Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals

Direct booking champion Mark Simpson is the man Airbnb do not want their hosts to listen to. In today's episode of the Host Planet Podcast, Mark explains why he is Airbnb's nemesis and shares some quirky direct booking strategies (bin advertising, anyone?!) that you have probably never considered. Mark also shares his business story – including how close he came to selling Boostly last yea...

Send us a text During this episode of Host Planet Bitesize – sponsored by Hostfully – Oscar Hepworth from KeyNest shares five reasons why Airbnb hosts and property managers should utilise key management systems. Key takeaways: • Learn how key safety provisions can improve the guest experience and enhance security. • Find out why neighbours and local regulators prefer key management solutions. 1:33...

Send us a text In this episode of the Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, we sit down with Gareth Phillips, Founder of Guestive, to explore how AI is transforming the short-term rentals industry. Gareth shares his journey building Guestive, an AI-powered platform designed to help hosts streamline operations and enhance guest experiences. He discusses the feedback he’s received, the process for impro...

Send us a text During this episode of the Host Planet Mortgage Podcast, Howard Reuben from HCH Financial Services assesses the current state of the holiday let mortgage market. Howard discusses the Bank of England base rate, the Spring Statement, and stamp duty. He also shares details of the best holiday let mortgage products currently available. Key takeaways: • The Bank of England’s decision to...

Send us a text In this episode of the Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, we’re joined by Umair Hassan, Senior Manager of Partner Growth & Revenue Operations at PointCentral. Umair shares invaluable insights on how short-term rental hosts and property managers can solve tech overload, build strong relationships with neighbours, and stay ahead in a competitive market. There are shout-outs for Pri...

Send us a text In this episode of HCH Bitesize, we’re joined by John Deroulet from Wheelhouse, a leader in revenue management for the hospitality industry.  John shares his expert tips on how choose a dynamic pricing tool and discusses how to optimise revenue management for your vacation rental business. Whether you're new to revenue management or looking to refine your strategy, John provide...

Send us a text In this episode of the Holiday Cottage Handbook Podcast, we dive into the world of property investment and management in Cyprus, uncovering what it takes to run a successful holiday rental business from the UK. Our special guest, Lisa Roads, shares her biggest lessons learned, strategies for scaling and exiting, plus insights into holiday let coaching and industry trends. Lisa also...

Send us a text In this episode of HCH Bitesize, brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully, we’re joined by Paul Anderson, Founder of The Social Media Hotelier. Paul shares his top strategies for using Instagram effectively, focusing on how hosts and property managers can optimise their profiles, engage authentically with followers, and ultimately increase bookings. Whether you'...

Send us a text Remember the Oasis Ticketmaster scandal, when 'dynamic pricing' was blamed by the media for eye-watering ticket prices? The reality is that dynamic pricing had nothing to do with it: the actual menace was 'surge pricing'. During this episode, Beyond's Roman Solyanyk details exactly what dynamic pricing is, how it's completely different to surge pricing,...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Bevan Thompson from Hostfully sharing his top five tips to supercharge your short-term rental listings on major platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo. 1:50 The OTAs every rental should be listed on 2:35 Google Vacation Rentals and...

Send us a text The furnished holiday lettings (FHL) tax regime will be abolished next month and to help UK owners prepare for this major change, we've invited Matt Jeffery from Zeal Tax back on the podcast. Matt explains the changes in detail and outlines the fact that every holiday let owner in the UK needs to claim their capital allowances. This is tax relief that a whopping 80% of owners h...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Bart-Jan Leyts, Founder of Otamiser and Autorank, sharing how to supercharge your Airbnb listings and appear at the top of guest searches every time. 1:50 Tip No. 1: get the first photo right 4:25 Tip No. 2: utilise your gap nights  6:52...

Send us a text Emma Kelman from The Island Holiday Company is the special guest’s on today’s show. During the episode, Emma talks about scaling, direct bookings, and how to deliver an outstanding guest experience. She also discusses the unique challenges of running a holiday let management company on the Isle of Wight. Emma named Beyond as her favourite brand and gave Christopher Dillon from Avant...

Send us a text In this episode of the HCH Mortgage Podcast, host James Varley chats with Samantha Turmaine from HCH Financial Services about why property investors are heading north. James and Sam also discuss interest rates, inflation, and EPCs – with news that holiday let properties look set to be mandated to achieve minimum standards of energy efficiency in a similar way to long-term rentals. S...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Eli Pritykin, Founder of Hudson Creative Studio, sharing the top features every direct booking website needs in order to build trust and attract guests. 1:45 Feature No. 1: communicate trust by getting your hero section right 5:03 Featur...

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode six, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, discusses training and tracking your cleaning team. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley. 1:19 Training and tracking 3:38 Checklists  7:1...

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode five, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, outlines the cleaning essentials every Airbnb host needs. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley. 0:56 Essential cleaning supplies 2:23 Fa...

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode four, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, outlines why you should not allow pets at your holiday rental and discusses how to clean popular amenities such as hot tubs. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Foun...

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode three, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, outlines why you should never charge a cleaning fee to your guests. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley. 1:19 Should you charge a clea...

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode two, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, discusses whether short-term rental owners should employ a freelance cleaner or a cleaning company. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley....

Send us a text Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays. During episode one, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, sets the scene for the series, shares her journey in the industry, and outlines the pros and cons of cleaning your own rental. The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Fou...

Send us a text In this episode of the HCH Podcast, we sit down with industry expert Deborah Labi to explore her journey in the short-term rentals world and the many ways she’s helping hosts and property managers elevate their businesses. We learn about Have You Got, The Guest Innspector, the Techsplained series, and The Green Path Podcast.  Plus, Deborah shares why adopting a direct booking mindse...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Steven Core, Head of Business Development at VoltShare, sharing five reasons why installing an EV charger can supercharge both the guest experience and revenue at your short-term rental. 1:40 Reason No. 1: increased visibility  2:49 Reas...

Send us a text In this episode of the HCH Podcast, we sit down with Ben Levy, Co-Founder of Localbird, to uncover how this innovative platform is reshaping the short-term rental experience for both guests and hosts. Localbird, now active in 25 destinations across Mexico, Costa Rica, and the United States, enables hosts to boost their revenue with unique upselling opportunities. Ben shares insights...

Send us a text Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully! In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Marc Ribail, from QALIA, sharing a host of responsible travel tips for the benefit of everyone, including short-term rental hosts and property managers. 1:44 Responsible tourism 3:18 Tip No. 1: the purpose of travel 5:57 Tip No. 2: be mi...