ESSAY: From Guesthouse Staff to Owner 04

04. The One Thing Every Guesthouse Needs Most: People

Writer: CHLOE, Operations Director at Sugsofactory (https://brunch.co.kr/@merrychloemas)

Editor: Somora, Manager at ONDA

CHLOE, Operations Director at Sugsofactory

Hi, I'm CHLOE, co-founder and Operations Director at Sugsofactory — we specialize in guesthouse management consulting and training.

I got my start as guesthouse staff, then worked my way up to General Manager at a franchise guesthouse brand. After that, I spent time in sales and partner support at ONDA (the booking management platform). Now I'm back on the frontlines, running guesthouses full-time. Through these varied roles — and managing properties with completely different concepts — I've built a deep playbook for how guesthouses really work. And I want to share it widely.

At the end of the day, guesthouses are all about people

More than any other type of lodging, guesthouses are "places where you meet people." That identity is so strong that some travelers actively seek them out just to connect with strangers. Guesthouses in Korea have always offered something more than a bed — they offer community, serendipity, a sense of place.

Seven or eight years ago, when the first wave of guesthouses opened in Korea, just the dormitory room format (multi-bed shared rooms — a staple of hostels and guesthouses) was enough to feel novel and thrilling. Sharing a room with strangers? That alone was an experience.

But as guesthouses multiplied nationwide, the role of the host became increasingly important. Some properties started throwing parties for guests — and travelers loved it. The trend spread. Suddenly, guesthouses weren't just crash pads. They became spaces for new experiences. Soon, properties were offering tours, workshops, and all kinds of programming. The guesthouse evolved from lodging into something closer to a lifestyle venue.

Photo by Sylvie Tittel on Unsplash

This shift mirrored a bigger change in travel: the move from group tours to solo travel. As independent travelers grew in number — people planning their own itineraries, curating their own experiences — lodging had to step up. Properties that offered accommodation + culture thrived. And in that equation, the host became indispensable.

Guesthouses are fundamentally labor-intensive businesses. You don't need special tech, heavy equipment, or huge capital to start one. You can, in theory, launch with just a spare room and a good attitude. But precisely because the barrier to entry is so low, competition is brutal. Standing out requires a real edge. In most markets, guesthouses compete with other guesthouses. In some cities, they're up against budget hotels. Either way, the quality bar keeps rising — which means travelers win, but operators have to stay sharp or get left behind.

So what does it take to survive in this market?

Based on everything I've seen: the most critical variable in running a successful guesthouse is who runs it.

Today, in the fourth installment of this series, I want to talk about why people matter so much — and how they make or break a property.

What makes guesthouses different from other lodging

Unlike hotels or motels, guesthouses are defined by the host's personality. Hotels deliver standardized service. Guesthouses don't — and that's the point. Everything about a guesthouse — the vibe, the rules, the little touches — flows from the person running it. A host who wants to foster community will throw parties and organize pub crawls. A host who values quiet will create a calm, private sanctuary. Same category. Completely different experiences.

Guesthouses aren't bound by the expectations that weigh on hotels. There's no mandate to provide a certain level of luxury or service. As long as you cover the basics — clean beds, hot water, safety — you can run it however you want. You can go for value and efficiency. You can flip the script and offer hotel-level amenities in a hostel shell. Or you can invent something totally unique. The format is malleable. Who the host is determines what the guesthouse becomes.

The defining trait of a guesthouse: the host's personality. (Source: Google Images)

People are the engine of guesthouse operations

At the core of every guesthouse is a person. Location and facilities are more or less fixed once you launch. But the image and reputation of your property? That's shaped by the host — the one creating the vibe, setting the tone, responding to guests.

Facilities are somewhat objective. With enough capital, anyone can upgrade their space and hit a baseline quality threshold. That's why, in the early guesthouse boom, franchise brands were popular. The pitch: standardized interiors, predictable quality, lower risk. But guests quickly realized that even with identical branding and furnishings, the experience varied wildly depending on who was running the place. Same brand, different city, totally different stay. Franchise models couldn't control for the human element — and that's why most have faded. (Some properties even got penalized in reviews because of bad experiences guests had at other locations under the same brand.)

What most guesthouse operators actually need isn't a cookie-cutter design playbook. They need operational know-how and playbooks. The vibe of a property will always reflect the host's temperament. What owners really want to know isn't which wallpaper to use, but how to handle a difficult guest situation without things going sideways. In other words: understanding who the host is — and what role they need to play — is everything.

Of course facilities and interior design matter. They're the visual expression of your values. A minimalist host will go monochrome. A whimsical host will scatter quirky decor everywhere. Design is part of how guests choose you — they pick spaces that match their taste. And yes, design trends shift, so some aesthetics get more love in certain seasons. But even the design decisions trace back to what kind of experience the host wants to create. So no matter how you slice it, the most important thing is still: who is the host?

How changing the host can turn a property around

What convinced me that who runs the place matters most? Watching properties transform — or collapse — when the host changed. Let me tell you about one guesthouse we took over. Of all the properties I've managed and consulted on, this one was borderline unsalvageable when we arrived. The location wasn't great. The facilities were dated. Years of neglect had left the place grimy and worn down. Occupancy was low. Revenue was dismal. Reviews were brutal.

The root cause? The host. The person running the property was an older gentleman who, through no fault of his own, struggled to keep up with the fast-moving hospitality trends that define the guesthouse market. The target demographic — Gen Z and Millennials, college students, young backpackers — had needs and expectations he couldn't easily anticipate. And guesthouse operations are physically demanding. Maintaining high-touch service day in, day out requires serious energy. Over time, burnout set in, and service quality slipped.

