$300K+ a Year in New Revenue: How Goldnest Runs 240+ Luxury Texas Rentals with Enso Connect
Goldnest, a 240+ property manager in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, adds an average of $30K a month in upsells and damage waivers with Enso Connect on Guesty.
"The damage waiver and the early check-in, late check-out upsell translate immediately to an average of $30,000 a month and over $300,000 a year of extra income on the same activity that we do."
Tal Ifrah
Co-Founder, Goldnest Property Management
Challenges
Scaling Past 200 Properties
Long Unreadable Guest Messages
Manual Lock Code Management
High DFW Party Risk
Goals
Deliver Hotel-Level Guest Experience
Add Revenue Per Booking
Automate Guest Access Codes
Screen Out Risky Bookings
The Problem
Goldnest manages 240+ properties across Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, most of them luxury single-family homes with four or more bedrooms and a pool. The company grew entirely through owner referrals and organic search, and the jump from 150 to 240+ properties demanded a different management structure - with housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, and 24/7 guest support running across one of the largest metro areas in the US.
The guest bar rose at the same time. Short-term rentals are now compared to five-star hotels, but Goldnest's check-in instructions and house manuals went out as one long block of text by SMS, platform message, or email. Lock codes were handled manually, and in a market fighting party houses and fraudulent bookings, every guest also had to be screened before arrival.
The Solution
Goldnest implemented Enso Connect on top of Guesty about five years ago to replace text-heavy guest messages with the Boarding Pass - a web-based guest portal that needs no app download. Guests open one link to find check-in instructions, house guides, and a door code that appears at the right time, generated and removed from the smart lock automatically.
Enso Connect also runs Goldnest's upsells, damage waivers, and Autohost guest verification inside the same guest flow. After a strategy session with Enso, Goldnest launched damage waivers and early check-in and late checkout upsells, that started driving revenue within a week. Agents now answer guests in Enso's Inbox with AI-suggested replies.
"The interface of the Boarding Pass was mind-blowing. We understood: “Wait, it doesn't have to be traditional messages anymore."
Tal Ifrah
Co-Founder, Goldnest Property Management
Results with Enso Connect
$30K
average monthly revenue from upsells and damage waivers
$300K+
in extra annual income on the same booking volume
60-70%
of guests choose the damage waiver over a security deposit
"We're being taken care of and have the strong back for our scaling property management company with Enso"
Tal Ifrah
Co-Founder, Goldnest Property Management
About the company
Goldnest Property Management
Location
Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, Texas
Employees
50+ staff
Listings
240+
Goldnest is a Texas property manager specializing in luxury short-term and medium-term rentals, founded almost eight years ago by partners with more than 10 years of short-term rental experience. The company converts homes into rental investments, distributes them on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Marriott, and a network of insurance and corporate housing partners, and runs housekeeping, maintenance, and pool services in-house. Goldnest uses Enso Connect alongside Guesty to automate guest access, messaging, upsells, damage waivers, and guest verification.
Automated Guest Screening Flow
Smart Lock Codes Delivered On Time
Digital Guest Portal and Online Check-in
Easy Add-On Purchases for Guests
How Goldnest Delivers a Hotel-Standard Guest Experience Across 240+ Texas Rentals
How does Goldnest generate $30,000 a month in upsells with Enso Connect?
Goldnest earns an average of $30,000 a month - over $300,000 a year - from upsells and damage waivers on Enso Connect. Guests who want to arrive early or leave late pay for early check-in and late checkout directly in the Boarding Pass, with no extra work for the team. Goldnest launched these offers within a week of a strategy session with Enso founder François Gouelo.
How do damage waivers replace security deposits at Goldnest?
Every Goldnest guest chooses between a security deposit and a damage waiver in Enso Connect, and 60-70% choose the waiver. The waiver costs $39 to $100 depending on the property and covers up to $1,500 in accidental damage not caused by breaking house rules. Goldnest uses it as its own coverage program, paying for accidental damage like a broken lamp on behalf of the owner.
How does Enso Connect handle smart lock codes for Goldnest?
Enso Connect generates each guest's door code, shows it in the Boarding Pass at the right time, and removes the code from the lock after checkout. Before Enso, Goldnest managed access manually. Guests now enter and check out on their own, without meeting anyone.
How does Goldnest screen guests in Dallas-Fort Worth?
The company verifies guests through Autohost inside the Enso Connect guest flow. Dallas-Fort Worth faces a high risk of fraud, unauthorized gatherings, and party houses. Verification replaces the front desk check a hotel would do, confirming the person arriving is the person who booked.
How does Enso Connect help Goldnest's team stay efficient as it grows?
Enso Connect makes Goldnest’s team more efficient rather than replacing it. Automated messages, smart lock automation, upsells, extension requests, and AI-suggested replies each remove manual steps from the guest journey. The company’s agents use Enso's AI-suggested replies daily and find them highly relevant.
What is Goldnest's favourite Enso Connect feature?
The Boarding Pass, including the upsells inside it. It turns a long block of check-in information into a clean, scrollable guest portal, delivers the door code at the right time, and lets guests add early check-in, late checkout, or a damage waiver in a few taps. The company measures its success by what guests do not mention - smooth check-ins rarely come up in reviews because nothing went wrong.
Why did Goldnest choose Enso Connect?
Goldnest chose Enso Connect for three reasons: a web-based Boarding Pass guests open without downloading an app, built-in upsells, and a smoother agent messaging experience than the other platforms it evaluated. Five years later, direct access to Enso's support and leadership team - and seeing its own ideas added to the product roadmap - keeps the company on the platform.
"There's definitely an edge using Enso from guest experience and from operational point of view."
Tal Ifrah, Co-Founder, Goldnest Property Management
How does Enso Connect fit Goldnest's Guesty tech stack?
Enso Connect sits on top of Guesty, their PMS for nearly a decade, alongside PriceLabs for dynamic pricing and Autohost for guest verification. The company’s in-house tech team, Goldnest Lab, built a homeowner dashboard that connects by API to Guesty, Enso Connect, and the booking platforms, giving owners one view of their property's performance.
Advice for Growing Luxury STR Operators
Focus on the quality of your product, with integrity and intention, and let results follow. Goldnest's approach is to see each guest and their needs first - every happy guest brings the next one, and guest satisfaction is what eventually brings in new homeowners. It is easy to chase what is more profitable over what serves guests better, and the operators who resist that last longest.
Frequently asked questions
What results did Goldnest get with Enso Connect?
Goldnest adds an average of $30,000 a month and over $300,000 a year in upsell and damage waiver revenue with Enso Connect, on the same booking volume and team. 60-70% of its guests choose a damage waiver over a security deposit.
What tech stack does Goldnest use?
Guesty (PMS), Enso Connect (guest experience), PriceLabs (dynamic pricing), Autohost (guest verification), Inflow (inventory and procurement), and an in-house homeowner dashboard built by Goldnest Lab.
How much do Goldnest's damage waivers cost guests?
Between $39 and $100 per stay depending on the property, covering up to $1,500 in accidental damage not caused by house rule violations.
Does Enso Connect require guests to download an app?
No. The Enso Connect Boarding Pass is a web app, so every guest opens a single link to access check-in instructions, door codes, guidebooks, and add-ons.
Does Enso Connect work for luxury short-term rental operators with 200+ properties?
Yes. Goldnest runs 240+ luxury homes with four or more bedrooms across Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston on Enso Connect and Guesty, delivering a hotel-standard guest experience at scale.
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