Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals

How does a short-term rental software company reach a $1 billion valuation? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – Marcus Rader, Founder and CEO of Hostaway, shares the story behind building one of the fastest-growing platforms in the vacation rental industry. Marcus discusses the challenges of scaling a global property management software business, the future of the s...

Holiday let mortgages are not the same as residential or buy-to-let products – and many hosts don’t realise that until it’s too late. In this episode of Host Planet Bitesize – powered by Hostfully – Joe Stallard from House and Holiday Home Mortgages breaks down what short-term rental investors need to understand before applying for a holiday let mortgage. If you own – or are planning to buy – a ho...

Thinking of buying a holiday let? The real costs might surprise you. In this episode of Holiday Let Insider, Nathalie Johnson from Sykes Holiday Cottages explains what first-time holiday let owners often underestimate when starting a short-term rental business. From furnishing and decorating to maintenance, compliance, and preparing for low season, Nathalie shares practical advice for anyone enter...

What does it take to launch a short-term rental in the Swiss Alps – and make it stand out in year one? In this Host Planet Playbook feature – powered by property management software, Hospitable – Karen Zimmerman shares the journey behind Chalet Oz in Switzerland, from relocating from Australia to navigating the realities of Alpine hosting. We discuss: • The steep learning curve of year one • Why b...

Will AI replace OTAs like Airbnb and Booking.com? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – Shahar Goldboim, Founder & CEO of BOOM, reveals how agentic AI will transform the short-term rental (STR) industry across the world. We explore: * What agentic AI actually means for vacation rental hosts * Why AI will become the primary travel discovery engine * How independent...

Great photos sell your short-term rental. In this episode of Host Planet Bitesize – powered by Hostfully – professional property photographer Michael Fox shares his top Airbnb photography tips to help vacation rental hosts increase bookings, improve listing visibility, and stand out on Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo. Whether you manage one holiday let or multiple STR properties, strong listing phot...

How do you go from learning the ropes with Sykes Holiday Cottages to building your own standout holiday let brand? In this Host Planet Playbook feature, Justine Ireland from Just For You Holiday Homes shares her journey on the Isle of Wight – including the lessons she learned from Clive Sykes, why communication is everything, and how being hands-on sets her apart. We cover: • Key learnings from st...

Guests expect hotel-level standards when they book a short-term rental – but are hosts delivering? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – Jonathan Wicks from Well & Good Professional Services shares practical advice on cleaning systems, linen strategy, and why standardisation is the foundation of five-star reviews. We discuss: • Why customisation should come after...

Want more five-star reviews on Airbnb – consistently? To help you, we invited an Airbnb Superhost Ambassador onto the show! In this Host Planet Bitesize episode – powered by Hostfully – Katelyn Almeda, from Host With Kate, shares five proven tips to elevate your guest experience and turn great stays into glowing reviews. In this episode, we discuss: • Adding “cherry on top” guest touches • Why a v...

Welcome to the first episode of STR Pricing Pulse, powered by Launchbase and Beyond. Hosted by Launchbase Co-Founders, James Varley and Zak Ali, this episode dives into one of the biggest opportunities in the STR calendar – the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We cover: • What hosts can learn from Russia 2018 • Why demand won’t be “blanket high” across the tournament • Why you should treat it like a series of...

What's it really like hosting in the Belize jungle? In this episode of the Host Planet Playbook – powered by Hospitable – James Varley speaks with Cheryl McConnaughey, from Lucky Dreamer Lodge in Belize, about building a unique short-term rental business in one of the world’s bucket list destinations. Cheryl shares: • Her journey from running a US bed & breakfast to hosting in Belize • The...

Is the Airbnb review system fundamentally broken? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – James Varley sits down with Humphrey Bowles, Founder of Truvi, to challenge one of the most controversial parts of the short-term rental industry: reviews. We discuss: • Why a four-star review feels like the end of the world • The real impact of one-star ratings on Airbnb hosts • W...

What will separate winning short-term rental hosts from the rest in 2026? In this Host Planet Bitesize episode, powered by Hostfully, Sally Henry from Key Data breaks down five critical trends every STR host and property manager needs to understand – from pricing agility and rate discipline to shrinking booking windows and changing guest behaviour. Covered in this episode: • Why pricing agility ma...

