Highly Skilled Virtual Assistant- with strong experience in the serviced accommodation / short-term rental industry

Virtual Assistant — Serviced Accommodation

Remote · South Africa · Full-Time · UK Hours

Location:

Remote — South Africa based

Hours:

Monday–Friday, 09am–6pm GMT (UK hours)

Contract:

Independent contractor (self-employed)

Rate:

£500 per month (depending on experience)

Start date:

Immediate

About Cocoon Apartments

Cocoon Apartments provides high-quality, fully serviced accommodation across London and surrounding areas. We specialise in hosting business travellers, contractors, and relocation guests, delivering a seamless, hotel-quality experience with the flexibility of short and mid-term stays.

We are a founder-led business with big ambitions — and we’re building the team and systems to match.

About the Role

This is a foundational hire. You will be the first VA in the business, working directly with the founder — which means real autonomy, real ownership, and a genuine opportunity to help shape how we operate.

We are not looking for someone to follow a script. We need someone who understands the serviced accommodation industry inside-out, can take initiative, and wants to grow with a business that is scaling quickly.

This role spans operations, revenue management, guest experience, and business development. If you thrive in a fast-moving environment and want more than a task list, this is the role for you.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Guest Management

•       Managing guest communication at all stages — from first enquiry through to post-stay follow-up

•       Handling booking enquiries and maximising conversion rates

•       Managing listings on Airbnb, Booking.com, and other platforms

•       Coordinating cleaners, maintenance, and day-to-day operations

•       Maintaining high review scores and consistently strong guest satisfaction

Revenue Management & Optimisation

•       Managing listings and optimising pricing using Hospitable and PriceLabs

•       Monitoring occupancy, demand trends, and portfolio performance

•       Keeping listings competitive across all platforms

•       Identifying opportunities to increase revenue and average booking value

•       Improving listing performance — titles, descriptions, photography presentation, and positioning

Business Development & Direct Bookings

•       Supporting strategies to reduce OTA dependency and grow direct bookings

•       Identifying and reaching out to potential corporate clients

•       Building relationships to encourage repeat and long-term stays

•       Supporting development of new booking channels and partnerships

Marketing & Growth

•       Managing and growing social media presence

•       Supporting email marketing — guest follow-ups, promotions, and re-engagement

•       Contributing ideas to improve brand visibility and online presence

Systems & Process Building

•       Creating and improving SOPs, workflows, and operational documentation

•       Identifying inefficiencies and proactively suggesting improvements

•       Setting up and managing automations to reduce manual workload

•       Playing an active role in how we scale — not just executing, but thinking

What We’re Looking For

Essential

•       Proven, hands-on experience in serviced accommodation or short-term rentals

•       Strong working knowledge of Hospitable and PriceLabs

•       Experience managing listings on Airbnb, Booking.com, and channel managers

•       Solid understanding of pricing strategy, occupancy management, and revenue optimisation

•       Excellent written and spoken English — you will be the voice of the brand to guests

•       Reliable fibre or LTE internet connection with a power backup solution (essential given load shedding)

Highly Desirable

•       Experience with direct booking strategies or corporate client outreach

•       Familiarity with social media management and/or email marketing tools

•       Experience building or improving operational systems and SOPs

•       A proactive, problem-solving mindset — you flag issues and bring solutions

Why This Role is Different

Most VA roles ask you to manage a inbox. This one asks you to help build a business.

•       You will be the first VA — shaping how the role and the team develop

•       Direct access to the founder and genuine input into strategy

•       A clear path to growing into a senior or lead role as the company scales

•       Work on a portfolio of quality London properties with real commercial ambition behind them

How to Apply

Please send your CV to hello@cocoonapartments.co.uk with the subject line: “VA Application — [Your Name]”

Include the following:

•       A brief summary of your serviced accommodation experience — properties managed, platforms used, scale of portfolio

•       The tools and systems you use day-to-day

•       One specific example of how you improved revenue, occupancy, or operations in a previous role

•       Your internet setup and power backup arrangements

•       A link to your Airbnb or Booking.com profile / listings if available

 Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and we are looking to hire immediately. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.