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01/06/2026

The easy money era of STR is over. Here’s what that actually means. 👇

Shaun Shirazian, CEO of Lodgify, joined the Host Planet Podcast and said something every host should hear right now:

“It’s not like it used to be post-Covid, where you could easily make a buck here or there. You definitely need to be conscious about how you’re going to make that money.”

The travel boom covered a lot of cracks. High demand, low supply, guests who booked anything. That market rewarded quantity. This one rewards quality – better experience, smarter pricing, real differentiation.

The good news? It can still be passive income. But passive income requires intentional decisions, not just an Airbnb listing and a hope.

Full conversation on the Host Planet Podcast. Search “Host Planet” on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple to find it.

01/06/2026

A straight-talking moment from the Host Planet Podcast worth sharing 👇

Shaun Shirazian, CEO of Lodgify, put it plainly: the easy money era of short-term rentals is over. Competition is up, pricing is under pressure, and guests expect more than they did three years ago.

But here's the part that often gets missed: it can still be passive income. It doesn't have to mean working around the clock. It just has to be intentional.

If you're finding it harder to fill your calendar than it was in 2022 – you're not imagining it. The market has changed. The question is whether your approach has changed with it.

Full episode with Shaun on the Host Planet Podcast. Worth a listen if you're building a serious STR business right now. Link below 👇

https://youtu.be/scIIC6NYcCk

31/05/2026

The way guests find properties is changing. 🔍🤖

For years the game was: optimise your Airbnb listing, rank in the algorithm, get booked. That still works. But a growing number of travellers are now starting their search with an AI tool – and when they do, the platform algorithm is irrelevant.

AI search makes recommendations, not ranked lists. And what it recommends is the property with the clearest, most complete information available online – not necessarily the cheapest, or the most reviewed.

The hosts building for that shift now are going to have a real advantage. In the latest Smarter Hosting episode, James Varley breaks down this – and four other ways AI is changing STR hosting.

Catch the full episode on YouTube.

Smarter Hosting is powered by Host Planet and Guesty.

31/05/2026

Something that doesn't get talked about enough in the STR world right now 👇

More and more travellers are starting their accommodation search with an AI tool – not Airbnb, not Google. And when that happens, the way your property gets found is completely different.

The algorithm doesn't rank your listing. The AI makes a recommendation. And it recommends properties based on how clearly and completely they're described across the web – your listing, your direct booking website, your reviews, your amenity information.

Most hosts are still optimising entirely for Airbnb's algorithm. The ones paying attention to AI search are quietly building a second distribution channel that the platforms don't control.

We cover this – plus four other ways AI is changing the game for STR hosts — in the latest Smarter Hosting episode, powered by Host Planet and Guesty.

Full episode: https://youtu.be/UYbYbcmillU

Is this something you've thought about for your properties?

Would love to know where people are at with this. 👇

30/05/2026

A question for the STR hosts and property managers 👇

Airbnb's fees are sitting at 15.5% right now. They're a public company. They need to keep growing revenue for shareholders. They can't add dramatically more listings.

So where does the growth come from?

Answer: You.

Amber Knight from BookingsCloud joined the Host Planet Podcast to break down exactly what this means for hosts – and what the operators who are ahead of this are already doing differently. The short version: diversifying your booking channels isn't optional any more. It's the thing that protects your margins when the next hike lands.

Full episode: https://youtu.be/DN952EIoS40

What percentage of your bookings come direct right now? Drop it in the comments — genuinely curious where people are at. 👇

30/05/2026

Here’s the Airbnb truth nobody wants to say out loud. 📉

15.5% fees. Public company. Shareholders who need to see growth every quarter. A supply side they can’t dramatically expand.

The only lever left is what they charge you per booking.

Amber Knight from BookingsCloud joined the Host Planet Podcast and said what a lot of operators already feel but haven’t acted on yet: the hosts who are protected when the next fee hike lands are the ones who started building their direct booking channel months ago – not the week it was announced.

If your bookings are still 80%+ OTA, this one’s worth your time.

🎙️Catch the full episode on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple. Search “Host Planet” to find it.

29/05/2026

The hosting advantage right now isn’t having more properties. It’s running them smarter. 🤖

New episode of Smarter Hosting just dropped – 5 practical ways STR hosts are using AI to save time, improve guest experience, and stay ahead of the competition.

We cover:

✅ AI-optimised listings (with prompts you can use today)
✅ Guest communication that scales without losing the personal touch
✅ Smarter pricing decisions
✅ Cleaning and operations automation
✅ How AI is changing the way guests search – and what that means for your visibility

The last point is the one most hosts are sleeping on. Worth watching for that alone.

Full episode on YouTube – search “Host Planet”.

Smarter Hosting is powered by Host Planet and .

29/05/2026

Quick question for the STR hosts in here 👇

Are you using AI in your hosting business yet – or does it still feel like something you'll get to eventually?

In the latest Smarter Hosting episode, James Varley shares 5 practical ways to actually use AI right now – not vague "leverage technology" advice, but specific use cases across listings, guest messaging, pricing, cleaning ops, and how guests are starting to search differently.

The one we'd start with if you're brand new to this: AI for your listing copy. The difference between a listing written without AI prompts and one written with the right ones is significant – and it takes about 20 minutes.

Full episode is on YouTube. Link in the comments.

Smarter Hosting is powered by Host Planet and Guesty.

What's one thing you'd want AI to handle in your hosting business? Drop it below 👇

28/05/2026

The guests who leave the best reviews aren’t just reacting to the property.

They’re reacting to the whole experience – including everything they received before they arrived.

Joseph Cox from Hostfully joined Host Planet Bitesize to talk about the pre-arrival window – including the benefits of using a digital guidebook.

Catch the full episode across our channels. Search “Host Planet” on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple.

28/05/2026

Joseph Cox from Hostfully joined us for Host Planet Bitesize – and if you manage short-term rental properties, this one's worth watching.

He talked about something most hosts underestimate: the window between booking and arrival, and what you do with it.

The digital guidebook piece is particularly practical – not a tech pitch, just a clear explanation of what guests actually need and when they need it.

Watch it below and let us know in the comments: what does your current pre-arrival communication look like? One message? Three? Nothing until the morning of check-in?

Full episode link in the comments.

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