay with Darby a single platform to manage all their operations, from reservations and calendars to guest messages, owner statements, direct bookings, and even Canadian GST. This removes the need for the vacation rental operator to switch between separate apps and tools.

What is Darby Profili's advice to other property managers choosing software? 

Darby Profili advises other vacation rental managers to do their research, read reviews, and pick software that actually fits how they work, adding that "easy-to-use should really mean easy."