Advertise on podcast: Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights

Next year's revenue is decided by what you do in the next few weeks. Zak Ali, President of the ISTRM, joins STR Pricing Pulse to show you how to plan 2027 revenue for your short-term rental or holiday let business. We cover how to set goals that are ambitious but realistic, how to manage owner expectations, what to check in your revenue management system, how to grow ancillary revenue, and the three things every host and property manager should do before Christmas. STR Pricing Pulse is brought to you by Host Planet and Beyond. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:53 Check out Beyond 1:51 Why you need to plan next year's revenue right now 3:32 The figures that jump out 4:20 How to set ambitious and realistic revenue goals 6:32 How to set expectations with owners 7:45 What to check in your revenue management system 11:44 Ancillary revenue 13:50 When to review your strategy 19:09 Quickfire round 21:34 Three things to do before Christmas 🔗 LINKS Beyond: https://go.beyondpricing.com/en/demo-request/growth-plan?utm_source=partnership&utm_medium=sponsorship&utm_campaign=Launchbase+|+Sponsorship+|+1Q26 Zak Ali: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zak-a-056b2714/ ISTRM: https://istrm.org/ 📅 UPCOMING EVENTS Chester, 10 November: https://luma.com/5bqlxktj AI Buildathon, Leeds, 27 November: https://luma.com/6d503u8s Edinburgh, 3 December: https://luma.com/71u7us4p Host Planet Roadshow 2027: https://www.hostplanet.club/roadshow-2027 📩 Get the Host Planet newsletter, read by hosts in 100+ countries: https://www.hostplanet.club/ #ShortTermRental #RevenueManagement #HolidayLet

Welcome to Episode 5 of the STR Growth Curve, a 12-part series from the Host Planet Podcast and Hospitable mapping the 12 stages of growth in short-term rentals – from setting up your first rental all the way through to selling your property management business. Our goal: help you build a smarter, more successful, and more sustainable hosting business. Stage 5 is all about professionalising your business and operating like a real company. Brian Seelos from Athens Vacation Rentals shares what professionalising means to him, how to develop your systems as you go along, team vs freelancers, setting brand standards, review protection, and the most expensive mistake hosts make at this stage. Plus maintenance at this scale, the part of the operation Brian is proudest of, being happy at a certain number of rentals, how to measure consistency, and what to stop doing at this stage, including how AI and automation with Hospitable helps Brian save time, handle guest messaging, and build systems that scale. 📘 Download the STR Growth Curve e-book: https://www.hostplanet.club/str-growth-curve 🏠 Try Hospitable – Get 25% off for your first 3 months: https://hospitable.com/partners/hostplanet In this episode: 1:49 What professionalising means to Brian 2:40 Develop your systems as you go along 3:58 Team vs freelancers 6:25 Brand standards 8:12 Review protection 11:33 The most expensive mistake 13:17 Hospitable: https://hospitable.com/partners/hostplanet 14:18 How Hospitable helps Brian's business 15:44 Maintenance is important at this stage 17:26 The part of the operation Brian is proudest of 19:13 Being happy at a certain number of rentals 20:34 How to measure consistency at this scale 21:39 What to stop doing at this stage Follow the Host Planet Podcast to catch the entire STR Growth Curve series. Sign up for the Host Planet Newsletter, read by hosts and property managers in 100+ countries: https://www.hostplanet.club/ Athens Vacation Rentals: www.athensgavacationrentals.com

