Ferienwohnung am Weiher

Tell us about your property.

We started in 2019 with a single apartment, then added a second one. In 2022, we opened six more—all newly built and designed from the start to be vacation rentals.

Our guest base is incredibly diverse: families, solo travelers, business guests, couples, and people with disabilities. That was intentional—we planned from the beginning to ensure our accommodations are accessible to everyone.

Most of our bookings come directly through our website or by phone. That’s also because I chose the name “Ferienwohnung am Weiher” very deliberately. No matter where people find us—on Booking.com or elsewhere—they quickly end up on our site, avoiding platform fees and markups.

Our main season starts with Carnival, goes through the fall holidays, and then we’re full again for Christmas and New Year’s. So, really, there are only a few slower periods throughout the year.

When did you start using Smartpricing, and how did you manage pricing before?

We started using Smartpricing in September 2023.

Before that, I was using Smoobu. I’d set a price and at some point, my husband and I would ask each other, “Think people would pay €10 more?” And then we’d raise the price by ten euros. But I was never really satisfied with that approach.

We do everything ourselves—cleaning, admin, laundry, yard work. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for sitting at the desk and managing rates properly.

Why did you decide to go with Smartpricing?

I came across Smartpricing through Smoobu. I looked into it, tried it out, and at some point said, “Okay, let’s test it.” What started as a test turned into something more—because it worked really well.

What problem were you trying to solve with Smartpricing?

We knew there was likely more potential—especially during certain times—to earn more through smarter pricing.

But we just didn’t know how to implement that, or where we’d find the time to manage it. That’s what we needed help with.

What results have you seen with Smartpricing?

I’m really happy with it. This year, I actually had fewer bookings across all channels, but my revenue didn’t drop significantly.

Smartpricing’s AI helped “rescue” my revenue by raising prices where it could. The guests who did book ended up paying a bit more.

In total, I had €20,000 more in revenue than I would’ve had if I’d kept my usual rates. Without Smartpricing, that money just wouldn’t be there.

Has Smartpricing saved you time?

Absolutely. The AI thinks for me. I don’t have to worry about adjusting prices all the time—it takes care of that.

It’s easy to use once you get the hang of it. You just set it up and let it do its thing.

I don’t have to check in every day wondering, “Can I raise the price €5 for this weekend?” Or react last-minute to a new festival announcement.

The time savings and simplicity are by far the biggest advantages for me.

Would you go back to your old pricing system?

No—definitely not.

Yes, Smartpricing costs money, but there’s no way it could cost as much as my time is worth. Even if I weren’t doing everything myself and had time to sit at a desk, I’d still have to assign a value to that time.

That’s why I’d never go back to manual pricing.

In fact, I think if more people used systems like this, pricing across the board would stabilize—and things would be easier for all of us.

Smartpricing in one word?

Relaxing.