Shows / Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals is the go-to podcast for short-term rental hosts, property managers, and vacation rental operators. Hosted by James Varley, each episode shares practical strategies on Airbnb hosting, holiday let management, direct bookings, revenue management, guest experience, and listing optimisation. If you run an STR or want to grow a smarter hosting business, Host Planet gives you actionable insights from leading voices in the industry.
Episodes
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Get 5-Star Reviews on Airbnb (and Avoid the 4-Stars) | Mercedes Sanchez, MBX Homes
Is one 4-star review dragging your Airbnb rating down? Mercedes Sanchez of MBX Homes shares how independent hosts can win more 5-star reviews and protect their…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Make More Money From Every Booking With Upsells | Build for Growth
Most hosts are sitting on extra revenue they never collect. Upsells are one of the easiest ways to earn more from every booking, yet they're still massively…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Plan Your 2027 Short-Term Rental Revenue (Do This Before Christmas)
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Team vs Freelancers: What Professionalising Your Airbnb Really Means
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
AI Buildathon: Build an AI Agent for Your STR Business | Mark Simpson
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Find, Hire and Keep Great STR Cleaners | Brooks Sparks, Turno
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Scale as an Airbnb Co-Host Without Losing Guest Experience | STR Growth Curve Ep 4
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
From London to Global: Building a Short-Term Rental Cleaning Empire
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Automate Your Airbnb: What to Systemise vs What to Keep Human
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Avoid Double Bookings and Price Across Channels Like a Pro
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Get Your Holiday Let Found on AI Search
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
The First STR Software to Pay For (and What to Avoid)
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Get Cited by ChatGPT to Get More Direct Bookings
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 –…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
No More Dashboards: How Agentic AI Runs 650 Rentals
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Why Your Airbnb Isn't Getting Booked? Photos, Reviews & Automation with Sandy Lee
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Best Upsells to Level Up Guest Experience | Host Planet Podcast with Enso Connect
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Automate Airbnb Guest Messages with AI | Build for Growth with Jay Ullrich
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Is Airbnb's 6% Affiliate Link a Win for Hosts? Dr Zak Ali Reacts
Is Airbnb's 6% direct booking link actually a win for hosts? On STR Pricing Pulse – powered by Host Planet and Beyond – Dr Zak Ali, President of the ISTRM…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Launch an Airbnb in 2026 (Without the Mistakes)
Setting up your first Airbnb? Stage 1 of the STR Growth Curve shows you exactly how to launch right – pricing, cleaning, reviews, and essential tech. Welcome…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
The Biggest Social Media Mistakes Airbnb Hosts Make
Struggling to turn followers into bookings? Vanessa Aguirre shares the social media strategy independent hosts need for 2026. In this episode of The…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
From 1 Host to 100s of Doors: Scaling Vacation Rental Turnovers
How do you design cleaning operations software that hosts and cleaners actually use when they're not at a desk? Gabi Celemin from Turno joins Turnover Tactics…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Wales 182-Day Rule Explained: What Every Holiday Let Owner Must Do Now
Wales' 182-day rule is pushing self-catering owners to the brink – and there's a narrow window to change it. Almost a third of holiday letting businesses in…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Why Guests Don't Book Direct (And How to Fix It) | Jonas Baum, Smoobu
Why don't guests book direct – and how do you fix it? In this episode of Built to Book, Jonas Baum, Head of CX at Smoobu, breaks down how to build a direct…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Is Your Holiday Let Winter Ready? Expert Tips to Avoid 1-Star Reviews
Is your holiday let truly winter ready..? Because a cold property is a 1-star review waiting to happen. In this episode of Holiday Let Insider, from Host…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Bath Roadshow Preview: Luxury Short-Term Rentals, Fire Rules & Escobar Plane Airbnb
Luxury hosting is getting harder – fire regulations, guest expectations, and running a UK business from abroad. Here's how top operators stay ahead. In this…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Mid Term Rentals: The Perfect Storm Every Host Should Cash In On | Build for Growth
Mid-term rentals are having a moment — a perfect storm of supply shifts, rising nightly-rate competition, and a flood of 30–90 day demand. In this Build for…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
From Information to Action: Will You Trust Agentic AI to Run Your Rentals?
