Asheville to the Smokies — Mountain STR Management

Your Mountain Property.
Our Full-Time Job.

We handle everything — guest communications, dynamic pricing, cleaning coordination, and maintenance — so you collect the revenue without the headaches.

Get a Free Revenue Estimate See How It Works
$280+Avg. Nightly Rate
73%Avg. Occupancy Rate
18%Simple Flat Management Fee
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Sound Familiar?

Owning a short-term rental shouldn’t feel like a second job.

Most property owners in the mountains bought their cabin as an investment — not a full-time obligation. But between guest messages at 11pm, chasing cleaners, juggling platforms, and trying to figure out pricing… that’s exactly what it becomes.

Hillside Stays was built differently. We build the infrastructure behind your property — direct booking systems, automated workflows, dynamic pricing, and a web presence that drives revenue outside the OTAs — then run it all, so you don’t have to.

See How It Works
💸

OTA Fees Eating Your Margins

Airbnb and VRBO take 3–15% on every booking. Without a direct channel, that’s tens of thousands left on the table every year.

🕐

No Time, No Systems

Constant guest messages, check-in issues, and last-minute requests eat up hours every week — with no automation to catch the gaps.

📉

Revenue Left Behind

Static pricing, weak listing copy, and zero direct booking presence means you’re earning far less than your property is worth.

Lightning Bug Holler indoor pool with Van Gogh Starry Night mural, Pigeon Forge Tennessee
⚡ Property Spotlight
Lightning Bug Holler
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee · Near Dollywood
🏊Private indoor pool · Van Gogh Starry Night mural
🎮Arcade game room · 3-level cabin
🪩Hot tub · Infrared sauna
🍕Outdoor pizza oven
🏰Secret third-floor clubhouse
Direct
Booking Website Built
$0
OTA Fees on Direct Bookings
Ranked
SEO-Optimized Listing
Live
lightningbugholler.net
Property Spotlight

Every property we manage
gets its own direct booking home base.

Lightning Bug Holler is our Smoky Mountain flagship — and the blueprint for how we approach every property we take on. It’s not just managed. It’s built into a brand.

The cabin has a custom direct booking website at lightningbugholler.net, its own SEO strategy, social media presence, and automated guest journey — all built and operated by Hillside Stays. Every property we manage gets this, built in from day one.

“Every property we manage gets the same treatment — a custom direct booking site, optimized listing, and revenue infrastructure designed to compete on any platform and win off of them.”

While other co-hosts are managing your Airbnb, we’re building the system that makes you less dependent on it.

See the live site — lightningbugholler.net →
What We Do

Revenue infrastructure,
not just property management.

We build the systems that drive direct bookings and maximize revenue — then operate every part of your property so you never have to.

Most Impactful

Direct Booking Infrastructure

We build your property a custom direct booking website, SEO strategy, social media presence, and automated guest journey — cutting OTA dependency and keeping more revenue in your pocket. Every property we manage gets this, built in.

  • Custom direct booking website with your own domain
  • SEO optimization to rank in local searches
  • Social media setup & content scheduling
  • Booking engine + automated guest communications
  • OTA fee savings grow your net revenue over time
⚡ See it live: Lightning Bug Holler →

24/7 Guest Communications

We’re genuinely hands-on with every guest — AI handles the speed, we handle the judgment. Most co-hosts outsource communications overseas; we’ve built infrastructure that keeps it local, consistent, and fast.

  • Sub-5-minute response times via AI-assisted workflows
  • Human oversight on every escalation & edge case
  • Check-in & check-out coordination
  • Maintenance coordination & issue resolution
  • 5-star review management & guest follow-up
▶ See exactly how our system works →

Dynamic Pricing Management

AI-powered pricing that adjusts daily based on local demand, events, competitor rates, and seasonal trends — guided by our local market expertise and reviewed by our team. We stay hands-on so the numbers always reflect the nuance of these mountains, not just an algorithm.

  • Daily rate optimization
  • Event & season surge pricing
  • Competitor market analysis
  • Multi-platform sync (Airbnb, VRBO + direct)

Operations & Maintenance

We manage your cleaning team, coordinate maintenance, and handle every vendor relationship. Every turnover happens on time, every repair gets handled fast — without you involved.

