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

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 them without relying on the OTAs.

In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Lodgify – Becky shares the Simply Owners story, why accessible properties are converting more direct guests, how SEO and GEO strategy plays into visibility, and the biggest mistakes hosts make when they try to "go direct" without a real plan.

We also cover the upcoming Host Planet Roadshow in Nottinghamshire, where Simply Owners is the Event Partner – including what attendees can expect, the roundtable sessions, and how to grab your ticket.

🎟️ Grab your ticket for the Host Planet Roadshow Nottinghamshire: https://www.hostplanet.club/hp-roadshow-nottingham

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

🔗 Learn more about Simply Owners: https://www.simplyowners.net/

TIMESTAMPS:

1:00 Grab your ticket for the Host Planet Roadshow
1:27 Get 20% off Lodgify with code HOSTPLANET20
2:13 The story of Simply Owners
3:18 How Simply Owners helps people get direct bookings
4:20 How the business is developing
5:59 Accessible properties can achieve more direct bookings
7:59 Focus on SEO and GEO
9:18 Why direct bookings matter so much in 2026
12:20 Where hosts go wrong when they try to go direct
13:54 Host Planet Roadshow Nottinghamshire: taking education to the regions
15:45 What attendees can expect at the Notts event
17:44 The roundtable competitions at Host Planet Roadshow events
19:41 Becky Ward and Lisa Roads on stage
21:18 What people should do to get more direct bookings

Host Planet is the home of everything short-term rental – helping hosts and property managers build smarter, more profitable, more sustainable STR businesses. Subscribe for weekly episodes, guest interviews, and actionable strategy.

#HostPlanetPodcast #DirectBookings #ShortTermRentals

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: frank@hostfully.com

📅 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