We recently connected with Kelly Martinez and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

My family of five has stayed in quite a few vacation rentals, and they have always been a wonderful alternative to traditional hotels. I often thought that owning and operating one would be a great business and, more importantly, that it would be an excellent fit for my personality. This idea germinated in my mind for years, but it wasn’t until my kids got older and I had time to focus on new endeavors that it started to grow into a business plan. I’ve always loved the charming historical neighborhoods just north of downtown San Antonio, so I started working with a realtor and found a 1940s duplex that had been updated with modern amenities but still had gorgeous original wood floors. It had the perfect layout that would allow me the option to rent the apartments individually or the whole house to larger groups.

It was only after I scraped together a down payment and finalized the real estate transaction, that I realized I needed short term rental permits to operate legally in San Antonio. The ordinance is designed to protect neighborhoods from a glut of short-term rentals, and I was lucky to get permits for each apartment in my duplex. I closed on the house and acquired my permits at the beginning of November and immediately set a goal of opening my doors to guests by December 20th. I hired a talented decorator and together we created two stunning apartments, each with its own unique theme. It was an enormous amount of work, but I accomplished my goal and welcomed my first guests on December 20th, 2019.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I truly believe that the perfect accommodation sets the tone for a joyful and memorable trip. One thing I’ve understood from the beginning is that owning and operating a short-term rental is not a real estate business and certainly doesn’t offer passive income. I’m in the hospitality business, and I like to think of my place as a boutique hotel. I created a brand that’s vibrant and colorful. It’s reflective of San Antonio’s Fiesta celebration and the name SoHil represents the neighborhoods just south of Hildebrand Avenue, an area filled with unique architecture and locally owned restaurants and bars. My guests know they’re staying at SoHil Flats and will never be left with the impression that they’re staying at someone else’s home, which is quite common in the short-term rental industry.

My goal has always been to offer excellent communication and exceptional hospitality. I’ve stayed at plenty of short-term rentals where the host didn’t communicate or even acknowledge my reservations, leaving me wondering if I would have a place to stay upon arrival. I’ve also stayed at places that didn’t leave soap, kitchen essentials or enough towels and toilet paper. Frankly, this is so common that I knew it wouldn’t be hard to impress guests by just providing the basics. However, my goal has always been to provide everything one would expect and then some – pillow spray, white noise machines, a full spice rack and cooking essentials, fresh flowers, snacks, and a welcome note are just a few of the “extras” that make the experience special. Most importantly, though, I really care about making my guests feel welcomed and delighted with their stay. That’s always my priority.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Problems Are Bad

Problems are bad and we all try to avoid them, but I have learned that there’s always a silver lining. Every short-term rental host dreads getting a call from a guest saying they can’t get into the property, they locked themselves out of the bathroom, or the oven isn’t working. Each of these scenarios have happened to me along with many more. So many things can go wrong, and, unlike a hotel, there is only one person who can fix the issue. I have learned a lesson and implemented a solution for every single “bad” situation that I have encountered, and it has made me a much better host. I always test the door locks before a guest arrives and make sure I’m available on my phone when I have someone checking in that day. I was very lucky that the guest who tried making cinnamon buns in the oven that wouldn’t heat was very understanding and forgiving when I couldn’t get it fixed immediately, so I made sure to bring them fresh cinnamon buns from a local bakery. From that day forward I always check to make sure appliances are working properly before each guest. I also leave an emergency key that will unlock interior doors. Each of these lessons came from bad experiences, but they have allowed me to better prepare for and avoid the things that can ruin someone’s vacation. In essence, these were opportunities to grow and learn.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

As a host, I try to overdeliver, be as hands on and attentive as possible, and show fairness and flexibility. I am involved in every aspect of my business, from property management to communicating with guests to cleaning. I consider myself to be “on call” if a guest is staying in my property. My phone is always by my side, and I will respond to any questions or issues immediately.

Fostering relationships with other hosts in my community, neighborhood associations and government officials has also played an important part of my success as a host and helped me build a reputation in the hosting community. Within the first year of hosting, I became a volunteer Community Leader for Airbnb. As such, I’m tasked with supporting and empowering the San Antonio Airbnb hosting community as a moderator for the official Facebook group and sharing their stories, ideas, and feedback with the community team at Airbnb. I’m also a board member of the Short Term Rental Association of San Antonio, which works to educate, advocate for and support the local hosting community, neighborhood associations, and city, county and state officials.

Contact Info:

• Website: sohilflats.com
• Instagram: @sohilflats
• Other: TikTok – @sohilflats

Image Credits
Kat Carey