  • Turnover scheduling & quality inspections
  • Supplies restocking & deep cleans
  • 24/7 issue reporting & vendor coordination
  • Preventative maintenance scheduling

All services included in one simple flat fee — 18% of gross revenue. No hidden charges. No nickel-and-diming.

Get Your Free Estimate
The Hillside Stays Difference

Powered by AI.
Built for the mountains.

Most co-hosts are just people with spreadsheets. We’ve built an AI-powered operations system that lets us respond faster, price smarter, and manage more properties — but make no mistake: our hands-on expertise is still the driving force. The technology handles the speed and scale; we handle the judgment, the relationships, and everything that actually matters to your guests and your bottom line.

The result? Higher occupancy, better reviews, and fewer problems — for every owner we work with. Plus a growing direct booking channel that puts more revenue in your pocket over time.

Learn More
<5min Avg. guest response time
Daily Pricing updates, AI-driven
18% Flat fee, nothing hidden
Typical Co-Host
Hillside Stays
Guest Response Time
Hours
Under 5 min
Pricing Updates
Weekly
Daily, AI-driven
Direct Booking Channel
None
Built & managed
Owner Reporting
Monthly PDF
Real-time dashboard
Automation & Systems
Manual workflows
End-to-end automated
Your Time Spent
Still too much
Zero
The Process

From signed agreement
to first deposit.

Getting started is simple. We do the heavy lifting from day one — including the direct booking infrastructure most managers never build.

01

Free Consultation & Revenue Estimate

We review your property, walk through current market data for your area, and give you a realistic projection of what your cabin can earn — including what a direct booking channel could add on top of OTA revenue.

02

Agreement & Onboarding

We handle the paperwork. You sign our straightforward co-hosting agreement, we get access to your listing accounts, and we start building your full property profile across all platforms.

03

Infrastructure Build-Out

We rewrite your listing, set up dynamic pricing, configure automated messaging — and build your custom direct booking website. This is the piece most co-hosts skip. We don’t.

04

We Go Live — You Step Back

From the moment your listing is live, we handle everything. Guests, cleaning, maintenance, pricing, direct booking marketing — all of it. You get real-time reporting and can check in on your property anytime.

05

Collect Your Revenue

Funds are disbursed monthly. Our 18% fee is automatically deducted — no invoices, no chasing. Just a clean deposit, a detailed earnings report, and a growing direct booking share working for you over time.

Everything included.
One flat fee.

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Custom direct booking website built for your property

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SEO-optimized listing across all major platforms

✓

AI-powered daily pricing, updated every 24 hours

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24/7 guest communications and issue resolution

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Cleaning coordination and vendor management

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Real-time owner dashboard and monthly reporting

Get a Free Estimate
Our Markets

Two of the Southeast’s
strongest STR corridors. One team.

We operate across Western North Carolina and the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee — two distinct, year-round markets with complementary seasons and consistent demand.

Aerial view of the Asheville, NC mountains
🏔 Western North Carolina

The Asheville Corridor

Year-round demand driven by arts & culture, outdoor recreation, and one of the South’s most celebrated food scenes. Fall color season creates surge demand unlike anywhere in the region.

$270+/night
Avg Nightly Rate
73%
Avg Occupancy
12mo
Year-Round
Communities we serve
AshevilleWeavervilleBlack MountainSwannanoaHendersonvilleBrevardWaynesvilleMaggie Valley
Great Smoky Mountains mist over the valley
🌪 The Smoky Mountains, TN

The Smokies Corridor

Home to America’s most-visited national park and one of the country’s highest-volume STR markets. Tens of millions of visitors annually create consistent, year-round demand.

$265+/night
Avg Nightly Rate
71%
Avg Occupancy
Top 5
US STR Market
Communities we serve
GatlinburgPigeon ForgeSeviervilleWears ValleyTownsendCosbyWalland
🏔 WNC Market Performance
Asheville
$285/night avg
74% occupancy
Black Mountain
$245/night avg
71% occupancy
Brevard
$230/night avg
69% occupancy
Waynesville
$220/night avg
68% occupancy
🌪 Smokies Market Performance
Gatlinburg
$275/night avg
72% occupancy
Pigeon Forge
$260/night avg
70% occupancy
Sevierville
$235/night avg
69% occupancy
Wears Valley
$250/night avg
71% occupancy

Want to know what your specific property could earn — including direct bookings?

