Thanks For Visiting

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...

Are you bragging about being the first to get booked for a big event or next year’s vacation season? If so, you might be losing money without even realizing it. In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down Far Out Premium Pricing —their favorite feature in dynamic pricing software (like PriceLabs) that has saved them from missed revenue and tough conversations with guests. You’ll learn: What “far...

In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette take on a question from a new host who’s been live on Airbnb for a month without a single booking. Frustrated, they’re wondering if the problem is market saturation, high guest fees, or simply the fact that the neighbor’s house has a pool. If you’ve ever launched a property and heard crickets, you’re not alone. Sarah and Annette walk through the m...

Local events are one of the biggest missed opportunities for hosts. Whether it’s a football game, a concert, or a citywide convention, event-driven demand can skyrocket your revenue—if you know how to capture it. In this episode, Sarah and Annette share their system for spotting demand spikes and making the most of them with the help of dynamic pricing software like PriceLabs. From annual football...

This week’s Hosting Hotline question comes from Shaune, who has a short-term rental in a small town that hosts a massive week-long festival every year. The big question: should you require a full week-long stay during the event, or will multiple shorter bookings at premium rates bring in more revenue? Sarah and Annette break down three smart strategies to help you decide: Require a week-long stay...

Midterm rentals are all the buzz right now, but before you pivot your short-term rental strategy, Sarah and Annette are pulling back the curtain on what it’s really like to run them. After years of managing hybrid stays, they’ve learned that midterm rentals come with their own set of challenges—and they’re sharing the top five realities every host needs to know. From unpredictable income and compl...

When you’re just starting out on Airbnb or launching a new property, one of the biggest challenges is building trust before reviews start rolling in. Should you put “new listing” in your title or description to explain why your property has zero reviews? Or could that actually backfire? In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette tackle a great listener question about whether to use “new li...

In a market some call “oversaturated,” Kristen and Michael have proven that storytelling, strategy, and smart reinvestment can still make a short-term rental shine. The husband-and-wife duo behind The Seventh Ray House in Joshua Tree join Sarah and Annette to share how they got started, the risks they took, and how they continue to grow in a competitive space. From renovating while living on-site...

When it comes to short-term rentals, few topics spark more debate than photography. Do you really need to hire a professional—or can natural, well-lit DIY photos do the trick? In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette respond to a listener comment that challenges their long-standing belief: that professional photos are a non-negotiable for serious hosts. They explore the value of construc...

The 2025 holiday season is a unique opportunity for short-term rental hosts—but only if you plan your pricing and calendar strategy the right way. In this episode of Thanks for Visiting , Sarah and Annette break down how the holiday calendar lines up this year and how you can use it to boost your bottom line without adding extra work. They’ll show you why setting minimum stays, adjusting rates on...

This episode marks a major milestone—500 episodes of Thanks for Visiting ! Sarah and Annette are celebrating by revisiting the most impactful strategies, tools, and lessons shared throughout the show. From pricing to partnerships, tech to team building, they highlight the must-know advice that separates hobbyists from professional hosts. Tune in for a rapid-fire rundown of what’s worked for hundre...