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

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