Get My Free Revenue Estimate
What People Say

Trusted by property owners
across WNC & the Smokies.

★★★★★

“Hillside Stays completely transformed our rental. We went from stressing over every booking to just collecting deposits. Our revenue is up 30% and we haven’t had to deal with a single guest issue.”

JS
Jane S.Cabin Owner, Asheville
★★★★★

“The direct bookings website they built for us is a game changer. We’re saving thousands in OTA fees and our calendar has never been fuller. The SEO work alone paid for itself in the first month.”

MR
Mark R.Property Owner, Black Mountain
★★★★★

“I was skeptical about co-hosting, but Dylan and the team have been incredible. The systems they built — the website, the automated messaging, the pricing — it runs like a real business.”

KT
Karen T.Mountain Home Owner, Pigeon Forge
Dylan in the mountains of Western North Carolina
Meet the Founder

Hi, I’m Dylan —
Builder. Operator. WNC local.

Hi, I’m Dylan — a Western North Carolina local, builder, and operator. I’ve called WNC home for the past 10 years after graduating from Appalachian State University with a BSBA focused on Digital Marketing and Sales. My career has largely been in early-stage and high-growth environments where I’ve worked across sales, marketing, and operations.

That path eventually led me into the short-term rental space, where I worked in national sales operations helping investors buy and sell STR properties across the country. Along the way I developed a strong interest in the systems behind successful rental businesses — from listing optimization and SEO to automation and scalable workflows.

Over time I realized something: most STR investors weren’t lacking opportunity — they were lacking infrastructure.

So I built Hillside Stays to solve that problem.

Today I help owners across Western North Carolina and the Smoky Mountains turn great homes into high-performing rentals through strong listings, smart pricing, direct booking infrastructure, and streamlined operations.

Let’s Talk About Your Property
Common Questions

Everything you need to know
before getting started.

It means we build your property a complete direct booking system — a custom website with its own domain, SEO-optimized so it ranks in search results, a built-in booking engine, and automated guest messaging. This lets you take bookings directly from guests without paying OTA platform fees (typically 3–15% per booking). Over time, this channel compounds: more direct bookings mean more revenue per night and a guest list you actually own.

It means we take 18% of whatever your property earns before any platform fees. If your property earns $5,000 in a month, our fee is $900. There are no additional charges, setup fees, or monthly minimums. The only other costs are Airbnb’s standard host service fee (typically 3%) and cleaning fees, which are passed through to guests. Direct bookings through your own site have no OTA fee at all — just our management fee.

No — we can start from scratch. Whether you have an existing listing we’re taking over or a property that’s never been listed, we handle the full setup: photography coordination, listing writing, platform account creation, dynamic pricing configuration, and your direct booking site build-out.

Your property stays yours. We build in owner-block periods whenever you need them. We ask for reasonable advance notice — especially during peak seasons — so we’re not canceling existing reservations, but you have full rights to use your own property.

We serve Western North Carolina including Asheville, Weaverville, Black Mountain, Old Fort, Swannanoa, Hendersonville, Brevard, Waynesville, Maggie Valley, and the surrounding mountain communities. We also serve the Smoky Mountain region of Eastern Tennessee, including Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Wears Valley, Townsend, and surrounding areas. Not sure if your property qualifies? Reach out and we’ll let you know.

Our standard agreement is for an initial 6-month term, after which it renews month-to-month. We believe in earning your continued business — not locking you in. Either party can terminate with 30 days written notice after the initial term.

We document property condition before and after every stay and file claims with Airbnb’s AirCover (up to $3M in host protection) or VRBO’s equivalent programs when damage occurs. We handle the entire claims process on your behalf, and we recommend maintaining a short-term rental rider on your homeowner’s insurance as an additional layer of protection.

Get Started

Let’s talk about
your property.

Fill out the form and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours with a free, no-obligation revenue estimate — including what a direct booking channel could add.

📍Serving Western North Carolina & the Smoky Mountains
⌛Response within 24 hours
📧hello@hillsidestays.net

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No spam. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about your property’s potential.

✓

Got it — thank you!

We’ll review your property details and get back to you within 24 hours with your free revenue estimate.

🔒

Existing Owner?

Access your property dashboard, view upcoming reservations, download earnings statements, and message our team.

Access Owner Portal →