To be clear: age isn't always a blocker. Plenty of older hosts thrive. But in a business where you're constantly interfacing with young travelers, the operator has to be able to meet them where they are — culturally, energetically, operationally.

Changing the host can be the turning point. (Source: Google Images)

When we took over operations, our first priority was fixing the facility issues and rebuilding guest service from the ground up. At the same time, we created a detailed operations manual to ensure consistency. The result? Today, that property runs smoothly, earns strong reviews, and generates steady profit. What it needed most wasn't a renovation budget. It needed a host who could be fully present.

We focused on filling the void left by the previous operator's absence. Small things, big things — everything a host should do. For example: we started asking for feedback at checkout. If a guest mentioned an issue that came up multiple times, we fixed it and folded the improvement into our SOP. Returning guests noticed — and left glowing reviews.

It sounds simple. But for guests, it signals authenticity and accountability. It builds trust.

Listening to guests and continuously improving

The key takeaway here isn't what we changed, but the posture of listening and adapting. When you read reviews of well-loved guesthouses, the most common praise is about the host being kind, attentive, responsive. Of all the things guests could comment on — location, design, breakfast, Wi-Fi — what sticks in their memory most is the person.

We also worked to offset facility limitations with elevated service. For example, the property only had shared bathrooms. On busy weekends, that could create bottlenecks. So we extended checkout by an hour to ease the pressure. The neighborhood wasn't well-connected, and many guests checked in late. We sent multiple reminder texts with clear directions and made sure someone was always available to greet them warmly. Most of these interventions cost almost nothing. They just required thinking from the guest's perspective and acting on it.

The truth is, whether you're running a hotel or a hostel, the fundamentals of guest satisfaction are the same. Free upgrades and discounts can grab attention in the short term. But what actually moves people? Genuine, thoughtful service.

The power of a welcome note

One of the simplest, most impactful things we did: personalized welcome notes. We placed a note with each guest's name in every bed (for dorms) or room (for privates). It's a small touch borrowed from hotels — a way of saying, you're not just a booking number, you're a guest we care about.

Guests loved it. It set a warm first impression. But it also had an operational benefit: in dorm rooms, where you're managing multiple beds per room, the notes made it easy to identify which beds were occupied. It streamlined check-in and reduced errors, which in turn improved satisfaction scores.

Running a great guesthouse comes down to details. And details are something only people can deliver.

So what else can only people do in a guesthouse?

A personalized welcome note placed on each bed or in each room.

Managing reviews

Managing reviews in a way that reflects your property's personality is a high-leverage task only the host can do well. Most travelers read reviews before booking. Reviews reveal things the listing can't — especially what the host is like. How they treat guests. How they handle problems. Whether they care.

How you respond to reviews matters just as much as the reviews themselves. Positive reviews are great. But you won't always get them. How you handle criticism is what defines your reputation.

First rule: address negative feedback directly and clearly. If a guest says, "I wish the dorm beds had privacy curtains," acknowledge the gap. Apologize for the inconvenience. Explain your plan to improve — even if the timeline is uncertain. What matters is showing you heard them and you're working on it.

Never respond emotionally or defensively. That erodes trust — not just with the reviewer, but with everyone reading. The best defense against bad reviews is proactive feedback collection at checkout. Meet as many guests as you can before they leave. A quick face-to-face conversation signals that the property is actively managed and that their experience matters.

Reviews are your most valuable marketing asset. They outperform paid ads by a mile. You want as many as possible, and as positive as possible. More reviews = more social proof. Better scores = higher conversion. Both matter. In fact, having too few reviews can hurt you — travelers want enough data to make a confident decision.

Collect as many reviews as possible — and use them to improve. (Source: Google Images)

How to get more reviews

The easiest way? Just ask. When a guest checks out, ask how their stay was. If they loved it, invite them to leave a review on the spot. If they had issues, follow up later via email or messaging — once you've had a chance to address their concerns.

Even happy guests often forget to leave reviews. So send periodic follow-up messages to recent guests asking them to share feedback. Use email or in-platform messaging (like Airbnb or Booking.com). If your guest base is international, prepare templates in multiple languages. Send reminders once or twice a month at minimum. You can also run review incentive campaigns around special occasions — your property's anniversary, holidays, summer travel season — offering small perks in exchange for honest reviews.

The host's actions can breathe life into a struggling property — or kill a thriving one. Great hosting can compensate for facility shortcomings. Weak hosting can sink even a beautiful space. In guesthouses, people are everything.

As automation advances and labor costs rise, some have predicted that human roles will shrink. Technology is impressive. But guesthouse guests don't choose properties based on how cutting-edge the tech stack is. They choose based on something only humans can deliver: personality, warmth, presence. That's the guesthouse advantage. And if you lean into it — if you let your individuality shine through in how you design the space, interact with guests, and run day-to-day operations — you'll have a real shot at standing out in a crowded market.

Let your host's personality shine — that's how you get chosen. (Source: Google Images)

[Series Index]

(Stories About People in Guesthouses) 01. Prologue + I'm a Guesthouse Staffer 02. A Day in the Life of Guesthouse Staff — 25 Hours Behind the Scenes 03. Why Did 'Guestaff' Become a Thing? 04. The One Thing Every Guesthouse Needs Most: People

(Stories About Guesthouse Operations) 05. The Worries of Guesthouse Owners 06. There Are Great Guesthouses — and Terrible Ones 07. What Successful Properties Have in Common 08. Guesthouse Standards

(Stories About Starting a Guesthouse) 09. Is a Guesthouse Hospitality, Service, or Real Estate? 10. The DNA of a Guesthouse Operator 11. Do Only the Right People Succeed? Or Only the Right Properties? 12. Even So, I Love Guesthouses

View the full magazine edition <<

⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA (온다)' when quoting.