What if you could walk into a room with zero AI knowledge – and walk out with your own AI agent built for your short-term rental business? That's exactly what's happening at the AI Buildathon, from Host Planet and Boostly, in Leeds on 27th November. In this episode, Mark Simpson from Boostly joins James Varley to explain what you'll build on the day, why it's for complete beginners as well as advanced AI users, and the AI agents he's building right now. They also dig into why only 1% of people pay for an AI service, reflections from VRMA International, why hospitality is the industry of making memories (and why you can't automate everything), and what Airbnb's new "direct booking" link means for hosts. 🎟️ AI Buildathon – Leeds, 27th November Only 40 seats available, so grab yours before they're gone. Tickets £50 + VAT. 👉 https://www.hostplanet.club/ai-buildathon 🎧 The Host Planet Podcast is powered by Lodgify – the all-in-one vacation rental software that helps you build a direct booking website, manage your channels, and automate your business. Get 20% off with code HOSTPLANET20. 👉 https://www.lodgify.com/hostplanet/?utm_source=landing-page&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:59 AI Buildathon – from Host Planet and Boostly – in Leeds on 27th November 3:30 What will people be able to create on the day? 5:22 The event is for anyone – even if you have no AI knowledge 6:08 The AI agents Mark Simpson is building 10:17 Only 1% of people pay for an AI service 13:49 Reflections on VRMA International 17:07 This is the industry of making memories – you can't automate everything 19:43 Airbnb's 'direct booking' link 23:48 Good food, a pint and good company… and you'll walk out with way more knowledge than you walked in with 🔗 LINKS Mark's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmarksimpson/ Boostly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boostlyuk/?hl=en AI Buildathon: https://www.hostplanet.club/ai-buildathon 📬 Subscribe to the Host Planet newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club 👍 Enjoyed this episode? Like, subscribe and share it with a host who needs to hear it. #AIBuildathon #ShortTermRentals #AIforHosts

Finding a great cleaner can make or break your short-term rental – and losing one at the wrong moment can wreck a five-star streak. In this episode of Turnover Tactics – from Host Planet and Turno – Brooks Sparks joins James Varley to walk through the full process of finding, hiring, and keeping great cleaners. From writing a cleaner brief that attracts the right people, to trial cleans, giving feedback and building a back-up plan for when someone lets you down, this is your playbook for a turnover team you can rely on. You'll learn: ✅ What a great cleaner brief looks like ✅ Why the cheapest option isn't always the right one ✅ How to interview cleaners and run trial cleans ✅ How to give feedback – both good and bad ✅ Why rewarding cleaners for 5-star reviews pays off ✅ The back-up plan every host needs 🧹 Find cleaners for your short-term rental with Turno – the largest database of STR cleaners worldwide: https://turno.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=host_planet 📧 Want to book a Turno demo? Email Brooks: [email protected] ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:52 Brooks Sparks on how Turno helps hosts find cleaners 1:37 Introducing Turno 2:32 What a great cleaner brief looks like 4:03 Turno has the largest database of STR cleaners worldwide 6:42 How to pick the right cleaner for your operation on Turno 8:39 Don't necessarily pick the cheapest option 10:29 Interviewing cleaners and trial cleans 12:51 Have some back-up cleaners ready 13:48 How to set up the relationship properly 15:02 How to give feedback to cleaners – both good and bad 16:20 You can give your cleaners a tip if they earn a 5-star review 17:07 The back-up plan you need if cleaners let you down 📬 Subscribe to the Host Planet newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club 👍 Enjoyed this episode? Like, subscribe and share it with a host who needs to hear it. #TurnoverTactics #ShortTermRentals #AirbnbCleaning

Taking on other people's properties is where hosting becomes a real business. In Episode 4 of the STR Growth Curve, Tom Beerley breaks down the operator stage of your short term rental business – the mindset shift from host to operator, the systems to get right, and how to scale as an Airbnb co-host without losing consistency. Tom shares his guest messaging strategy, how he keeps the guest experience consistent across properties, the owner conversation that prevents future problems, how he approaches inspections, when to write a new SOP, the first hire to make, and the one metric to start tracking at this stage. He also explains how automation has helped him grow, and the signal that tells you if you're ready to scale or should stay put. Whether you're managing your first co-host client or building toward 10+ units, this is your playbook for building smarter, more successful, and more sustainable operations – including where automation and AI fit in day-to-day hosting. 📘 Download the STR Growth Curve e-book: https://www.hostplanet.club/str-growth-curve 🏠 Try Hospitable – Get 25% off for your first 3 months: https://hospitable.com/partners/hostplanet Timestamps: 1:34 The mindset shift from host to operator 4:31 The systems you need to get right at this stage 7:09 Feeling more responsibility when you take on other people's properties 10:19 Tom's guest messaging strategy 13:38 How to keep the guest experience consistent 17:17 The conversation with owners that prevents future problems 20:12 Inspecting properties 26:03 Hospitable 27:01 How Hospitable has helped Tom to grow his business 32:19 The first hire to make at this stage 35:21 What goes wrong at this stage that didn't go wrong before 39:44 When to draft a new standard operating procedure 43:55 The metric to start tracking at this stage 49:37 The signal someone is ready to scale or stay put The STR Growth Curve is a 12-part series from the Host Planet Podcast in partnership with Hospitable, mapping the 12 stages of short-term rental business growth. Follow the Host Planet Podcast for smarter hosting, vacation rental systems, automation and AI-powered hosting strategies. #STRGrowthCurve #ShortTermRental #AirbnbCoHost

