Escaping the Daily Grind: How Hi5 Apartments Runs 250+ Units on Autopilot

Managing a thriving short-term rental business in the bustling heart of Budapest is an achievement. Scaling it to a massive portfolio of over 250 city-center apartments? That requires an absolute masterclass in operational efficiency.

For Hi5 Apartments, surviving and thriving over 15 years in the hospitality sector meant recognizing a fundamental truth: human power alone cannot scale indefinitely. By ditching manual, time-consuming updates and embracing smart pricing automation, the Hi5 team completely re-engineered their daily operations—maximizing profitability while drastically cutting down their required working hours.

The Bottleneck: The Nightmare of Manual Updates

Before locking in their modern tech stack, the Hi5 team was caught in an administrative trap. For a diverse portfolio spanning cozy studios to sprawling multi-room units, daily pricing required a colossal amount of human effort.

"Pricing and booking management were largely manual or semi-automated. This made it difficult to react quickly to market changes, seasonality, and demand fluctuations. Managing multiple platforms created inefficiencies, increased the risk of overbookings, and demanded significant administrative effort from our team."

Every day was a race against the clock to review and adjust rates, leaving little room to focus on high-level strategy or the international guest experience.

The Breakthrough: Building a Seamless Tech Stack

To break through the ceiling, Hi5 Apartments needed software that didn't just organize their properties, but actively worked to fill them at the best possible price without human intervention.

The Foundation: SabeeApp

Back in the early 2010s, Hi5 was hunting for a Property Management System that could reliably sync directly with Airbnb—a rare feature at the time. SabeeApp fit the bill perfectly and quickly became the operational heartbeat of the business.

"SabeeApp serves as a central hub for managing reservations, guest communication, and channel distribution. The interface is intuitive, and the automation features have reduced manual workload while minimizing errors, especially when handling a large number of apartments."

The Catalyst: PriceLabs

As the portfolio swelled to 250+ units, Hi5 realized they needed a dedicated, elite pricing tool that seamlessly snapped into SabeeApp. Enter PriceLabs.

"PriceLabs has been especially valuable in optimizing our strategy. The engine reacts to market demand, local events, and seasonality in real time, helping us stay competitive. The ability to fine-tune rules gives us the exact flexibility we need."

The Payoff: Maximum Revenue, Minimal Screen Time

The true measure of Hi5's success isn't just in their booking revenue—it is in the total transformation of their workday. By establishing a rigid system of smart pricing automation, the team achieved the ultimate operational win.

• Reclaimed Hours

"Previously, we had to manually review and adjust prices on a daily basis. With PriceLabs and SabeeApp, we are now able to achieve the same occupancy levels and revenue with fewer working hours."

• Laser-Focused Strategy: Liberated from the daily pricing grind, the team now channels their energy into high-impact strategic tasks and elevating the guest experience.
• Bulletproof Operations: Automated synchronization wiped out the stress of double-bookings and manual data-entry errors.

George’s Blueprint for Massive Scale

With over a decade and a half of hospitality experience under his belt, George Balogh shares his top-tier advice for operators looking to scale without burning out:

• Automate From Day One

"Invest in automation early. Do not wait for your portfolio to outgrow your processes."

• Connect the Dots

"Choose tools that integrate well with each other. The combination of a reliable PMS and intelligent pricing makes a massive difference in day-to-day efficiency."

• Stay Sharp

"Take the time to properly set up your strategies and continuously review your performance data."

By pairing deep local expertise with cutting-edge software, Hi5 Apartments didn't just build a 250-unit empire—they built a scalable system that practically runs itself.

Discover how PriceLabs and SabeeApp help vacation rental managers boost occupancy, increase revenue, and simplify daily operations — explore the full PriceLabs and Sabeeapp integration story here and more customer success stories.