Property Management Part 2: Portfolio Manager

Introduction

The Portfolio Manager in GuestWisely is your central workspace for managing all property-related configurations efficiently. This tutorial covers key features including how to add new properties, clone existing ones, create and manage property groups, organize listings using tags, and link properties to suggest alternatives for guests. You’ll also learn how to delete or restore properties when needed, and apply dynamic pricing strategies such as lead-time discounts and gap-filling to optimize occupancy and revenue.

Add New and Clone An Existing Property

Add A New Property

1. Go to the Portfolio > Portfolio Manager > Add Properties 

2. In the "Add a property" pop-up, enter the Property Name

3. Leave the Clone property field as None.

4. Click Create to create a new blank property profile.

Clone An Existing Property

In the “Add a property” pop-up, follow these steps to clone a property

1. Enter the Property name you wish to create.

2. From the Clone property dropdown, select the existing property you want to clone.

3. Click Ok to create the new property with copied settings from the selected.

Manage Groups

Use property groups and subgroups to organize your listings for easier search filtering and website display. You can control group visibility on your website and add language-specific translations as needed.

Key fields in the Groups table:

• Group name: The name you assigned to the group.

• Assigned properties: Select one or more properties to include in the group.

• Hide from Search Engine: Enable this option if the group is for internal use only.

• Language: Manually edit the group name in different languages.

• Photo upload: Click the upload icon to add an image representing the group.

• Edit: Use the Edit or Delete icons to modify or remove a group.

Create A New Group

1. In the Manage Groups page, enter the group name in the “Create New Property Group” input box .

2. Select the Parent group if applicable.

3. Click on “Save Group+”.

Assign Property To Groups

Organize and control properties, allowing you to assign and manage across multiple properties efficiently.

1. In the Assigned Property column, click the icon.

2. Click  to assign a property or click “Assign All” to assign all properties to this group.

3. Click to unassign a property or click “Unassign All” to unassign all properties from this group.

Manage Tags

Tags help enhance search filtering by grouping properties with shared amenities or characteristics. You can create and assign tags to properties and groups, control their visibility on your website, and add language-specific translations as needed.

Tags offer flexible grouping beyond standard property groups, making it easy to connect listings with similar features.

Tag Table fields:

• Property Tags: List of all tags. Select one or more groups to associate with this tag by clicking on the Assign property group button..

• Assigned Properties: Select one or more properties to include under this tag.

• Hide from Search Engine: Enable this option to keep the tag for internal use only (not visible on your website).

• Language: Use this section to manually enter tag names in different languages.

• Edit: Click the Edit or Delete icons to modify or remove a tag from your account.

Create A New Tag

1. In the Manage Tags tab, enter the tag name in the “Create New Tag” input box.

2. Click on “Save tag +”.

Assign Groups to Tags

In the Assigned Property column, click the pencil (edit) icon.  A pop-up window will appear, allowing you to:

1. Use the left side to assign groups by clicking the + icon next to individual groups, or click Assign All to add all groups to the tag.

2. Use the right side to unassign groups by clicking the - icon next to them, or click Unassign All to remove all groups from the tag.

3. Click on Save group to apply the changes.

Assign Properties To Tags

In the Assigned Property column, click the pencil (edit) icon.  A pop-up window will appear, allowing you to:

1. Assign properties on the left side by clicking the + icon next to individual listings, or use Assign All to apply to all available properties the tag.

2. Unassign properties on the right side by clicking the - icon next to individual listings, or use Unassign All to remove the tag from all properties.

3. Click on Save properties to apply the changes.

Alternative Properties

The Link Properties or Alternative Properties feature allows you to define which properties in your portfolio are similar, helping streamline the quotation and recommendation process. By linking properties, GuestWisely can automatically suggest alternatives when generating quotes for guests, saving you time and improving conversion rates. You can define property relationships based on any criteria you choose, such as location, size, or amenities. Simply select a property and link others that should be considered similar. 

This feature allows you to define which properties in your portfolio are similar, making it easier to generate quotes and offer alternatives to guests. When properties are linked, GuestWisely can automatically suggest comparable options during the quoting process—saving you time and increasing your chances of conversion.

You can link properties based on any criteria you choose, such as location, size, or amenities.

To assign alternative properties:

1. From the "Select Property" dropdown, choose the main property you want to link others to.

2. To the right, use the "Maximum alternative properties" dropdown to set the number of alternative suggestions.

3. Assign similar properties using one of the following methods: individually, by group or by selecting from ungrouped properties
    (Click the collapsible dropdown to show or hide these options.)

4. Linked properties will appear in the Assigned Properties section on the right.

5. Click Save to confirm your selections.

These recommendations can still be adjusted manually before sending a quote using the “Send other alternative properties in quote” option under Reservation Manager > Inquiries. However, setting up linked properties in advance ensures the system better supports your workflow and saves time.

Property Status

The Property Status tab gives you a clear overview of each property's setup progress and connection status across different platforms, including Vrbo, Airbnb, Rentals United, and your website. This helps you monitor readiness and resolve issues promptly.

• Internal property name:  This column shows the internal name assigned to each property. You can toggle between displaying the Property Title or Property ID using the checkboxes at the top.