How do you turn a London cleaning start-up into a global property operations business? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – Georgi Georgiev from Fantastic Services shares how trust, quality, and systems helped scale from first customers in London to a global operation, and what hosts need to know to start and scale a short-term rental cleaning business that lasts. We cover hiring and training cleaners to short-term rental standards, aligning operations in a large cleaning business, the realities of operating in London, when to expand into new markets without losing quality, and what's next: fully integrated property operations. We also touch on how AI is helping hosts build smarter, more successful and more sustainable businesses. Get 20% off Lodgify with the code HOSTPLANET20: https://www.lodgify.com/hostplanet/?utm_source=landing-page&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet Timestamps: 1:07 Get 20% off Lodgify with the code HOSTPLANET20 1:53 The growth of Fantastic Services 3:24 How the tech stack and business have developed 5:24 Getting the first customers – trust and quality were key 7:24 Going from a London business to a global business 8:54 Everything needs to be aligned in a large cleaning business 10:38 How to start a short-term rental cleaning business 13:15 The realities of operating in London 14:54 Cleaners need to understand short-term rental standards 17:05 The right time to expand and how to ensure quality across different markets 18:48 What’s next for the STR sector: fully integrated property operations 20:36 Reach Georgi and Fantastic Services Georgi Georgiev: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgi-georgiev-04b6b8150/ Fantastic Services: https://www.fantasticservices.com/ The Host Planet Podcast - powered by Lodgify - helps hosts and property managers build smarter, more successful and more sustainable short-term rental businesses. Join STR professionals in 100+ countries by signing up for the Host Planet Newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/

Welcome to Built to Book, the podcast series from Host Planet and Smoobu, where we dig into the operational side of short-term rentals. How much of your hosting business should be automated – and what should stay human? Jannik Abraham, Managing Director of Smoobu, joins us to break down short-term rental automation done right for hosts and property managers. We cover where Airbnb automation actually improves the guest experience, where to keep it in human hands, whether guests care if AI answers their questions, digital guidebooks, the small touches that earn five-star reviews, and the mistakes hosts make when automating. SPECIAL OFFER: Get 20% off Smoobu with the code HOSTPLANET20: https://www.smoobu.com/en/hostplanet/?utm_source=hostplanet&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=podcast_4 Timestamps: 1:35 How automation done right enhances the guest experience 3:52 Where to automate and which to keep in human hands 5:09 Do guests care if AI answers their questions? 6:00 Automate what annoys you! 8:15 What changes when you start using a digital guidebook – for hosts and guests 10:59 Get 20% off Smoobu with the code HOSTPLANET20 11:52 The small touches that get you a five-star review 15:59 The mistakes hosts make when automating 17:54 What do you want out of your time? 21:04 Where hosts should start with automation Smoobu: https://www.smoobu.com/en/hostplanet/?utm_source=hostplanet&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=podcast_4 Jannik Abraham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannik-abraham/ About Built to Book from HostPlanet and Smoobu: practical conversations to help hosts build smarter, more successful, and more sustainable businesses.

Relying only on Airbnb is putting your short-term rental business at risk. Hosts can get suspended – and that means massive business disruption overnight. In this episode of Build for Growth, Brise Carpenter, Vice President of Customer Success at Hostfully, breaks down how to grow a smarter, more successful, and more sustainable business by listing on multiple channels the right way. You'll learn where else to be listed, how to avoid the dreaded double booking with a unified calendar and inbox, what to watch out for when you list on Booking.com and Vrbo, and how to price your rentals across different channels. We also touch on how AI-powered messaging and automation inside tools like Hostfully help you manage more channels without more workload. This is essential viewing for Airbnb hosts ready to diversify, increase occupancy, and build for growth. Timestamps: 1:37 Get free PMS onboarding and 30% off digital guidebooks for life with Hostfully: hostfully.com/host_planet 2:33 The issue with only being listed on Airbnb 4:11 Hosts do get suspended from Airbnb 5:10 What adding more channels does for hosts 7:02 Where else to be listed and where Booking.com and Vrbo shine 9:56 How to avoid the dreaded double booking 12:16 What to look out for when you list on Booking.com and Vrbo 16:02 How to price your rentals across different channels 19:18 A unified calendar and inbox are essential when you add more channels 22:16 The first move if you need to diversify 25:12 Reach Brise and Hostfully Links: Get started with Hostfully: https://www.hostfully.com/host_planet Join STR professionals in 100+ countries by signing up for the Host Planet Newsletter: https://www.hostplanet.club/ Connect with Brise Carpenter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brise-carpenter-b4855313/ #ShortTermRentals #AirbnbHost #VacationRental #BuildForGrowth #HostPlanetPodcast #Hostfully

