How DenverStays runs 12 rentals in the US and Europe from Italy

Manuel Vicente started with one house in Denver. Today he runs DenverStays, with 12 short-term rentals in Colorado, Los Angeles, Italy and Spain. He lives in Italy and manages everything remotely, with a small team and two tools working together: Hospitable and Chekin.

We sat down with Manuel and Patrick from Hospitable to talk about how he got here, what changed when he started using Chekin for his European properties, and what he would tell hosts who want to scale.

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At a glance

• Company: DenverStays (Ca' Palladio in Italy)
• Portfolio: 12 properties in Colorado, Los Angeles, Italy and Spain
• Tools: Hospitable for messaging, tasks and direct bookings. Chekin for online check-in, legal compliance, tourist tax and security deposits.
• Results: 60-70% less time on check-in admin. 2-3 hours saved per property every week in Italy. From 3-4 properties to 12 in about the same weekly hours.

From a house hack in Denver to a brand in Italy

Manuel was in the military. When he was deployed to Italy, he listed his Denver house on Airbnb. Three more properties followed. Then other hosts saw his reviews and asked him to manage their homes too.

"I didn't expect to become a short-term rental manager, but that's how it ended up."

His processes were simple and repeatable. That made it possible to grow into Europe. First he helped friends in Italy. Then he added his own properties in Italy and Spain. In Italy his brand is Ca' Palladio, named after the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio.

The challenge: compliance in Europe

In the US, the rules for guest registration are light. In Europe they are not.

In Italy, every guest has to be registered with the State Police. There are regional licences, tourist data reports, tourist taxes and local rules that change often. Add a new language and a new culture on top.

"European bureaucracy is no joke."

Before Chekin, Manuel collected IDs by hand. He typed each guest's data into the police and regional systems. He chased tourist tax payments by bank transfer or whatever payment app the guest had.

That's where Chekin came in. Our team helped him understand the different requirements across Italian regions. And since Chekin already integrates with Hospitable, the setup felt seamless.

What Chekin automates for Manuel

Legal compliance. Guests complete online check-in with Chekin. Chekin collects their IDs and data and sends them directly to the police and regional reporting systems. This is Manuel's biggest time-saver.

Tourist tax. Booking.com doesn't collect the tourist tax, and absorbing it isn't an option. Now guests pay it by card during check-in. No more transfers to reconcile.

"Chekin has been a godsend in collecting tourist tax and security deposits."

Security deposits. A big share of Manuel's bookings come from Booking.com. These guests expect a hotel-like experience, so a separate deposit feels normal to them. Manuel asks for a deposit through Chekin from Booking.com guests and from Airbnb guests with no reviews. He also uses it for a seasonal rental in Spain.

Upsells. He offers early check-in as a paid extra through Chekin.

How Hospitable and Chekin work together

1. A booking comes in from Airbnb, Booking.com, Agoda or his direct website.
2. Hospitable sends a welcome message tailored to the guest's channel and profile. It links to Chekin to complete check-in, pay the tourist tax and, when needed, the security deposit.
3. Seven days before arrival, a reminder goes out to finish the Chekin check-in.
4. Once the guest completes Chekin, Manuel sends the check-in message with access details: a web app that opens the building door and a Nuki code for the apartment.
5. After checkout, Hospitable handles the review request.

"Chekin and Hospitable are what allowed me to expand to the point I'm at now."

The results

• 60-70% less time on check-in admin with Chekin.
• 2-3 hours saved per property every week in Italy, with no manual data entry into police systems.
• Same hours, 3x the portfolio. With 3-4 properties he spent 10-15 hours a week on top of his full-time job. Today he spends about 10 hours a week on 12 properties.
• No extra hires. One local manager in Denver. In Europe, Manuel runs everything himself.

"Having that automated is very relieving, and it allows me to scale confidently."

Italy's new rules, and what's next

Italy recently tightened its security rules for short-term rentals. Headlines called it a "key box ban". The real change is stricter guest ID registration and a very short deadline to send guest data to the State Police.

For Manuel, this confirmed his decision to use Chekin across his whole European portfolio. Chekin's legal compliance does the heavy lifting so he can meet the deadlines and avoid heavy fines.

Next on his list is invoicing. Today a guest invoice takes him about 15 minutes to write by hand. Chekin recently launched invoicing, and Manuel is looking into it, especially with new requirements coming to Spain in January 2027.

Manuel's advice for hosts who want to scale

• Find your biggest cost drivers and remove them fast.
• Be selective with the properties and owners you take on.
• Pick tech for what each property needs. Insist on open APIs.
• You don't need to live where your properties are. You need time zone overlap, a reliable cleaner and smooth remote access.
• Scaling is not linear. Complexity jumps once you pass ten units.

For Manuel, the industry is becoming more professional every year.

"It's important to step up and offer a more professional experience, which is only possible with platforms like Hospitable and Chekin."