Snigdha Parghan
Maui U-Turns on Ban, Boom Launches AI Ops Agent, Airbnb Sees Italy Surge & Seniors Flocking South
Maui is pulling back from its full short-term rental ban, proposing to preserve 4,519 legacy STR units through new hotel zoning, while Boom has launched “BAM,” an AI-powered ops agent designed to automate STR management workflows post a $12.7M funding round. Meanwhile, Airbnb’s early winter 2025–26 trends (based solely on platform data) show Italy booming ahead of the Olympics, US families booking longer rural stays, and retirees heading to Florida.
Hostaway Hits $1B Valuation, Dallas Pushes Rental Ban Ahead of FIFA, San Diego Mulls $5K/Bedroom Tax
📌TL;DR- Hostaway just became the first PMS to hit unicorn status with a $1B valuation, setting a new bar for vacation rental software. Meanwhile, Dallas is pushing to enforce its STR ban ahead of the FIFA World Cup, despite legal roadblocks and rising guest demand. In San Diego, a proposed tax of $5K per bedroom on STRs and second homes could squeeze smaller operators.
Learn How to Reduce Reliance on Platforms at the Direct Booking Success Summit 2025
📌TL;DR- The Direct Booking Success Summit 2025 is a free, online event taking place November 4–6, designed to help short-term rental professionals reduce their reliance on OTAs and strengthen their direct booking strategies. Now in its 5th year, the summit features 30+ expert speakers covering topics like SEO, branding, social media, automation, and guest experience, offering actionable insights for everyone from solo hosts to large-scale property managers.
How the Franchise Model Helped a Vacation Rental Manager Deliver Better Hospitality
📌TL;DR- Michael LeClerc, a former Michelin-starred chef and now the founder of SkyRun Vacation Rentals in Park City, Utah shares how embracing a hybrid franchise model helped him scale his short-term rental business without losing sight of hospitality. In an interview with Uvika Wahi from RSU by PriceLabs, Michael reflects on managing over 100 properties in a competitive ski market by blending high-touch guest service, operational simplicity, and local responsiveness.
AI Trip Planning on WhatsApp: What the Shift Means for Property Managers
📌 TL;DR — AI trip planning is moving from browser tabs to chat threads. We tested GuideGeek, an AI assistant you can chat with on WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook, which offers a glimpse of how travelers could soon plan, book, and communicate all in one conversation. We also saw gaps, like pricing mismatches and the lack of in-chat booking, that still hold the experience back.
Why the Vacation Rental World Summit 2025 (VRWS) in Rome Is a Must-Attend Event
The Vacation Rental World Summit (VRWS) is back for its 12th edition, and this time it’s landing in the ever-so ...
Booking Adds 150k Attractions, Airbnb Pressures Vancouver on FIFA Rules, RMS Links Rooms with Dining
Booking.com Adds 150K Attractions with FareHarbor Integration Snigdha’s Views: Airbnb pushes Vancouver to relax STR rules ahead of FIFA 2026 ...
How Property Managers Can Adapt to Airbnb’s Host-Only Fee Without Losing Margins
Airbnb is switching all PMS-connected listings to a host-only fee model globally , and understandably, there’s been a lot of ...
Booking.com Automates Taxes in Parts of Canada, HomeToGo Goes All-In on B2B, and Lake.com Bets on AI
Booking.com to Automate Tax Withholding in Parts of Canada Snigdha’s views HomeToGo Puts B2B Front and Center After Interhome Deal ...
Airbnb to Appeal New Orleans Ruling, Expands Compliance Push in Spain, Key Data Launches New Tools in the UK
Airbnb to Appeal Court Ruling Upholding New Orleans’ Strict Rental Laws Snigdha’s Views Airbnb Scales Up Its Compliance Push Across ...
Hospitable Launches Cleaner Marketplace, OYO Parent Rebrands to Prism, Austin Clamps Down on Rentals
New Hospitable Marketplace Connects Hosts to 150K Vetted Cleaners About HospitableHospitable is a tool that simplifies short-term rental management by ...
PriceLabs Hits 161 Integrations, HomeToGo Snaps Interhome, Booking.com Debuts Rewards Card
PriceLabs Sets New Industry Standard with 161 PMS Integrations Snigdha’s views: HomeToGo Closes Interhome Deal, Expands With 40,000 Rentals Across ...
Gathern Raises $72M in Saudi Push, Funchal Halts New Rental Licenses, Canadian Airbnb Bookings Jump 10%
Gathern Raises $72M to Power Saudi Arabia’s Vacation Rental Growth About Gathern: Founded in Riyadh in 2017, Gathern has built ...
Booking.com Goes Nostalgia, Airbnb Goes Lifestyle: What Their Latest Ads Reveal About the Future of Travel Platforms
Two platforms. Two bold bets. Booking.com and Airbnb have just launched new ad campaigns, and their creative choices reveal sharply ...
What the Data Says (and What the Experts Do) to Keep Occupancy Strong in Shoulder Season
The summer rush is over, and for property managers, that usually means one thing: the shoulder season slowdown. But in ...
Málaga Freezes New Tourist Apartment Licenses, Airbnb Adds Water Safety Features, Casago Expands with Former Vacasa Homes
Málaga Freezes New Tourist Apartment Licenses Until 2027 Snigdha’s View: Airbnb Launches New In-App Water Safety Feature in Partnership with ...
OwnerRez Integrates With Right to Rent Collaborative, NYC Tenants Protest Intro 1107 Bill, and Pass the Keys Adopts AI Messaging
OwnerRez Partners With Right to Rent for Hands-Free Advocacy About Right to Rent Collaborative: The Right to Rent Collaborative (R2RC) ...
Hostaway Rolls Out AI Messaging, Airbnb Challenges Restrictions in Australia, Lodgify Debuts Payments and Financing Tools
Hostaway unveils AI Auto Reply to cut response times for guest queries About Hostaway:Hostaway is a comprehensive vacation rental property ...
6 Major Airbnb Policy Shifts Every Property Manager Needs to Understand (and Act On)
2025 Isn’t Business as Usual on Airbnb. The new Airbnb rules are tightening across the board. The levers you used ...
Booking.com Reveals AI Trust Gap, Skift Acquires Hospitality.fm and WLT&H, Ocean City Blocks Rental Crackdown
Booking.com’s Global AI Report Shows Travelers Are Ready to Use AI, But Not Ready to Trust It Snigdha’s Views Skift ...