How guests find and book holiday lets has changed massively. In this episode of Holiday Let Insider, Owen Burt, SEO Manager at Sykes Holiday Cottages, explains how AI search works, why people are clicking less, and what hosts can do to build businesses that get found online. Owen breaks down how his SEO role has evolved, what makes a listing easy for AI to read and recommend, why consistent details across all booking sites matter, and why reviews are becoming even more important for AI visibility. If you want more direct bookings and to get your cottage cited in AI answers, this is your practical playbook for AI, SEO, and listing optimisation. In this episode: - How search behaviour has shifted to AI answers - Why only 5% of AI searches result in a click - How to structure your listing title, description, and amenities for AI search traffic, answer engine optimisation, and generative engine optimisation  - Consistency, reviews, and trust signals that help AI recommend you - Simple steps to increase Airbnb bookings and direct bookings  TIMESTAMPS 1:51 The way people search has changed massively 7:34 How the SEO manager’s role has evolved 9:34 People are clicking less – only 5% of AI searches result in a click 14:55 Let your property with Sykes Holiday Cottages: https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/letyourcottage/ 15:32 What makes your listing easy to read for AI 20:34 Keep details consistent across all booking sites 22:28 Reviews are getting even more important 25:59 How to take advantage of AI search GUEST: Owen Burt, SEO Manager at Sykes Holiday Cottages: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-burt-736355107/ SERIES: Holiday Let Insider – from Host Planet and Sykes Holiday Cottages, part of the Host Planet ecosystem, helping hosts build smarter, more successful, and more sustainable short-term rental businesses. TOPICS: AI search, SEO,  vacation rental marketing, vacation rentals, short-term rentals, Airbnb host tips

Welcome to Episode 3 of the STR Growth Curve, a 12-part series from the Host Planet Podcast and Hospitable mapping the 12 stages of growth in short-term rentals – from setting up your first rental all the way through to selling your property management business. Our goal: help you build a smarter, more successful, and more sustainable hosting business. Stage 3 is all about when hosting stops being fun and starts feeling like a full-time job. Mark and Kirsten Krikke share how to make it fun again by hiring cleaners, finding and training the right cleaners, why you need back-up cleaners, the first piece of STR software to pay for and what to avoid, the processes and average week at this stage, and how to communicate with guests when automation becomes essential. Plus the signals you're overwhelmed with hosting, a habit or system that pays back enormously at this stage, and the signal you're ready to scale or stay where you are, including how AI and automation with Hospitable helps hosts save time, handle guest messaging, and build systems that scale. 📘 Download the STR Growth Curve e-book: https://www.hostplanet.club/str-growth-curve 🏠 Try Hospitable – Get 25% off for your first 3 months: https://hospitable.com/partners/hostplanet In this episode: 1:26 When it stopped being fun and started feeling like a full-time job 4:53 How to make it fun again: Hire cleaners 7:32 Finding and training cleaners is essential 9:13 The first piece of STR software to pay for (and what to avoid) 13:30 The processes and average week at this stage 16:22 Hospitable 18:29 Problems don't faze at this stage 20:04 You need back-up cleaners 20:34 How to communicate with your guests (automation is essential) 21:44 The signal you're overwhelmed with hosting 23:59 A habit or system that pays back enormously at this stage 26:43 The signal you're ready to scale (or stay where you are) Follow the Host Planet Podcast to catch the entire STR Growth Curve series. Sign up for the Host Planet Newsletter, read by hosts and property managers in 100+ countries: https://www.hostplanet.club/ Joyhill Property Management: www.joyhill.ca Grab a copy of Mark and Kirsten's book on mid-term rentals: www.markandkirsten.ca Follow Joyhill Property Management on Instagram: @joyhill.property Mark's podcast: www.twostewards.ca

