Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights

What's the best property management system... for YOU? 🏠

In this episode of Build for Growth, James Varley sits down with Frank Bosi from Hostfully to break down how short-term rental hosts should actually evaluate a PMS – and the biggest mistake operators make when choosing one.

We cover researching PMS options on YouTube, where ChatGPT/Claude recommendations can lead you astray, the must-have features every host needs, and how to pressure-test a system before committing.

🎁 Hostfully is offering Build for Growth listeners FREE PMS onboarding + 30% off digital guidebooks for life. Find out more: https://www.hostfully.com/host_planet

📧 Email Frank: [email protected]

📅 Book a Hostfully demo with Frank: https://cal.mixmax.com/frankbosi/demo?re=IiY1x2YuQXZuFGbwR3cvhGQzVWbhpmI&rn=ISelxmchZFIzVWbhpkI&messageId=UjWJnyJQ1a9zxhP2C

TIMESTAMPS

2:49 Free PMS onboarding + 30% off guidebooks with Hostfully

3:59 What's the best PMS… for me?

6:32 The biggest mistake operators make when choosing a PMS

10:05 How to research PMS options on YouTube

12:50 Where to be careful with ChatGPT/Claude recommendations

17:52 Features every host needs from a PMS

21:22 Why now is the right time to start using a PMS

24:28 How to pressure-test a PMS

27:19 AI that saves time vs. AI that's just a buzzword

29:09 How to choose the right PMS first time

32:53 Frank's elevator pitch for Hostfully

33:52 Connect with Frank + check out Hostfully

#Airbnb #ShortTermRental #PropertyManagementSystem #Hostfully #VacationRental #AirbnbHost #STR

Shorter breaks. Last-minute bookings. Solo travellers. Group getaways. And a 1,389% spike in traffic from AI tools.

The UK holiday let market is shifting – and if you're still managing your property the same way you were two years ago, you're probably leaving bookings on the table.

In this episode of Holiday Let Insider, James Varley is joined by Owen Burt, SEO Manager at Sykes Holiday Cottages, for a data-driven breakdown of exactly where the UK staycation market stands right now – and what savvy owners are doing to stay ahead of it.

🕐 Episode Chapters:

00:00 Episode starts

1:45 Staycations in the UK remain very popular

4:35 Guests are booking shorter breaks at short notice

9:25 The most popular UK locations – and what to do if you're in a quieter area

14:59 The peak booking periods you need to plan around

19:51 How Sykes Holiday Cottages can help you manage your holiday let

20:40 The huge impact of solo travellers on the market

25:33 The growth of group travel

30:36 1,389% jump in traffic from AI tools – what it means for your listings

34:41 The one thing owners should do after listening to this episode

🔑 Key insights from this episode:

• Why the UK staycation market is still growing – and which guest segments are driving it

• How last-minute, shorter-break bookings are reshaping how owners price and manage availability

• What to do if your property isn't in one of the UK's most popular holiday let locations

• Solo and group travel: the two booking trends that are quietly changing occupancy patterns

• The 1,389% traffic surge from AI search tools – and what it means for holiday let visibility

• The single most important thing owners should act on right now

Holiday Let Insider is a series from Host Planet, powered in partnership with Sykes Holiday Cottages.

Blog – How Different Holiday Let Guests are Booking in 2026: https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/letyourcottage/advice/article/holiday-let-guest-types

The Sykes Staycation Index 2026: https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/blog/sykes-staycation-index-2026/

July 2026 Holiday Letting Pulse Report: https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/letyourcottage/advice/article/holiday-letting-pulse-report

Let your property with Sykes: https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/letyourcottage/

Subscribe to Host Planet for weekly insights on holiday let management, Airbnb growth, vacation rental marketing, and automation strategies that scale: https://www.hostplanet.club/

#HolidayLetInsider #HolidayLet #UKStaycation #ShortTermRental #SykesHolidayCottages

Dynamic pricing used to be a tool. Now it's a full revenue management system – and (in some cases) AI is running it.

Julie Brinkman, CEO of Beyond, joins James Varley on the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – to break down how the platform has evolved far beyond pricing, why so few hosts actually use dynamic pricing (and what's stopping them), and what the revenue manager's job looks like in an AI-powered world.

🕒 Chapters:

0:00 Episode starts

1:26 Get 20% off Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/hostplanet/?utm_source=landing-page&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

2:08 Beyond's evolution from dynamic pricing tool to much more

4:59 The problems Beyond is solving for STR hosts & PMs

10:10 AI can run your revenue management through Beyond

12:41 How useful an AI agent could be to property managers

17:41 How many hosts use dynamic pricing (and why isn't it higher?)

