Wyze
Best Value
Budget-conscious hosts with 1-5 properties who want affordable exterior cameras and a starter smart-home kit.
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View alternativesAll tools/ecobee
Smart HomeUpdated 2026-04-25
ecobee
Smart thermostats and connected-home hardware for short-term rentals
At a glance
Updated 2026-04-25Solid Option
A solid thermostat for STRs, but reach the PMS through Minut or Hospitable
Best for: Owner-operators of one to a handful of premium STRs who want occupancy-aware HVAC and voice control via Apple Home, Alexa, or Google Assistant
Pricing
From $139.99 • No free trial
What ecobee actually is
ecobee is a smart-thermostat and connected-home hardware brand — not a property management system. For short-term rental operators it shows up as the climate-control layer behind a PMS or noise sensor, with native partnerships through Minut and Hospitable that sync thermostats to reservation calendars across 25+ PMSs. Hardware ranges from a $139.99 Essential thermostat to a $259.99 Premium, and ecobee's SmartBuildings arm targets multifamily and commercial buildings rather than scattered STR portfolios.
Core features
- Three Smart Thermostat SKUs (Essential, Enhanced, Premium) sold as one-time hardware purchases
- Works with Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant for guest-facing voice control
- Native Minut partnership that syncs thermostats to Airbnb and 25+ PMSs
- Hospitable thermostat integration alongside Honeywell
- Home Assistant integration exposing Away, Home, and Sleep presets
- SmartBuildings platform for multifamily and commercial portfolios with 2026 multifamily API
Pros
- Broad smart-home interoperability with HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant
- Dedicated STR partnership with Minut covering Airbnb and 25+ PMSs
- SmartBuildings multifamily API expanded in February 2026
Cons
- Direct developer API onboarding closed in March 2024
- No native first-party connectors to Hostaway, Guesty, or OwnerRez
- Smart Security and SmartBuildings pricing is not transparently published
Best for
- Owner-operators of one to a handful of premium STRs who want occupancy-aware HVAC and voice control via Apple Home, Alexa, or Google Assistant
Not for
- Large portfolios that need native PMS-driven thermostat orchestration without third-party middleware
Is ecobee right for you?
Honest per-segment take. Click any card for the full breakdown.
1–5 listings
Small portfolios
If you run one to a handful of premium STRs, ecobee gives you occupancy-aware HVAC and voice control without a per-listing software fee.
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5–20 listings
Mid-sized portfolios
Workable for 5–25 door managers already on Minut or Hospitable who can ride those partners to reach the PMS.
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20–100 listings
Large portfolios
Large portfolios that want native PMS-driven thermostat orchestration won't find a documented direct path — ecobee's enterprise focus is multifamily and commercial buildings.
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Airbnb primary
Airbnb-first hosts
Airbnb-first hosts get the most direct STR path: Minut syncs ecobee to Airbnb reservations out of the box.
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Vrbo primary
Vrbo-first hosts
Vrbo-first operators can reach ecobee through Minut's 25+ PMS coverage, but there is no Vrbo-specific native path documented.
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3+ channels
Multi-channel operators
Multi-channel operators can lean on Minut's 25+ PMS coverage or Hospitable's thermostat layer rather than wiring ecobee directly to each channel.
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