Blog
Airbnb Is Still Bashing Hotels in Its Ads, While Adding Them to Its Platform
TL;DR- Airbnb’s 2026 ads strategy walks a tightrope: bash traditional hotels in global ads while quietly onboarding boutique hotels to expand supply. Its animated “Middle of Nowhere” spot romanticizes isolation, while slick K-pop ads target Gen Z, and “Grand Adventure” campaigns sell curated, expert-led experiences. In Japan, Airbnb abandons global templates for hyper-local authenticity. The message is clear: Airbnb wants to own the entire travel lifestyle, from homes to services, and professional managers who align with the platform’s new aesthetic and guest personas will have the edge in 2026.
Before You Drop Prices: How Listing Quality is Costing You Airbnb Revenue
TL;DR: Mastering Airbnb Listing Optimization is often a more profitable lever than price cuts when bookings slow down. A study reveals only 9% of properties have "Good" content, yet these listings are 38% more likely to outperform the market. For portfolios of 50+ units, manual quality control is impossible to scale. Learn to identify "invisible" revenue leaks using data-backed revenue models. Join our live workshop on January 27, 2026, at 11:00 AM EST to see real listings fixed live.
Airbnb Names New CTO, Booking.com’s Japan Play, Morocco Signals Regulations
TL;DR- This week’s short-term rental industry news highlights three developments. Airbnb has appointed a new chief technology officer, Ahmad Al-Dahle, from Meta. Booking.com joined Japanese travel leaders JTB and Rakuten Travel at a sustainability-focused industry event. Meanwhile, Morocco is moving toward regulating short-term rentals as part of a broader effort to curb rising housing costs.
Did Google Just Make Travel Platforms Redundant?
TL;DR: Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) is ending the 20-year "click-through" reign by allowing travelers to book directly within AI conversations. UCP closes the "Inspiration Gap" by connecting AI agents directly to property backends for live pricing and checkout. While this shift threatens the traditional "search and compare" model of OTAs, professional managers gain a path to direct bookings while remaining the Merchant of Record. In 2026, success depends on data hygiene and machine-readable trust, ensuring properties are bookable where travelers are already talking.
Lisbon Tests Softer Rules, New Vrbo API, Investors Prioritize Stability Over Scale
Lisbon has approved a limited easing of vacation rental rules by reopening select neighbourhoods to new licenses, marking a shift in local regulatory strategy. Expedia has clarified how Vrbo listings are distributed through its B2B API network, expanding indirect reach while keeping control centralized. Meanwhile, a new Yes Consulting report shows investors prioritizing stability and resilience over rapid, asset-heavy growth in vacation rentals.
2026 Vacation Rental Trends: How Travel Is Becoming More Selective
TL;DR- The vacation rental market isn’t shrinking in 2026, it’s sharpening. Travel demand is still high, but guests are more selective, driven by trust, ease, and value. From last-minute booking spikes and pricing psychology to luxury resilience and Asia's growth, these 10 trends reveal where traveler preferences are heading and how professional operators can respond.
Maui Bill 9 Becomes Law: What the Final Ordinance Actually Does, and What Comes Next
TL;DR- Maui Bill 9 is now law under Ordinance No. 5909, mandating a phased-out end to apartment‑zoned short‑term rentals, including Minatoya-listed units. STR use must cease by January 1, 2029 in West Maui and January 1, 2031 elsewhere, with no opt-outs or renewals. Hotel- and resort-zoned rentals remain legal, while lawsuits and potential rezoning efforts may influence outcomes but do not change the law as written.
The Five Stories That Defined Short-Term Rentals in 2025, And What They Reveal About 2026
Every year, we publish hundreds of articles, record long-form videos, Shorts, podcasts, and host webinars covering the short-term rental industry ...
What the Largest Vacation Rental Companies in the U.S. Really Look Like
TL;DR- Most vacation rental operators in the U.S. with 250+ listings fall into one of five archetypes: legacy regional players, multi-market aggregators, tech-driven platforms, luxury specialists, or urban hybrids. Based on the 2025 Comparent 100, scale spans from 250 to 37,000+ listings, but size alone doesn’t ensure success. Organizational discipline, operational DNA, and owner communication matter more than portfolio count. The industry is shifting again, with big players like Casago reshaping the map post-acquisition and Sonder’s downfall warning against over-centralization.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Is Driving Breakout Demand, Just Not in the Same Way Everywhere
📌TL;DR- The FIFA World Cup 2026 is already causing massive shifts in travel demand—but it’s not the same everywhere. Booking curves and pricing are surging in cities like Mexico City and Miami, where demand is early and international, while markets like Kansas City and Dallas are seeing steadier, more domestically driven growth. Regulations, pricing, ticket access, and visa hurdles all shape how the event is playing out, city by city. Hosts and property managers shouldn’t rely on hype—data is the only way to stay ahead of demand trends in the run-up to kickoff.
