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

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 what it actually looks like when the guest experience is done right.

Whether you're managing one property or scaling a portfolio, this one's packed with honest takeaways.

🏡 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

⏱️ Chapters

1:16 Lodgify

1:54 What hosts discover when they book their own rentals

5:25 What hosts find when they stay at their own property

6:52 Where property management quietly falls apart

9:17 How more tech creates more friction for hosts

12:14 The gap between positive and negative guest experiences

14:15 What goes wrong in the hand-offs between different tools

17:15 What's silently hurting the guest experience?

18:51 The different types of AI interactions

20:52 Which hosting moments require human input

23:12 What it looks like when the guest experience is right

25:42 About Extenteam

27:05 Three things to take from this conversation

📬 Connect with Ari

Email: [email protected]

Substack: https://www.scaleupfounder.com/

Website: https://www.extenteam.com/

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

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 questions answered in this episode:

• What is AI actually changing in STR today – and what's still hype?

• How close is AI to solving guest communication (the biggest time drain)?

• Does your tech stack influence how Airbnb markets your property?

• What does an AI-ready STR set-up look like right now?

• What happens to hosts who don't adapt over the next three years?

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: Margot Schmorak – CEO & Co-Founder of Hostfully: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mschmorak/?skipRedirect=true

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

0:00 Episode starts

0:52 Introducing Margot Schmorak, CEO and Co-Founder of Hostfully

1:38 What is Hostfully?

2:16 What is AI actually changing in the STR industry right now?

3:13 How do hosts take back control?

4:06 Hosts are frightened they are falling behind

5:55 Everything is AI-labelled – what does real AI automation look like?

7:59 The AI is only as good as the data you provide it — including from digital guidebooks

10:14 Guest communication – how close is AI to solving it for hosts?

11:31 Guest experience and the human touch will make you stand out

12:40 Beyond messaging – where AI removes work vs where it's still hype

15:04 Subscribe to Host Planet — never miss an episode of Build for Growth

15:18 Airbnb's AI-powered listing comparisons for guests

18:23 How does Airbnb decide how to market your property?

19:55 Will listings change dynamically?

21:52 What does a proper AI-ready tech stack look like?

23:36 Hosts worry that automation makes the experience feel cold

26:20 Three years from now — what does STR look like and what do hosts risk losing if they don't adapt?

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

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

#shorttermrental #AirbnbAI #vacationrental #STRautomation #Hostfully #BuildforGrowth #HostPlanet #propertymanagement #AIautomation

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.

They cover:

✅ How holiday let owners are actually using AI right now

✅ Whether AI kills the personal touch — or enhances it

✅ Where to start if you're AI-curious but haven't taken the plunge

✅ What Sykes is building for owners (and how you can try it)

✅ How to stay visible as AI reshapes how guests search for properties

✅ How life inside Sykes has changed since embracing digital transformation

Whether you're already experimenting with AI or still on the fence, this episode will help you make sense of where things are heading — and what to do about it.

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🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES

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📊 Sykes AI Survey Report: 

🏡 Interested in letting with Sykes? → https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/letyourcottage

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⏱ TIMESTAMPS

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0:00 Episode starts

1:24 61% of Sykes owners are using AI

3:27 How holiday let owners are using AI in 2026

5:02 Will AI kill the personal touch?

6:05 Should we try to convert people who aren't interested in AI?

6:44 About Sykes Holiday Cottages

7:15 Where to start if you're AI-curious

10:10 Addressing fears around AI

10:56 What Sykes is building for owners — and how to try it

13:30 How to stay visible in an AI search world

14:44 How life at Sykes has changed

16:30 Interested in letting with Sykes?

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🎙️ ABOUT HOLIDAY LET INSIDER

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Holiday Let Insider is brought to you by Host Planet — bitesize tips, expert interviews, and real insights for UK holiday let owners.

This series is sponsored by Sykes Holiday Cottages.

#HolidayLet #AirbnbHost #HolidayLetUK #AIForHosts #SykesHolidayCottages

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, London's 90-day rule, the Renters' Rights Bill, Scotland's licensing system, and why the UK's registration scheme could finally give the STR industry the data it needs to fight back against the myths.

💻 THIS EPISODE IS POWERED BY LODGIFY

Save 20% on Lodgify – the all-in-one vacation rental software trusted by thousands of hosts worldwide.

👉 Use code HOSTPLANET20 to claim your 20% discount: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

📋 EPISODE CHAPTERS

0:00 Episode starts

1:22 Lodgify

2:06 UnderTheDoormat Group's acquisition of One Fine Stay portfolios in London and Paris

3:45 The challenges and opportunities of operating short-term rentals in London and Paris

6:37 The Renters' Rights Bill and why it will reward flexible landlords

11:32 The switch between mid-term and short-term rentals for London landlords

13:23 London's 90-day rule

17:05 The registration scheme will give us the data to debunk myths about the STR industry

19:35 Scotland's licensing system

22:42 Are there any good examples of regulation?