• Status Column: This column indicates whether the property's setup is complete:

  • Ready: All 8 required setup steps are finished.

  • Incomplete: One or more of the 8 setup steps are still pending, meaning the property isn't ready for channel connections.
    Tip: Ensure the status is set to Ready before proceeding with any channel integrations.

• Vrbo / Airbnb / Rentals United / Website Columns: These columns display the property's connection status with each respective platform. Possible statuses include:

  • Connected: The property is fully integrated and active on the channel.

  • Active: Property data has been sent to the platform, but the listing is not yet live or bookable.

  • Inactive: The listing was previously connected but is now offline, often due to an error or manual disconnection.

  • Needs Attention: A platform-specific error has occurred. Click the icon to view details and troubleshoot the issue.

Related Properties

Managing multiple units within a complex property structure can quickly become complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. With the Related Properties feature in GuestWisely’s Portfolio Manager, you can create clear, logical connections between properties, enhancing both organization and operational efficiency.

Whether you’re managing a collection of villas, units that share common features, or need to list different portions of the same property multiple times, this powerful tool allows you to structure your listings in a way that’s easy to navigate and protects against double bookings. By defining Parent-Child (hierarchical) or Sister (peer-based) relationships, you gain a flexible and intuitive framework for managing your properties with precision and ease.

Parent-Child Relationship

This hierarchical setup links a main (Parent) property with its sub-units (Children). Each Child unit maintains its own calendar, but bookings on one Child can affect the Parent’s overall availability, and vice versa. This relationship ensures that when syncing calendars, the system accounts for bookings at the unit level while also managing availability at the aggregate level, avoiding double bookings across units. This setup is helpful when marketing or renting individual rooms or configurations within a larger unit.

Example: A house where each floor can be rented independently as separate units (e.g., Floor 1 and Floor 2), or together as the full property (Entire House). In this case, each floor would be set up as a Child property, and the full house would be the Parent property that encompasses both, while maintaining individual calendars and availability per unit. 

Sister Relationship

This peer-based setup connects different configurations or layouts of the same physical property. Each Sister listing has independent availability and pricing, but calendar sync ensures that bookings and blocks are reflected across all related listings as needed. This relationship allows flexible syncing and availability management when listing the same property in multiple ways.

Example: A villa can be rented as an 8-bedroom or a 10-bedroom version, depending on guest needs. Each configuration is created as a separate listing (Sisters), but they refer to the same property.

Set Up Property Relationship

Each property must be created individually before setting relationships and can only belong to either a Parent-Child or Sister relationship.

To set up Property Relationship, head to Portfolio Manager > Related Properties:

1. In the Property Relationship section, select either Parent-Child or Sister.

2. From the dropdown, select the Parent property or Base property (for Sister).

3. In the Ungrouped Properties list, select the Child or Sister properties.

4. The chosen properties will be listed in the relationship view, click Save to apply.

Note: The calendar logic for property relationships has no impact on past reservations or availability.

Additional Features

• Ungrouped Properties List: Shows properties not yet linked to any relationship.

• Property Search: Find specific properties quickly using the search bar.

• Select All Properties: Checkbox for bulk-selecting ungrouped properties.

• Include Property Blocks in Sync: This option lets you decide whether a block (like maintenance) on one property should also apply to its related listings. For example, if a 10-bedroom villa is blocked for repainting, should the 8-bedroom version also be blocked? This setting gives you control to sync blocks when it makes sense for your operations and booking strategy.

IMPORTANT: iCal Deactivation Timing

Portfolio Manager’s internal relationship logic offers faster and more reliable calendar sync than traditional iCal links by directly managing dependencies between related listings.

If you previously used iCal to sync property relationships and now wish to switch to this enhanced logic, you can retain iCal links during the initial setup of Parent-Child or Sister structures. Once the new setup is active and verified, iCal links should be removed to prevent conflicts and ensure peak performance.

Recommended Transition Steps:

After you set up the property relationships using the Parent-Child or Sister structure.

1. Navigate to the iCal Sync section and remove any existing iCal links.

2. When the validation pop-up appears, click “Yes” to confirm. This final step is crucial to complete the transition and prevent any conflicting availability data.

Following this process ensures a smooth migration from manual iCal syncing to a fully integrated, real-time synchronization system tailored to your property relationships.

Deleted Properties

The Deleted Properties tab in GuestWisely serves as a dedicated area for managing properties that have been removed from the active system. It offers a safeguard by allowing recently deleted properties to be restored within a limited time frame ideal for reversing accidental or temporary deletions. This functionality helps preserve data accuracy and historical records while giving property managers control over data cleanup and recovery.

Important Notes:

• Retention window:  Deleted properties are retained in this tab for 7 days. After this period, they will no longer be visible and can only be recovered through manual processes.

• What deletion affects: Deleting a property will remove it from:

  • The internal calendar

  • All connected channels

  • Your website

  • All related property content

• What is preserved: Certain financial and historical data remains intact for reporting purposes:

  • Booking reports

  • Accounting reports

  • Owner statements

  • Trust accounting records

• Restoration period: You can restore a deleted property directly from this tab within 7 days. After 7 days, restoring the property through the system is no longer possible. It may still be retrieved from server backups through a complex process, which incurs a $125 recovery fee.