Turnovers are the hardest – and most stressful – part of running a short-term rental. But they don’t have to be. In this episode of Turnover Tactics, James Varley is joined by Assaf Karmon, CEO and Co-Founder of Turno, to break down what actually goes wrong with turnovers – and how the best operators fix it. We cover: • Why turnovers cause more stress than any other part of hosting • Why some high...

How do you scale a short-term rental business in one of France’s most competitive coastal markets? In this episode of the Host Planet Playbook – powered by Hospitable – Oihan Campandegui from Destination Côte Basque shares his journey from hotel receptionist to managing 55 short-term rental listings on the Basque coast, including Biarritz. We dive into standardised systems, delivering standout gue...

Is Airbnb losing ground – and why is Booking.com winning right now? On this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – James Varley is joined by Jamie Lane, Chief Economist at AirDNA, to break down what the data is really telling us about the short-term rental market. We cover: • Has Airbnb peaked? • Airbnb vs Booking.com vs Vrbo – who’s winning and why • The impact of Airbnb’s co...

In this episode of Host Planet Bitesize – powered by Hostfully – Cristiana Carpini, CEO of Tara Home Consulting, shares why focus beats volume when building a successful property management business. We discuss: * Why branding is no longer optional * How to build a strong, recognisable brand * Getting your distribution strategy right * Where property management businesses should be visible * How t...

What actually separates average holiday lets from the best-reviewed ones? In this episode of Holiday Let Insider, James Varley is joined by Rachel Brennan from Sykes Holiday Cottages to break down how reviews are really won – and lost – across the guest journey. We cover: • The fundamentals: care, clarity & cleanliness • Where reviews are actually won or lost • What top-reviewed holiday lets h...

In this episode of the Host Planet Playbook – powered by Hospitable – Kristina Koreneva, Founder of Daify Vacation Homes, shares what it’s really like to build and manage a short-term rental business in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We discuss: * Kristina’s journey to Dubai and into short-term rentals * The realities and challenges of hosting in Dubai * Understanding Dubai’s guest avatar * Managing...

In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – we’re joined by Alistair Handyside, Chair of PASC UK, to break down the most important policy developments facing the UK holiday let and short-term rental sector. We cover: - The good news on EPCs and what it means for hosts - Why data and collective action matter more than ever - The proposed visitor levy and its potential impact...

In this episode of Host Planet Bitesize – powered by Hostfully – Gil Chan from Crafted Stays shares five practical tips to make sure your direct booking website turns lookers into bookers. We cover: * How guests actually discover your website * The impact of AI on search and visibility * Why knowing your guest avatar matters more than branding * How to remove friction from the booking journey * Th...

In this episode of the Host Planet Playbook – powered by Hospitable – Emma Kelman, Founder of The Island Holiday Company, shares how she scaled from one property to more than 120 holiday lets on the Isle of Wight — while keeping both guests and owners happy. We discuss: * How Emma got started in short-term rentals * Understanding the Isle of Wight guest avatar * Delivering an outstanding guest exp...

In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – we’re joined by Zak Ali, Co-Founder of Launchbase, to unpack what’s really happening in the UK short-term rental market, and what hosts should expect in 2026. We discuss: - Why lengths of stay are shortening - How booking windows have compressed - Whether rates are likely to rise this year - When hosts should (and shouldn’t) hold...

In this Host Planet Playbook episode – powered by Hospitable – we’re joined by Sab Mulligan from Zzzing, one of the biggest short-term rental operators in Malta. Sab shares her journey into hosting, how Zzzing has scaled, and what really sets the brand apart in a competitive island market. We dive into delivering outstanding guest experiences, navigating the challenges and opportunities unique to...

Shorter booking windows, unpredictable demand, and more competition – pricing short-term rentals has never been more challenging. In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – we're joined by Siana Vesselinova from PriceLabs to break down the key pricing trends hosts need to understand heading into 2026. We talk about how to respond to last-minute bookings without panic d...