25:29 Janet Uttley's appointment at the Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA)

28:14 Investment from Oman and the growth of STR in the Gulf

32:10 Three key takeaways

33:16 UnderTheDoormat Group

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES

🏠 UnderTheDoormat Group: https://www.underthedoormatgroup.com/

💻 Lodgify (20% off with code HOSTPLANET20): https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

🎙️ Host Planet Newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

📌 ABOUT HOST PLANET

Host Planet is your go-to resource for short-term rental growth, management, and automation. Whether you're scaling an Airbnb portfolio or building a smarter holiday let business, we bring you expert conversations and actionable strategies from the people shaping the industry.

#HostPlanetPodcast #ShortTermRental #AirbnbUK #STRRegulation #Lodgify

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 strategy right now.

Guests aren't just using Google anymore. They're asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to find their next stay – and AI is already picking winners and losers based on signals most hosts don't know exist. Amirali explains exactly why one property gets recommended over another, how to make your listing visible to AI search, and why this shift could finally make direct bookings achievable at scale for independent hosts and property managers.

🕐 TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Episode starts

1:22 Sponsored by Lodgify – get 60% off by using the code HOSTPLANET60: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

1:59 A fundamental shift: guests are using ChatGPT to find short-term rentals

2:58 How to take advantage of LLM search

8:49 Why is an AI picking one property over another?

16:11 Will AI discovery make direct bookings more achievable?

18:41 The LLM shift the STR industry is underestimating

22:29 What hosts get wrong when targeting direct bookings

26:02 The hidden cost of OTA dependence

29:55 Where to start with direct bookings

35:00 Should you aim for 100% direct bookings or always diversify?

36:50 Three key takeaways

37:44 hostAI

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES

hostAI → https://gethostai.com/

Lodgify → https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

Host Planet → https://www.hostplanet.club/

📌 ABOUT HOST PLANET

Host Planet is your go-to resource for short-term rental success. We cover everything from Airbnb growth hacks and direct booking strategies to vacation rental marketing, automation, and property management – helping hosts and managers build smarter, more sustainable STR businesses.

🎙️ Subscribe for new episodes every week.

#ShortTermRental #DirectBookings #AirbnbHost #VacationRental #HostPlanet #AITools #PropertyManagement #AirbnbTips #STRPodcast #HostAI

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 which events hosts consistently underprice for.

🕐 Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

0:56 Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

1:35 Why Andy built HostAlert

6:22 HostAlert vs PriceLabs and Beyond – what's the difference?

10:31 What events does HostAlert flag for property managers?

13:34 The events hosts consistently underprice for

16:24 How HostAlert works – it flags events, you decide the price

19:31 Are you tracking events? Drop a comment below

20:02 HostAlert for property managers

22:32 Who will benefit most from HostAlert?

23:57 HostAlert pricing: from £14.99/month

25:10 How to get better at tracking local events

26:24 What's next for HostAlert

27:45 Three key takeaways

🔗 Try HostAlert: https://hostalert.co.uk

💰 Get 20% off with code: HOSTPLANET20

🔗 Use code HOSTPLANET60 to get 60% off Lodigfy (offer valid until 30 June 2026). Try Lodgify today: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

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

#ShortTermRental #AirbnbPricing #HolidayLet #HostPlanet

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 Playbook using the link below.

📥 Beyond's The Automation Playbook: https://go.beyondpricing.com/en/the-automation-playbook-2q26?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=host+planet

─────────────────────────────────────

IN THIS EPISODE

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→ Are hosts and property managers really losing 7 hours a week on revenue management?

→ The one revenue management task a tool does better than any human

→ Should you hand your pricing over to an algorithm?

→ How to build a pricing strategy that actually works

→ Pricing events: 30 days out vs 90 days out

→ The biggest mistake property managers make when building a comp set

→ Why obsessing over occupancy is holding your revenue back

→ Dr Zak's weekly pace review – a best practice framework

→ Why your minimum stay rules need an audit right now

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Episode starts

1:25 Dr Zak Ali and the ISTRM

3:18 Are hosts and property managers losing seven hours a week?

6:11 The revenue management task a tool can do better than a human

7:28 Should hosts be worried about handing revenue management over to an algorithm?

9:33 How to set a strategy

11:33 How to price events 30 days out vs 90 days out

14:10 The biggest mistake property managers make when building a comp set

16:25 Why you should not obsess over occupancy

18:50 Dr Zak's weekly pace review

22:23 Fix this to make more money: audit your minimum stay rule

25:02 ISTRM Revenue Management Intelligence — Leeds, UK on 25 September – join us!