24:25 What does the revenue manager's job look like in future?

28:10 How to ensure humans stay informed in an AI world

32:34 How to get ahead & what's next on the Beyond roadmap

34:56 Contact Julie & find out more about Beyond

📌 Resources mentioned:

🔹 Beyond: https://beyondpricing.com/products/why-beyond?utm_medium=seo&utm_source=partner-2024&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook_2024

🔹 Julie Brinkman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrbrinkman/ 

🔹 Beyond's Listing Lens: https://beyondpricing.com/products/listing-lens

🔹 Host Planet Roadshow: https://www.hostplanet.club/host-planet-roadshow

🏠 This episode is powered by Lodgify – the all-in-one vacation rental software for hosts who want to take control of their bookings. Get 20% off Lodgify with code HOSTPLANET20: https://www.lodgify.com/hostplanet/?utm_source=landing-page&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

🎙️ The Host Planet Podcast is available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Join thousands of STR hosts and property managers across the world by subscribing to our newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

#AirbnbHost #DynamicPricing #ShortTermRental

Is your property management software already holding you back? Shahar Goldboim, CEO and Co-Founder of BOOM, makes the case for agentic AI – and why property managers who don't adapt risk being left behind.

In Episode 1 of AI-Powered Hosting – the new series from Host Planet and BOOM – Shahar breaks down exactly why the traditional PMS can no longer support a modern portfolio, and what the shift from short term rental automation to agentic execution means for your business in practice.

Whether you're managing five properties or 50+, this conversation will change how you think about AI, decision-making, and where the STR industry is heading.

🎙️ In this episode:

– Is the traditional PMS as we know it dead?

– Why legacy software can't support a modern STR portfolio

– The critical difference between automation and agentic execution

– Everything under one platform: what BOOM actually does

– How closing every loop transforms the guest experience

– Can you really trust an agentic AI system to run your business?

– Why the PMS is still the centre of truth — but its role is evolving

👤 Guest: Shahar Goldboim, CEO & Co-Founder, BOOM

📌 Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:03 Is the PMS as we know it dead?

4:33 Why a traditional PMS can't support a modern STR portfolio

6:23 Automation vs agentic execution — the key differences

8:51 Check out BOOM: https://www.boomnow.com/?utm_source=HostPlanet&utm_medium=Sponsor&utm_campaign=2026

9:44 Inside BOOM – everything under one platform

16:18 What an AI badge on legacy software actually means

19:05 How closing all loops improves the guest experience

24:49 Can you trust an agentic AI system?

30:09 The PMS era is not over — it remains the centre of truth

32:33 Connect with Shahar and BOOM

🔗 Explore BOOM: https://www.boomnow.com/?utm_source=HostPlanet&utm_medium=Sponsor&utm_campaign=2026

📬 Connect with Shahar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahar-goldboim-80820b95/

AI-Powered Hosting is a new series from Host Planet and BOOM exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming the short-term rental industry — from automation to full agentic execution. Quote 'Host Planet' to get 50% off PMS onboarding with Boom: https://www.boomnow.com/?utm_source=HostPlanet&utm_medium=Sponsor&utm_campaign=2026

#ShortTermRental #AgenticAI #PropertyManagement

Starting an Airbnb? Lydia Patel shares the practical lessons she wishes she knew before welcoming her first guests – from pricing and photography to direct bookings, Instant Book, and getting your first reservation.

This is Episode 1 of The Independent Host, a new monthly series from Host Planet and Lodgify for short-term rental hosts and property managers running their first 1–5 properties.

Lydia talks openly about starting her short-term rental journey, the worries she had at the beginning, how her listing has improved over time, and what new hosts should prioritise before launching.

In this episode, we cover:

- How to get your pricing right from day one

- Why professional photography can transform your listing

- Where new hosts should list their property

- How to create a direct booking website quickly

- Whether you should turn on Instant Book

- How much to spend preparing your property for guests

- Why cleanliness matters for every booking

- How long it can take to get your first reservation

- What Lydia wishes she knew when she started

- What holds people back from starting a short-term rental business

Save 60% on Lodgify: Use code HOSTPLANET60: https://www.lodgify.com/hostplanet/?utm_source=landing-page&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

Chapters:

00:00 Episode starts

01:31 Lydia’s journey into short-term rentals

03:00 What Lydia was excited and worried about at the start

04:49 How to get pricing right from day one

08:40 How Lydia’s listing has improved over time

09:58 The importance of photography and presenting your listing

12:19 Save 60% on Lodgify with code HOSTPLANET60: https://www.lodgify.com/hostplanet/?utm_source=landing-page&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

14:18 Where to list your property when you’re starting out

16:12 Creating a direct booking website in minutes

16:49 Should hosts turn on Instant Book straightaway?