Travellers are now booking stays directly from ChatGPT – but is your business getting cited? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – we’re joined by Jason Cincotta from Kismet to break down how AI search really works for short-term rentals, and how you can get found, cited, and booked. If you want to build a smarter, more successful, and more sustainable property management business, this is your playbook for AI search optimisation, vacation rental marketing, and winning more direct bookings. You’ll learn where LLMs get their answers from, why AI-delivered traffic is so hard to track, whether your traditional SEO still matters, where you need to show up online to get cited, the technical checklist to be AI-readable, and how to take a booking directly from AI.  Jason also shares where AI search is heading next and why this could be the biggest direct booking opportunity in years. Timestamps: 1:03 Use code HOSTPLANET20 for 20% off Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet 1:47 How travellers are using AI to book stays 4:17 AI-delivered traffic is hard to identify 7:11 Where do LLMs get their answers from? 9:41 How to get found and cited by ChatGPT and other LLMs 11:56 Does traditional SEO progress count for anything now? 15:06 Where you need to show up online 18:19 The technical aspect of getting found by AI 25:03 How to take a booking directly from AI 28:58 Is this the biggest direct booking opportunity in years? 31:44 Where is AI search going? 33:54 Kismet and where you can find out more Jason Cincotta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncincotta/ Kismet: www.makekismet.com Series powered by Lodgify – get 20% off with code HOSTPLANET20: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet Subscribe to Host Planet for more on  vacation rental management, hospitality marketing,  and AI-powered hosting. #HostPlanet #VacationRentalMarketing #DirectBookings

Agentic AI is becoming the Chief Action Officer for short-term rental hosts. Here's how to use it to save time, make money, and scale. In this episode of AI-Powered Hosting – from Host Planet and BOOM – we talk to Sab Mulligan about agentic AI for short-term rental hosts and property managers, and what it takes to build smarter, more successful, and more sustainable businesses with AI. Sab shares how a 650-unit operation in Malta uses AI as a senior member of the team, how AI helped a guest propose to his girlfriend, and why the future is so much more than just responding to guests quickly. We dig into how to embed your brand tone in an AI agent, the difference between prompts and playbooks when training AI, how Zzzing works with BOOM, and why Sab is making the case for no more dashboards. Plus: why tech should be making money or saving money, what hospitality architects will do by 2027, and where Zoe is heading next. In this episode: - Agentic AI as Chief Action Officer - Using AI across 650 units in Malta - Embedding brand tone in your AI agent - Prompts vs playbooks - No more dashboards - Tech ROI for hosts and managers Timestamps: 1:04 Agentic AI as a Chief Action Officer 2:22 650 units in Malta – having AI as a senior member of the team 3:56 AI helped a guest propose to his girlfriend 5:10 How to embed your brand tone in an AI agent 8:21 Much more than responding to guests quickly 10:41 BOOM: 11:32 How Zzzing works with BOOM 13:21 The difference between prompts and playbooks when training AI 17:59 Making the case for no more dashboards 22:16 Tech should be making money or saving money 26:12 Expect hospitality architects by 2027 28:17 Connect with Sab – and where Zoe is heading in 2027 🔗 Explore BOOM: https://www.boomnow.com/?utm_source=HostPlanet&utm_medium=Sponsor&utm_campaign=2026 📬 Connect with Sab on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahar-goldboim-80820b95/ AI-Powered Hosting is a six-part 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 #AgenticAI #ShortTermRentals #VacationRentals