ISTRM EVENT — LEEDS, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026

Revenue Management Intelligence – organised by Host Planet & ISTRM

📍 Leeds | 📅 25 September 2025

🎟️ Use code LEEDS for 50% off your ticket

👉 https://www.hostplanet.club/events

ABOUT BEYOND

This episode is sponsored by Beyond – the leading revenue management platform built for short-term rental hosts and property managers.

👉 https://beyondpricing.info/launchbase

ABOUT HOST PLANET

Everything you need to know about short-term rentals – revenue, automation, growth, and management.

🎙️ Subscribe for new episodes every month.

#AirbnbPricing #ShortTermRental #RevenueManagement #HostPlanet #STRPricingPulse #ISTRM #Beyond #VacationRental #AirbnbHost #HolidayLet

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.

Whether you're in the US, Canada, or Mexico – or just close to the action – this episode gives you a clear playbook for the tournament, including the all-important knockout rounds.

🎙️ GUEST: Kyle Driskell, PriceLabs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-driskell-564043bb/

📌 CHAPTERS

0:00 Episode starts

1:40 Get 60% off Lodgify (code: HOSTPLANET60 — offer ends 30 June): https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

2:31 FIFA World Cup data now the tournament is underway

5:32 Which markets are flying and which aren't

9:02 It's down to the teams

10:16 What's happening in each country: US, Canada, Mexico

12:11 What to do if you have unbooked nights near match days

13:20 PriceLabs FIFA World Cup data tracker: https://hello.pricelabs.co/fifa-world-cup-str-playbook/

18:52 Preparing for the knockout rounds

21:48 Kyle's advice on cancellation policies

23:17 Halo effect for cities close to the action?

26:28 The levers smart hosts are pulling

29:36 Personal touch and strong guest communication

32:53 Three key takeaways

34:02 Start your 30-day free trial with PriceLabs

34:46 Kyle's World Cup prediction 🏆

🔗 LINKS

👉 60% off Lodgify — code HOSTPLANET60 (expires 30 June): [INSERT LINK]

👉 E-book: https://hello.pricelabs.co/fifa-ebook-with-james-varley/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=jul26_referral_hostplanetfifa

👉 PriceLabs 30-day free trial: https://hello.pricelabs.co/

👉 PriceLabs FIFA World Cup data tracker: https://hello.pricelabs.co/fifa-world-cup-str-playbook/

Subscribe to Host Planet for weekly short-term rental strategies, expert interviews, and actionable hosting advice.

#HostPlanetPodcast #ShortTermRental #AirbnbHosting #PriceLabs #WorldCup2026

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

– What breaks down during multiple turnovers per day (and how to prevent it)

– What you should offer your cleaners during peak season

– Why you need a back-up cleaner before you need one

– The most common negative guest feedback about turnovers

– What to do after peak season to set yourself up for the next one

0:00 Episode starts

1:37 What separates hosts after a huge event

4:28 Prepared vs. hoping for the best

7:26 What happens when a back-to-back turnover goes wrong

10:58 What breaks down with multiple turnovers per day

16:17 What should hosts offer cleaners during peak season

20:32 You need a back-up cleaner

22:38 The most common negative guest feedback on turnovers

26:38 What hosts should do after peak season

29:03 About Turno

Powered by Turno — the leading platform for short-term rental turnover management.

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

Chris Rule: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-rule-88874b8/

Host Planet is your go-to resource for short-term rental revenue, growth, and automation. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

#TurnoverTactics #HostPlanet #Turno

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 automation, this is the practical playbook for hosts serious about scaling.

Ruben covers:

✅ The pain point that led him to build Guestway

✅ How AI guest messaging differs from a standard PMS

✅ The 70% of messages AI can handle – and the 30% that still need you

✅ What hosts get wrong when they start automating

✅ The danger of slow response times and how to eliminate them

✅ Ruben's warning to anyone managing multiple inboxes

✅ How to make AI replies feel genuinely human

✅ Cutting your energy bills through short-term rental automation

📩 Reach Ruben: [email protected]

🌐 Guestway: https://www.guestway.io

This episode is sponsored by Lodgify — the all-in-one vacation rental software trusted by thousands of hosts worldwide. Discount code: HOSTPLANET20

👉 Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

1:07 Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet

1:38 The pain point which encouraged Ruben to start Guestway

3:08 Saving hosts and property managers 20 hours per week

5:15 How Guestway is different from a property management software (PMS)

7:47 The 70% of guest messages which can be handled by AI (and the 30% that need human input)

9:21 What hosts get wrong when they start automating

10:40 The danger of slow response times and how to fix them

12:10 Ruben's warning to hosts dealing with multiple inboxes

13:38 How hosts can stop AI replies feeling like AI replies

15:00 How to cut your energy bills through automation

17:01 Three key takeaways from this conversation

17:49 Learn more about Guestway

🏠 Host Planet is your go-to resource for short-term rental growth, automation, and management strategy. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

#AirbnbAutomation #ShortTermRental #GuestMessaging