19:48 How much to spend getting your property ready for guests

23:42 Why your rental needs to be spotless for every guest

26:13 How long it takes to get your first booking

28:16 What Lydia wishes she knew at the start

29:39 What holds people back from starting

30:37 Connect with Lydia

Lydia's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCIxIrXX87_Mn03CAIf2bDPA 

Lydia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lydiapatelll

Subscribe to Host Planet for practical advice on building a smarter, more successful, and sustainable short-term rental business. Join thousands of hosts and property managers across the globe by subscribing to our free weekly newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

Why is your Airbnb not booking – even when the property looks great?

In this episode of Build for Growth, a new Host Planet and Hostfully series, Ikram Mohamed explains the most common reasons Airbnb listings underperform and the practical fixes that can turn bookings around.

We cover how Airbnb search ranking works, which host behaviours can push a listing down the results, and what smart dynamic pricing looks like for an everyday host. Ikram also explains how to improve an underperforming listing, why fast guest responses matter, and how to escape the “no reviews, no bookings” cycle.

You’ll also learn why distribution matters, including the role of Vrbo, Booking.com, and your own direct booking website, before finishing with a clear seven-day action plan to improve your listing.

In this episode:

- The most common reasons an Airbnb stops booking

- How Airbnb search ranking works

- Dynamic pricing for everyday hosts

- The biggest fixes for underperforming listings

- How response speed affects bookings

- Breaking out of the no-reviews, no-bookings loop

- Expanding beyond Airbnb through Vrbo, Booking.com, and direct bookings

- A practical seven-day turnaround plan

Build for Growth is a new series from Host Planet and Hostfully, built for vacation rental hosts and property managers who are serious about scaling smarter.

🎙️ Guest: Ikram Mohamed: [email protected]

🏠 Hostfully special offer: Get $500 off PMS onboarding and 30% off digital guidebooks for life: https://www.hostfully.com/host_planet

01:34 Check out Hostfully

02:34 Why is my Airbnb not booking? The most common culprits

05:31 How Airbnb’s search ranking works

08:38 What smart, dynamic pricing looks like

11:37 The biggest fixes for underperforming listings

15:16 Why responding quickly to guests matters

17:52 Breaking out of the no-reviews, no-bookings loop

20:25 The importance of distribution

23:36 The seven-day action plan

🔔 Subscribe to Host Planet for weekly short-term rental strategy: https://www.hostplanet.club/

📲 Try Hostfully: https://www.hostfully.com/host_planet

Most revenue managers don't lose owners over bad rates – they lose them over bad communication.

In this episode of STR Pricing Pulse, powered by Beyond, Zak Ali, President of the International Society of Short-Term Rental Management (ISTRM), unpacks why the same owner questions keep catching revenue managers off guard – and how to stop it for good.

We break down Beyond's Owner Confidence Checklist: a practical framework for explaining rate moves, calendar gaps, and season performance in a way that builds trust, not anxiety. Plus – why RevPAN should replace occupancy as the headline metric you report to owners.

Guest: Zak Ali – President, ISTRM: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zak-a-056b2714/

ISTRM: https://istrm.org/

Download Beyond's Owner Confidence Checklist: https://go.beyondpricing.com/peak-season-owner-communication-checklist-3q26?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube

📍 ISTRM: Revenue Management Intelligence 2026

📅 25th September | Leeds

🎟️ 50% off with code LEEDS 👉 https://www.hostplanet.club/events

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Episode starts

1:27 The importance of communication for revenue management professionals

3:42 Why managers keep getting caught out by the same questions

5:52 Use a trigger to contact owners, not the calendar

8:14 Revenue managers fail to explain context for decision making

10:11 Beyond's Owner Confidence Checklist

11:17 How to explain a new strategy, including rate moves

13:55 How to explain a calendar gap when the market changes

17:01 Why RevPAN (not occupancy) should be the headline metric

19:05 A strong season recap closes the loop on every promise

21:49 Which message will move the needle most?

23:18 ISTRM: Revenue Management Intelligence in Leeds – 25th September

🌍 Host Planet | Short-Term Rental Tips & Insights

Subscribe for weekly STR content: https://www.hostplanet.club/

#STRRevenueManagement #AirbnbHosting #VacationRental #ShortTermRental #DynamicPricing

What does it take to build, value, and sell a successful holiday let business in a location with a highly defined peak season?