Welcome to Episode 2 of the STR Growth Curve, a 12-part series from the Host Planet Podcast and Hospitable mapping the 12 stages of growth in short-term rentals – from setting up your first rental all the way through to selling your property management business. Our goal: help you build a smarter, more successful, and more sustainable hosting business. Stage 2 is all about optimising your first listing so it actually gets booked. Sandy Lee shares the difference between listings that get booked and those that don't, why you need to treat hosting like a business from day one, why professional photos are everything, the most common mistake hosts make with guest messaging, how to earn strong reviews and turn a four-star review into a five-star review, and how to handle your first bad review.  Plus what you should and should not automate from day one, including how AI and automation with Hospitable helps Sandy save time, use data to make better decisions, and get ready for property number two. 📘 Download the STR Growth Curve e-book: https://www.hostplanet.club/str-growth-curve 🏠 Try Hospitable – Get 25% off for your first 3 months: https://hospitable.com/partners/hostplanet In this episode: 1:15 The difference between listings that get booked and those that don’t 2:54 Treat it like a business – get organised 4:05 Professional photos are everything 5:42 It’s changing every day? 7:38 The most common mistake hosts make with guest messaging 8:58 Why Sandy responds to messages personally 9:27 How to earn a strong review 11:19 Automation vs manual – Sandy loves the data from Hospitable 13:51 Check out Hospitable 16:20 What you should and should not automate from day one 17:45 How to turn a four-star review into a five-star review 19:26 What new hosts over- and under-estimate at this stage 21:04 How to handle your first bad review 22:52 The signal you’re ready to take on your next property 23:41 Educate yourself before you start hosting Follow the Host Planet Podcast to catch the entire STR Growth Curve series. Sign up for the Host Planet Newsletter, read by hosts and property managers in 100+ countries: https://www.hostplanet.club/ Distilled Destinations: www.mydistilleddestinations.com STR JumpStart: www.strjumpstart.com Follow Sandy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strjumpstart

How can AI help you build a smarter, more successful, and more sustainable short-term rental business? In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – we sit down with Francois Gouelo, Co-Founder of Enso Connect, to rethink guest experience, automation, upsells, and AI. Francois shares the story of Enso Connect, what great guest experience really means, what most hosts get wrong, and the one thing you can do today to level up guest experience and drive more revenue. In this episode, we cover: - How Enso Connect helps STR hosts and property managers bolt AI onto your PMS - What AI can (and can't) handle in the guest experience - Why guests can't always tell if it's AI – and why they don't care - How guest experience directly drives revenue - Best, craziest, and most lucrative upsells - How to gather and utilise guest data to grow - How AI and vibe coding will shape property management Use code HOSTPLANET20 for 20% off Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet Timestamps: 1:05 Use code HOSTPLANET20 for 20% off Lodgify: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet 1:55 The story of Enso Connect 4:31 Rethinking the digital experience for modern guests 6:10 How Enso Connect helps STR hosts and property managers 7:45 Why Enso Connect is worth bolting on to your PMS 8:55 What great guest experience means (and what do hosts get wrong) 11:33 What AI can handle relating to the guest experience 13:58 Guests can’t always tell if it’s AI (and they probably don’t care) 16:10 How guest experience drives revenue 20:49 Best, craziest, and most lucrative upsells 21:49 How hosts need to gather and utilise data 24:54 How AI is going to shape property management 28:26 How ‘vibe coding’ is promoting innovation 30:59 The one thing to do to level up your guest experience Connect with Francois / Enso Connect: Email: [email protected] Enso Connect: https://ensoconnect.com/ The Host Planet Podcast is powered by Lodgify – use code HOSTPLANET20 for 20% off: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet Subscribe to the Host Planet Podcast for smarter hosting strategies, AI for hosts, and real-world tactics to build a more successful and sustainable STR business. #HostPlanetPodcast #ShortTermRentals #AIGuestExperience

Slow replies are costing you bookings. Learn how to automate guest communication with AI without losing the personal touch. In this episode of Build for Growth – from Host Planet and Hostfully – James Varley is joined by Jay Ullrich from HostBuddy AI to share a clear, practical plan to help you build a smarter, more successful and more sustainable short-term rental business with AI-powered messaging. You'll learn what you can automate today, which messages to start with, why clean data matters, how to treat your AI like a team member, when humans still need to step in, and how fast, personal replies help you show up better on Airbnb and Booking.com. Timestamps: 1:49 Get free PMS onboarding and 30% off digital guidebooks for life with Hostfully 2:47 What can be automated and what's changed with AI 4:18 The messages you can automate with AI 6:04 The importance of clean data for AI systems 7:30 Treat your AI like a member of the team 9:03 Meet the guest where they prefer their communication 13:02 The importance of a unified inbox 15:58 When do humans still need to get involved? 20:04 How to keep automated messages feeling personal 22:49 Fast response times help you show up better in Airbnb and Booking.com 26:36 A clear plan to automate guest communication 29:12 Reach Jay and HostBuddy Jay Ullrich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaytullrich/ HostBuddy AI: https://www.hostbuddy.ai/ Build for Growth from the Host Planet Podcast and Hostfully helps hosts and property managers build smarter, more successful and more sustainable businesses with practical tech, automation, and AI strategies. 🔗 Connect & Resources 🎁 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