Given the current uproar over Homeaway/vrbo (now Expedia) many are asking “what can I do and where do I go ?”.   Every time I see a post in the forum about these concerns I cringe when I see “listing sites” plugging their service.  I have no problem with this ….in fact, if there are regional listing sites in Northern California that can add value to my day - please ping me ...

Round 1

For those of you who attended the VRMA conference in San Diego  ….that was Round 1.   I remember vividly standing out in front of the conference room as owners and managers walked out in dead silence….they look stunned “did he really say that ?”.   Prior to that conference ...in the same month Homeaway made the commitment to travelers that they will not be charged a fee.   As we ...

It’s not just another stay….

By now you have read the great news of Choice Hotels getting into the industry. It provides another proof point on the evolution of the industry and why more than ever it is important to position your brand in the marketplace.  You have made investments in your website, content and property data ...share those assets wisely.

My hotel background taught me the benefits of ...

As someone who has experienced both sides of these unique markets segments, I find that understanding the similarities is helpful in growing and maintaining a vibrant vacation rental business.  For all the talk of how different vacation rentals are to hotels, it might be constructive to understand and learn from the similarities. I will break it down into two main pillars:

Physical Assets (Hard Goods) : Be it hotels or vacation ...

The vacation rental industry is facing many challenges during these dynamic times.  

Recent examples:

• TripAdivsor Revolt https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=8360994
• Airbnb Superhost Viral Post   https://medium.com/airbnb-superhosting/airbnb-why-did-you-terminate-my-account-an-open-letter-to-airbnb-9631213f8a1b
• Homeaway, Accept BIN or else https://www.linkedin.com/grp/post/69889-6034036231631888387#commentID_6036541838389698560http://skift.com/2014/12/11/homeaway-has-new-plan-to-force-vacation-rental-owners-to-accept-online-bookings/

This on top of regulatory issues that are not being addressed form the basis of the fragmentation ...