Thanks For Visiting

This Hosting Hotline episode looks a little different. Instead of answering a listener question, Sarah and Annette are pulling back the curtain on a big decision: sunsetting the Hosting Hotline format and refocusing their time, energy, and creativity on deeper ways to support hosts. In this episode, they share the real reasons behind the shift, what they’ve learned from years of Hotline questions,...

AI is no longer a future concept for hosts. It is already shaping how guests search, discover, and choose where to stay. In this episode, Sarah and Annette sit down with AI strategist Rick Mulready to break down what hosts actually need to understand about AI right now and how it impacts visibility, bookings, and direct booking websites. From generative engine optimization to answering guest searc...

Should you rename your Airbnb listing photos with SEO keywords before uploading them? In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette break down when photo naming actually matters and when it doesn’t. They explain how Airbnb and other OTAs interpret image data, why guest search behavior matters more than marketing adjectives, and how intentional photo naming can support long-term visibility and...

Furnishing a short-term rental can feel overwhelming and expensive, especially when you’re trying to stand out in a competitive market. In this episode, we break down exactly where hosts should splurge and where they can save when furnishing their properties. After furnishing dozens of short-term rentals and helping hosts across the country do the same, we’ve seen the same costly mistakes over and...

Airbnb’s host fee changes have left many hosts wondering where, and how, to make adjustments without breaking their pricing strategy. In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette answer a question from Jenna Louise about whether management fee changes should be handled inside PriceLabs or directly through Airbnb or a PMS. They walk through why your base rate must remain stable, why there’s n...

What do the most-downloaded Thanks for Visiting episodes of 2025 have in common? They weren’t about shortcuts or trends. They were about pricing, revenue, and running a smarter hosting business. In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down the top-performing episodes of 2025 and what they reveal about how hosts are thinking differently. From pricing strategy and upgrades to insurance, taxes, canc...

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Vanessa brings a highly unique scenario: an off-grid cabin by the river and a big decision to make: stay fully off grid or add water to potentially increase demand. Rather than treating this as a technical upgrade question, Sarah and Annette zoom out to what really matters: your goals, your values, and the kind of hosting business you actually want to build. In th...

AI is everywhere—and short-term rental hosts are using it more than ever. But where does AI actually help, and where can it quietly create risk? This week, Sarah and Annette are joined by attorney Scott Brown to break down what hosts need to understand before relying on AI in their business, especially when it comes to legal agreements, contracts, and compliance. In this episode, we cover: How AI...

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Randa writes in with a question many new hosts face: What should I be focusing on while I’m waiting to take possession of my first short-term rental? Sarah and Annette walk through exactly how to use this in-between time wisely—so you’re not scrambling once the first guest checks in. In this episode, we cover: Why buying an STR means starting a business—not just f...

Every market has a slow season—and no, it doesn’t mean your listing is broken. This week, Sarah and Annette break down how to use your slow season strategically so you can maximize revenue when demand returns. In this episode, we cover: What actually defines a slow season (and why every market has one) How to stop “panic pricing” when demand doesn’t exist The industry secret: using a slow season t...

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Alexandra asks a common question: “How do you screen guests?” Sarah and Annette break down why the word “screening” doesn’t belong in hospitality—and how hosts can shift their approach to something far more effective: guest alignment. In this episode, we cover: Why your language matters more than you think How to approach bookings from a hospitality-first mindset...

This week, Sarah and Annette break down a simple but powerful strategy every host should be using to stay competitive: analyzing your comp set the same way professional revenue managers do—without spending thousands on data tools. Inside the episode, they walk you through a three-step workflow for using ChatGPT to read, synthesize, and analyze your competitors’ guest reviews so you can understand...

In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette answer a question from Susie, a host who’s leveling up her short-term rental and wants to know: should you provide shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in every bathroom? It seems simple, but this small decision says a lot about your professionalism, your brand standards, and the overall guest experience. The answer is yes—and Sarah and Annette div...

In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down their data-backed predictions for the 2026 short-term rental market. After a recalibration year in 2025—marked by softened bookings, rising standards, and increased competition—they’re sharing the six major trends every host needs to prepare for. They cover what a “flat but stable” market really means, why guest expectations continue to climb, how regu...

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Sarah and Annette answer a thoughtful question from Emily in Australia, who’s deciding between two strong guest avatars for her soon-to-launch short-term rental: a family-friendly, non-toxic stay or a high-demand wedding-guest retreat located just steps from one of the area’s most popular venues. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re choosing the right avatar—or...

Airbnb’s new 24-hour free cancellation policy is officially live—and if you’re not prepared, this change could mean a bumpy ride ahead. In this week’s episode, Sarah and Annette break down exactly what’s new, what’s going away, and how these updates impact hosts of every size. From understanding the shift toward guest-friendly policies, to forecasting cancellations as a standard cost of doing busi...

How long should you clean your own property before handing it off to a professional cleaner? In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette tackle one of the biggest questions for new hosts: when to outsource cleaning—and how to make sure your standards don’t slip once you do. From systemizing your process to defining what a “done” bed actually looks like, the duo walks through the mindset shi...

This week, Sarah and Annette sit down with CPA and tax strategist Amanda Han to break down the major tax updates hosts need to know heading into 2025. From the newly passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” to evolving depreciation rules, Amanda explains what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and how short-term rental owners can use these updates to maximize savings and make smarter financial decisions. S...

When should you actually use Airbnb promotions—and are they really just discounts in disguise? In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette clear up the confusion around Airbnb’s promotion tools and explain how to use them strategically to boost visibility, not slash profits. They cover: How Airbnb really calculates your “discount” (hint: it’s not off your nightly rate) Why promotions should...

If you’ve been collecting guest emails for years but never actually sent one—this episode is for you. Sarah and Annette are walking you through five repeatable guest email ideas to help you stay connected with past guests, strengthen loyalty, and drive more direct bookings—all without sounding pushy or salesy. From newsletters to new-amenity announcements, you’ll learn how to keep your property to...

This Hosting Hotline question comes from Renee, a Superhost in Tucson, Arizona, who found herself in an incredibly frustrating situation: after purchasing a new property, Airbnb deactivated the listing—citing “violations” she couldn’t see and refusing to explain why. In this episode, Sarah and Annette unpack what to do if this ever happens to you. They’ll walk through practical next steps for appe...

Think charging extra per guest is helping you make more money? Think again. In this episode, Sarah and Annette reveal how per-guest pricing could actually be hurting your short-term rental business—and why it’s one of the most common (and costly) settings hosts overlook. They’ll break down: Why Airbnb’s new “all-in” pricing model makes per-guest fees confusing and expensive for guests How hidden f...

If your guests keep telling you your place is too cheap, this episode is for you. This week on the Hosting Hotline, Sarah is joined by COO and revenue management expert Colleen Prochaska to unpack one of the trickiest parts of hosting—pricing your short-term rental. They break down: How to know if your property is truly “doing well” (spoiler: five-star reviews don’t pay the bills) The difference b...

What does it take to turn a 10,000-square-foot building into a thriving short-term rental that can host up to 42 guests? For Andrew Llewellyn, the answer included grit, rejection, and relentless problem-solving. In this episode, Sarah and Annette sit down with Andrew to hear how he went from running ice cream shops and a food truck to becoming a real estate developer along Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail...

Should you use your company logo instead of your photo on Airbnb? It’s a question that comes up often—and in this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah is joined by a special guest: Thanks for Visiting’s Chief Operations Officer, Colleen Prochaska . With Annette out on a well-deserved vacation, Sarah and Colleen team up to tackle Samantha’s question about whether Airbnb hosts can (and should) use their c...