Why Listing Quality Breaks at Scale And How to Stop It from Draining Revenue
📌TL;DR- Most underperforming listings aren’t priced wrong, they’re simply not getting found, clicked, or trusted. PriceLabs’ analysis of 10,000+ listings found that 88% had content quality issues reducing visibility and conversion. Their Listing Optimizer helps professional managers diagnose and fix those problems across large portfolios. It’s not about rewriting text, it’s about aligning guest expectations with what’s shown, said, and delivered.
Spain Penalizes Airbnb Over Non-Compliance, Milan To Ban Key Boxes from 2026, Forge Tests AI Assistant
📌TL;DR- Spain has issued a €56M fine against Airbnb for non-compliant listings, signaling tougher enforcement under its new national STR registry. Milan will ban self-check-in key boxes on public property from 2026, adding another layer of local regulation in Italy. Meanwhile, Forge Holiday Group is testing an AI-powered concierge, highlighting how platforms are shifting toward conversational, data-driven travel search.
You’re Probably Comparing Your Performance to the Wrong Market
📌TL;DR- Many short-term rental managers rely on flawed comp sets when comparing performance. This article breaks down how physical, qualitative, performance, and strategic comparisons give a more accurate view of where you stand — and how better definitions lead to smarter decisions.
Why Finding Reliable Cleaners Is Getting Harder, And Why It Likely Won’t Improve in 2026
📌TL;DR- Finding reliable short-term rental cleaning staff is getting harder, and signs suggest 2026 won’t bring relief. Property managers are already losing bookings and getting bad reviews due to no-shows and inconsistent quality. With labor shortages across hospitality and growing operational complexity, success now depends on systematizing cleaning operations, not just hiring harder. The winners in 2026 will be the ones who redesign how they manage, train, and coordinate their cleaning teams.
Planning for 2026? What 2025 Market Data Is Telling Large Property Managers
📌TL;DR- The 2025 data shows that demand is arriving later, revenue is increasingly concentrated around major events, and large property managers are operating under a very different performance model than the broader market. Booking windows have shortened, making pricing discipline and patience more important than ever, while early data for 2026 events like the Winter Olympics, and FIFA World Cup already shows demand building much earlier than last year. At the same time, professionally managed portfolios are trading occupancy for higher Average Daily Rates (ADR) and stronger Revenue per Available Rental (RevPAR), and listing quality has emerged as a measurable revenue driver.
2026 Travel Trends: Intentional, Emotional, Experience-Led
📌TL;DR- In 2026, travel is becoming more emotional, intentional, and experience-driven. Airbnb highlights a rise in solo travel, viral TikTok itineraries, and bookings tied to big events like the Olympics. Expedia sees surging interest in fantasy-inspired trips, skincare retreats, and set-jetting led by Gen Z and Millennials. Booking.com reports growing demand for nature escapes, spiritual travel, and health-focused accommodations. Across the board, travelers are choosing how they want to feel, not just where to go, making emotional resonance and storytelling key for short-term rental success.
How Multi-Model Flexibility Can Help Property Managers Reduce the Impact of Regulations
📌TL;DR- Faced with London’s strict 90-day rental rule, Your AirHost scaled to 250 properties by building a flexible management model combining short-, mid-, and long-term stays. CEO Stefan Hoffelner explains how geographic diversification, guest segmentation, and owner-friendly agreements allowed them to grow sustainably while staying compliant. For property managers in regulated markets, this is a real-world playbook for adaptability, not just growth.
Which Airbnb Service Fee Am I Paying? (How to Check Your Host Fee in 2025)
📌TL;DR- In 2025, not all Airbnb hosts were moved to the 15.5% host-only fee—only those using a property management system (PMS) were automatically switched. If you manage your listing directly on Airbnb, you may still be on the 3% split-fee model. To confirm, go to Account → Payments → Service fee and look for the “CURRENT SETTING,” or check a recent payout to see whether ~3% or ~15.5% was deducted. This quick guide helps hosts identify which fee model they’re on and how to verify it in seconds.
Maui Inches Toward Rental Ban, Bali Targets Unlicensed Villas, and PriceLabs gets Recognition
📌TL;DR- Maui’s Bill 9 advances again, potentially eliminating up to 6,000-7,000 short-term rentals by 2026 if final rezoning passes. Bali proposes strict licensing for villas, threatening thousands of unpermitted STRs. Meanwhile, PriceLabs’s Listing Optimizer tool wins industry recognition for helping property managers identify and fix low-converting listings at scale.
How Steve Schwab’s Relationship Philosophy Helped Casago Outperform Vacasa
📌TL;DR- Steve Schwab, founder and CEO of Casago, grew his company through discipline, humility, and relationship-driven leadership. While competitors like Vacasa leaned on tech hype and rapid scaling, Schwab prioritized local trust, owner loyalty, and cultural alignment—proving that people-first business strategies are more resilient than investor-driven growth stories.