Is agentic AI about to take real work off your plate – not just give you more information? In this episode of AI-Powered Hosting, from Host Planet and BOOM…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Make VRMA International Work for You: Anne Gardner's Playbook
Planning to attend a major short-term rental conference this year – but not sure how to actually get value out of it? In this episode of the Host Planet…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
The Biggest Mistakes New Airbnb Hosts Make (And How To Avoid Them)
New Airbnb host? Katie Bessant from The Holiday Hive shares the most common mistakes new hosts make – and exactly how to fix them before they cost you…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Get Direct Bookings for Your Vacation Rental
Direct bookings are the highest-margin channel most hosts still ignore – no OTA commission, full control of the guest relationship, and a booking engine you…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Frame Revenue at Risk to Management
Revenue managers don't lose the room because their data is wrong – they lose it because they can't explain it. Dr Zak Ali (President, ISTRM) joins STR Pricing…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Is STR Regulation Finally Coming? STAA CEO Janet Uttley Explains
Registration schemes on hold. A tourism levy fight nobody's sure we can win. Business rates squeezing operators. Janet Uttley, Chief Executive of the Short…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
OTA vs Direct Booking: What Actually Wins in 2026?
Christin Schmidt spent 20 years working inside Booking.com – and in this episode of Built to Book, she reveals exactly what most hosts get wrong about their…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Turno's Isa Bortolossi on Fixing Airbnb Cleaning Chaos | Turnover Tactics
Turnover management is one of the toughest parts of running a short-term rental – and it only gets harder as you scale. In this episode of Turnover Tactics…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
The Direct Booking Strategy Every Host Needs in 2026 | Becky Ward
Direct bookings are more valuable than ever in 2026 – and Becky Ward, CEO of Simply Owners, breaks down exactly how hosts and property managers can win more of…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Choosing a PMS? The Mistake Most Hosts Make (ft. Hostfully's Frank Bosi)
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
The Holiday Let Market Right Now: Shorter Breaks, Solo Travellers, and AI
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Revenue Management Just Got Smarter – Here's How
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
The End of Traditional PMS? Agentic AI and the Future of STR Management
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Start an Airbnb in 2026: Pricing, Photography & Your First Booking | Lydia Patel
Starting an Airbnb? Lydia Patel shares the practical lessons she wishes she knew before welcoming her first guests – from pricing and photography to direct…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Why Is My Airbnb Not Booking? 7 Fixes That Work | Ikram Mohamed, Hostfully
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
What STR Revenue Managers Get Wrong About Owner Communication | Zak Ali, ISTRM
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Selling a Holiday Let Business: Valuation, Exit & Staying Involved
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Stop Buying Tech to Fix the Wrong Problem | Jannik Abraham, Smoobu
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Are US Vacation Rental Companies Getting Europe Wrong? | Armand de Juniac, Turno | Turnover Tactics
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
What Staying at Your Own Airbnb Actually Reveals | Ari Eryorulmaz, Extenteam
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Is AI Overhyped in Short-Term Rentals? Hostfully's CEO Tells the Truth
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
61% of Holiday Let Owners Are Already Using AI — Are You Getting Left Behind?
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
STR Regulation, London's 90-Day Rule & The Future of Short-Term Rentals UK ft. Merilee Karr
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
AI, Direct Bookings & the Future of Short-Term Rentals ft. Amirali Mohajer
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
The tool that tells Airbnb hosts when to raise their prices
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
The Airbnb Pricing Strategy Most Hosts Get Wrong | Dr Zak Ali, ISTRM
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Winning the World Cup: STR Market Analysis with PriceLabs
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
How to Handle Back-to-Back Airbnb Turnovers During Peak Season
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…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
The Guest Messaging AI That Saves Hosts 20 Hours a Week
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: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Holiday Letting in 2026: Pets Earn 16% More Revenue & the UK's Best Locations
The Sykes Holiday Cottages Holiday Letting Outlook Report 2026 is here – and it's full of data every UK host needs to see. In this episode of Holiday Let…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Is Too Much Tech Hurting Your Airbnb? Smoobu's Managing Director Explains
Are you adding more tools to your vacation rental business but feeling more overwhelmed than ever? Jannik Abraham, Managing Director of Smoobu, joins the Host…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Is Your STR Data Garbage? Why AI Needs Clean Inputs to Work
Most short-term rental hosts have more data than ever – and less clarity on what to do with it. In this episode of Host Planet Bitesize, powered by Hostfully…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
The Real Reason Your Airbnb Isn't Booking (It's Not Your Price)
Most hosts treat Airbnb pricing strategy as a numbers game. Amber Knight says that's exactly why they keep discounting themselves into trouble. Amber joined…
- Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights
Selling Your Airbnb Management Business? Do These Things First
Thinking about selling your Airbnb or short-term rental management business? Before you list it, there are steps that could dramatically increase the sale…