How to prepare for last-minute bookings (without losing your mind)
There’s nothing like opening your PMS at 8 a.m. and seeing a new reservation pop in for today. Cue the housekeeper scramble, the Costco run someone definitely doesn’t have time for, and the mild panic wondering whether you have enough toilet paper to cover two back-to-backs.
If you’ve ever said, “We just turned that property yesterday… how is someone checking in again today?” You’re not the only one. Last-minute bookings are great for revenue. They’re not always great for your operations.
But, with the right setup, they don’t have to feel chaotic. You can prep for them, plan for them, and actually make them… manageable. (We won’t go as far as calling them fun, but they can definitely suck less.)
Here’s how to get ahead of last-minute reservations, and how sojo fills in the gaps when the unexpected hits.
Start with backstock you actually trust
Backstock isn’t glamorous, but it saves you every single time a guest books within hours of arrival. Most managers think they have enough (until they don’t). One emergency booking can wipe out bathroom kits, trash bags, paper towels, and half your toilet paper supply.
The trick isn’t having “extra.”
It’s having the right extra.
A predictable, consistent backstock means no guessing, no last-minute Amazon carts, and no “Can someone run to the store?” messages in your team group chat. You’re covered even on the busiest weeks, when every property in your portfolio seems to flip at once.
Build a system your team can rely on
Last-minute bookings aren’t stressful because of the guest. They’re stressful because they break the rhythm. Suddenly the housekeeper has to hunt down supplies, figure out which bathroom kits are left, dig through bins, and hope that what they grab actually matches the property.
And, because your team works even faster when the system is clear, a standard setup removes all that guesswork. When every home has a standard setup and your team knows exactly where to find what they need, you don’t lose time trying to piece together the basics. You can focus on getting the home guest-ready (not hunting for the right soap).
Where sojo fits into all of this
With sojo, preparing for last-minute bookings doesn’t mean over-ordering or building a supply room that looks like a mini Costco. We automate the entire restocking process and even handle last-minute reservations.
We start by pulling over your portfolio details—how many homes you manage, how many bathrooms and kitchens in each home. That tells us exactly how many amenity kits, refills, and rolls of toilet paper each home needs.
Then we sync directly to your reservation calendar. Every week, we ship Turn Day Kits tailored to your upcoming stays. Kits are packed by home, labeled by departure date, and color-coordinated for your team. Your housekeeping team grabs the bag, goes to the property, restocks it in minutes, and gets on with the clean. No sorting. No guessing.
But here’s the part property managers love most: sojo’s backstock.
We automatically send you extra amenities (backup bathroom kits, kitchen kits, trash bags, toilet paper) designed specifically for last-minute bookings. If you get a surprise same-day check-in, just pull from your sojo backstock and your team keeps moving.
And because we track your actual reservations, your next weekly shipment automatically replenishes anything you used. You don’t have to fill out a form or call us t place an order because we’ll automatically replace anything you need. We look backward at your PMS activity and adjust forward.
It’s how our clients save hours every week, and sometimes whole headcount; just by removing ordering, sorting, packing, and emergency supply runs from their workflow.
How to stay ready for last-minute bookings (the smart way)
The reality is, last-minute bookings aren’t going anywhere. Travelers book later. Calendars move fast. Weekends fill unexpectedly. The only way to stay ahead is to create a system that stays steady even when your reservations don’t.
A few principles make the biggest difference:
Standardize your setup.
When bathrooms and kitchens look the same across your whole portfolio, your team can turn homes quickly without decision fatigue.Keep backstock that actually matches your amenities.
Random leftovers don’t help you. Quality, consistent extras do.Reduce the number of vendors you rely on.
Every vendor is another point of failure. One missed order can throw off an entire turn day.Automate anything you can.
Turn days move too fast for manual spreadsheets, weekly ordering, or reactive supply runs.
That’s exactly why sojo exists. To make the parts of hosting that used to be stressful feel predictable and (dare we say) easy.
The bottom line
Last-minute bookings don’t have to be chaos. With the right backstock, a a system built for busy teams, and a smarter way to stock your amenities; so you can handle any surprise reservation that comes your way.
And if you want a setup that works even when your PMS is throwing curveballs… sojo’s got you.
We deliver Turn Day Kits, safety stock, and everything your properties need—bathroom amenities, kitchen essentials, paper goods, and more—automatically.
Last-minute bookings might still be inconvenient. But with sojo, they don’t take your whole day down with them. Get a walkthrough from a sojo expert, or skip straight to the good part and request a free sample to see how easy stocking can be.
sojo is an Amenity Automation Platform for Vacation Rentals. With more than 30k properties on our integrated platform, we’re able to support property managers and their staff to keep turn days automated and the products a welcome surprise to their guests.