Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals

Most hosts never stay at their own property – and that blind spot is costing them guests they don't even know they're losing. In this episode, James Varley sits down with Ari Eryorulmaz, Founder at Extenteam, to unpack the quiet gaps in the short-term rental guest experience: where tech creates more friction than it solves, why hand-offs between tools are silently hurting your reviews, and...

AI is changing short-term rentals – but is it actually solving problems for hosts, or just adding more noise? In this episode of Build for Growth, Margot Schmorak, CEO and Co-Founder of Hostfully, cuts through the hype and breaks down what AI is genuinely automating right now, what is still more promise than reality, and what hosts risk losing if they don't build the right tech stack. Key question...

61% of Sykes' holiday let owners are already using AI — but how, and what does it actually mean for your listing, your guests, and your future? In this episode of Holiday Let Insider, James Varley sits down with Laura McKellar, Head of Digital Transformation & Optimisation at Sykes Holiday Cottages, to unpack the findings from their latest AI survey and what it means for hosts in 2026. The...

Is UK short-term rental regulation finally working in hosts' favour? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast, Merilee Karr – CEO of UnderTheDoormat Group and former Chair of the Short Term Accommodation Association – breaks down exactly what's coming and what it means for your STR business. We cover UnderTheDoormat's acquisition of One Fine Stay's London and Paris portfolios, Lo...

ChatGPT is changing how guests search for properties – and most short-term rental hosts are completely unprepared for what's coming. Here's how to get ahead of it. In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – Amirali Mohajer, Founder of hostAI (gethostai.com), breaks down how LLM search is reshaping vacation rental discovery and what it means for your direct booking st...

Most Airbnb hosts are leaving money on the table on event nights — not because they don't want to raise their prices, but because they never knew the event was happening. HostAlert is the tool that fixes that. Co-Founder Andy Crosby joins the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – to explain how it works, why it's different from dynamic pricing tools like PriceLabs and Beyond, and whic...

Are you leaving money on the table with your Airbnb pricing strategy? In this episode of STR Pricing Pulse, we sit down with Dr Zak Ali – President of the International Society of Short Term Rental Management (ISTRM) – to break down the revenue management decisions costing hosts and property managers real money. This episode is powered by exclusive data from Beyond. Download The Automation Playboo...

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is underway – and if you have a short-term rental in or near a host city, the next few weeks could make or break your season. Kyle Driskell from PriceLabs joins James Varley on the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – to break down exactly what the live data is showing: which markets are flying, which aren't, and the smart pricing moves hosts are making right now....

The Wimbledon fortnight is one of the biggest revenue opportunities for London Airbnb hosts – but one wrong move during a back-to-back turnover and your reviews pay the price. Chris Rule joins us on Turnover Tactics, the short-term rental cleaning and maintenance podcast from Host Planet and Turno. In this episode: – What separates hosts who are prepared from hosts who just hope for the best – Wha...

AI is already handling 70% of guest messages for the most efficient short-term rental operators. The question is: are you one of them? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – Ruben Verplancke, Co-Founder & COO of Guestway, breaks down how to automate Airbnb guest messaging without losing the human touch. From saving 20 hours a week to cutting your energy bills through...

The Sykes Holiday Cottages Holiday Letting Outlook Report 2026 is here – and it's full of data every UK host needs to see. In this episode of Holiday Let Insider, Rachel Brennan from Sykes Holiday Cottages breaks down the key findings: how much owners are actually earning, which UK regions are performing best, and the property features that make the biggest difference to bookings and revenue....

Are you adding more tools to your vacation rental business but feeling more overwhelmed than ever?  Jannik Abraham, Managing Director of Smoobu, joins the Host Planet Podcast, powered by Hostfully, to reveal why simplicity is the future of short-term rentals – and how stripping back your tech stack might be the smartest move you make this year. If you're an Airbnb host or vacation rental manag...

