One of our chalets has been running incredibly smoothly since we launched it over three years ago.

No major maintenance issues. Consistent 5-star stays.Back-to-back bookings this past month.

So when a guest messaged saying the hot water ran out after a 5-minute shower, it caught me completely off guard.

The Situation

This wasn’t a standard electric water heater. It’s an indirect system connected to an oil boiler and it's usually very reliable.

The guests were incredibly helpful. They went down to the utility room, checked the electrical panel, tested multiple sinks and showers, and confirmed:

Hot water worked—but only for about 10 minutes.

The First Miss

I called the energy company that services the system annually. They said they’d send a technician by 5pm.

It was a Friday. I waited all day but got no call, no update.

By 5pm, I checked the exterior camera and saw that a technician had come and left within 30 minutes.

Relieved, I messaged the guests—assuming it had been fixed. It wasn’t.

The technician had left without restoring hot water and without providing any explanation to the guests—or to me.

The Crossroads

I called the company again and reached their after-hours service. They gave me two options:

1. Wait until Monday morning
2. Send another after-hour technician, at $200+ per hour, after the first paid service call

At that moment, I made a decision: I wasn’t going to rely on them again for this issue.

The Real Problem

The current guests were checking out the next morning.

But we had another group checking in that same day.

That’s when this went from a maintenance issue to an operations problem.

Friday Night: Building a Plan

Instead of reacting, I focused on control and put a plan in motion:

1. Scheduled a different HVAC technician for Saturday
2. Planned a partial refund for the current guests
3. Proactively informed the incoming group
4. Built a backup re-homing plan

The Backup That Made All the Difference

We’re fortunate to have another rental on the same street, just 2 minutes away.

It wasn’t available for the first night…but it opened up the next day.

So I immediately:

• Blocked off those dates
• Prepared it as a contingency
• Shared the plan clearly with the incoming guests

The goal wasn’t just to fix the issue. It was to make sure their vacation wasn’t disrupted.

Execution Mode

The next morning, the new guests arrived.

As expected, the limited hot water quickly became a concern, especially with plans to use the hot tub and sauna. It wasn’t sustainable for their stay.

So we executed Plan B.

Re-Homing Mid-Stay (Our First Time)

In four years of hosting, this was the first time we had to re-home guests mid-stay.

But because the plan was already in place:

• I called VRBO with a clear solution
• The rep updated the reservation smoothly
• Our cleaning and hot tub teams coordinated quickly
• The new home was ready by 1pm

What could have been chaotic… felt controlled.

The Fix

At this point, the decision was clear: Replace the water heater.

Not patch the old unit with an expensive part replacement. Not delay it.

Just fix it properly and move forward.

Lessons Learned

1. Never assume vendors will communicate

Just because someone shows up doesn’t mean you’ll get:

• a diagnosis
• an update
• or even a basic explanation

Now, I set reminders to follow up throughout the day if I don’t hear anything.

2. Stay focused on the guest experience (not the problem)

We had two groups impacted by this issue.

Neither complained. Both were patient and understanding.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

It happens when:

• you communicate clearly
• you act quickly
• you show you care about their experience
• and you compensate when it deems necessary (and right if you were in their shoes)

Chasing Seamless STR Operation

There is no such thing as a perfectly seamless STR operation.

Things will break. Vendors will disappoint you. Plans will change.

But what does matter is this:

How you respond when things go wrong.

Because guests may forget the issue, but they won’t forget how you handled it.

🚀 Want Help Building a More Resilient STR Business?

If you’re a newer host—or you want to build systems that help you handle situations like this with confidence—I can help.

At Savvy Breezy STR Consulting, I work with hosts to:

• Prepare for the unexpected
• Build backup plans that actually work
• Deliver great guest experiences, even when things go wrong

👉 Let’s make your STR more resilient (and more profitable):