In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast, powered by Lodgify, John Keggin from Island Escapes shares the story of building a holiday rental business in the Isle of Man, managing demand during the TT Races, and hosting Brad Pitt and Channing Tatum while a Hollywood movie was being shot on the island.

John also explains how he sold Island Escapes to Sapphire Holidays while staying involved in the business, how to value a company when the founder remains part of the operation, and what property managers should consider before selling.

This is a practical conversation about holiday let management, business valuation, succession planning, and building a smarter, more sustainable short-term rental business.

🏡 The Host Planet Podcast is sponsored by Lodgify – the all-in-one vacation rental software to help you run and grow your STR business. Get 20% off with code HOSTPLANET20 👉 https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

⏱️ Timestamps

02:00 The story of Island Escapes in the Isle of Man

05:11 The challenges and opportunities in the Isle of Man

09:11 Managing holiday rentals during the TT Races

13:18 Hosting Brad Pitt and Channing Tatum for an Isle of Man movie

15:37 Keeping occupancy high when a location has a defined peak

19:52 Selling the business to Sapphire Holidays while staying involved

24:14 The sale process

26:37 How to value a business when the founder is staying in it

29:10 How John’s role has developed since the sale

31:28 John’s advice to property managers thinking of selling

33:11 The future for Island Escapes and the Isle of Man

34:20 Three key takeaways

📬 Connect with John:

John Keggin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-keggin-49081a40/

Island Escapes: https://www.islandescapes.im/

Sapphire Holidays: https://www.sapphireholidays.co.uk/

📺 Host Planet Podcast – helping you build a smarter, more successful short-term rental business. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

What does professional hosting really look like when you’re trying to build a short-term rental business that lasts?

In episode one of Built to Book, Host Planet sits down with Jannik Abraham, Managing Director of Smoobu, to explore the difference between simply operating a holiday let and building a professional, sustainable business.

Jannik explains why professionalism starts with the guest experience, how technology can help hosts focus on what matters, and why buying more tools will not solve an unclear business model. We also discuss the questions hosts should ask before changing their systems, how to build a clear financial picture, and what it really means to reach the next stage of maturity.

If your rental business still feels like a side hustle, this episode offers practical steps you can take this week to improve your systems, decision-making and guest experience.

Chapters:

1:22 Where does professionalism start in short-term rentals?

3:13 Delivering a great guest experience

5:01 Hosts who thrive versus those who exit

9:07 Buying tech to fix a feeling

11:50 Questions to ask before changing anything

16:42 Getting a clear financial picture

18:49 Smoobu special offer

19:41 What does adding tech to maturity mean?

24:41 The guest experience standard every host should hit

27:34 What to change this week if hosting is still a side hustle

Built to Book is a six-part Host Planet series sponsored by Smoobu, focused on helping hosts build smarter, more successful and more sustainable short-term rental businesses. Across the series, we’ll also explore the role of technology and AI in modern hosting.

Built to Book is sponsored by Smoobu. Use code HOSTPLANET20 to get 20% off any Smoobu plan. Find out more: https://www.smoobu.com/en/?utm_source=hostplanet&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=homepage

Jannik Abraham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannik-abraham/

Host Planet Founder James Varley sits down with Armand de Juniac, General Manager for Europe at Turno, to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a cleaning marketplace across borders — and why so many US short-term rental companies are making avoidable mistakes when they expand into Europe.

From marketplace discipline and building supply first, to why your cleaner is your single most important line of defence — this episode is packed with strategic insight for hosts and operators who want to grow without sacrificing quality.

🕐 Chapters

1:28 About Turno

2:14 How to build a new marketplace

5:58 Marketplace discipline & short-term rentals

9:20 What convinced Armand to join the STR world

11:03 Why you must build supply first

13:59 What convinces hosts to switch their cleaning system

16:59 Are US companies making a mistake entering Europe?

21:35 How to maintain quality as you scale across borders

24:18 The cleaner is your first line of defence

28:08 Turno's success story in Europe

30:52 Three key takeaways

32:01 About Turno

🤝 Turno

Turnover Tactics is powered by Turno — the smarter way to manage vacation rental cleaning.

👉 https://turno.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=host_planet

🗺️ Host Planet Roadshow

Join us in Nottinghamshire (14 Sep), Bath (7 Oct), Chester (10 Nov), or Edinburgh (3 Dec). Tickets are just £40 each: https://www.hostplanet.club/host-planet-roadshow

📲 Subscribe to the Host Planet Newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

#TurnoverTactics #AirbnbHosting #VacationRental #ShortTermRental #STR #Turno #HostPlanet #AirbnbCleaning #PropertyManagement #STRCleaning