Most short-term rental hosts have more data than ever – and less clarity on what to do with it. In this episode of Host Planet Bitesize, powered by Hostfully, Melanie Brown from Key Data breaks down how AI is closing the gap between data overload and fast, prioritised decisions – and why the shift from reactive reporting to proactive operations is the biggest competitive edge in STR right now. But...

Most hosts treat Airbnb pricing strategy as a numbers game. Amber Knight says that's exactly why they keep discounting themselves into trouble. Amber joined the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – to break down a real Airbnb pricing strategy: why discounting is a symptom of a deeper problem, how much you should actually rely on OTAs, what it looks like to own your demand before a gues...

Thinking about selling your Airbnb or short-term rental management business? Before you list it, there are steps that could dramatically increase the sale price – and mistakes that could cost you thousands. In this episode, we're joined by Simon Tolson – a twice-exited property management business owner and active industry consultant – who shares exactly what he did to maximise the value of hi...

Your occupancy looks great. Your calendar is filling up. But are you actually leaving money on the table? In this episode of STR Pricing Pulse, we're joined by revenue management expert Dr. Zak Ali to break down the five numbers every short-term rental operator should be watching every single week – and what happens when you look at them together instead of in isolation. What you'll learn:...

Shaun Shirazian, CEO of Lodgify, joins James Varley on the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – to explain why the era of the casual short-term rental host is over, and what professional hosts and property managers need to do to stand out in 2026. We cover how AI is reshaping the guest journey, why direct bookings matter (and why 100% direct can be risky), what the right tech stack actuall...

Discover the top Airbnb tips for new hosts and experienced hosts alike – in this episode, Joseph Cox from Hostfully reveals what guests genuinely care about in 2026, including why an Airbnb digital guidebook could be your most powerful hosting tool this year. In this episode of Host Planet Bitesize, Joseph breaks down five things guests actually want right now, plus the practical upgrades that sep...

Most Airbnb hosts don't lose money on bad bookings. They lose it on bad operations – delayed maintenance, unreliable cleaners, and putting out fires instead of running a system. In this episode of Turnover Tactics, Host Planet's James Varley sits down with Taylor Smith – short-term rental host, property manager, and Turno expert – to break down why vacation rental cleaning and maintenance...

Micah Adler joins the Host Planet Playbook series, powered by property management software, Hospitable, to share how Serenbe – a unique wellness community near Atlanta, Georgia – has built one of the most distinctive short-term rental operations in the US. Micah breaks down the real challenges of running STRs in a rural setting, why over-communicating with guests is central to the Serenbe experien...

How long should a holiday cabin or glamping pod actually last? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – architect Peter Markos explains why too many UK cabins are showing serious wear after only five years, and what it takes to build cabins that last decades, not seasons. James Varley sits down with Peter to walk through the design, materials, and maintenance decisions t...

What does it really take to deliver a 5-star guest experience? In this episode of Host Planet Bitesize, powered by Hostfully, Suzy Turnbull – author of 5-Star Hosting Made Simple – shares five essential lessons every short-term rental host needs to know. In this episode, you’ll learn: - Why hosting is first and foremost a hospitality business - How to build systems and processes that scale - Why r...

What's actually booking in the UK holiday let market in 2026? In this episode of Holiday Let Insider – powered by Host Planet and Sykes Holiday Cottages – James Varley sits down with Owen Burt to walk through the market signals UK operators need to know – including the finding that pet-friendly properties earn 8% more bookings and 16% more revenue than equivalent non-pet-friendly listings. Owe...

How do you build a vacation rental business around themed properties – and turn it into a marketing engine that drives direct bookings? In this episode of the Host Planet Playbook – powered by property management software, Hospitable – James Varley sits down with Ryan Moyer, Founder of Cosmic Vacations, the operator behind one of the most distinctive themed rental portfolios in Florida and Utah. R...

AI is reshaping how guests search, discover, and book short-term rentals — are you ready? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast, Gil Chan from CraftedStays explains how AI is changing direct bookings — and what hosts and property managers need to do now to stay ahead. In this episode, you’ll learn: – Whether AI is a threat or opportunity for direct bookings – Why reliance on OTAs like Airbnb...