Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals

Short-term rental hosting, Airbnb tips, direct bookings, vacation rental management – Host Planet is your go-to source for expert insights and real estate strategies.

Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals is a business podcast hosted by James Varley | Host Planet, with 290 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

James Varley | Host Planet hosts Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals, a business show with 290 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals

  Is STR Regulation Finally Coming? STAA CEO Janet Uttley Explains

  Aug 20, 202633 min

  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 Term Accommodation Association, joins Host Planet – powered by Lodgify – to break down exactly where STR regulation stands right now, and what a good registration scheme would actually look like. We also get into the STAA's first 12 months of targets, how they're working alongside PASC UK and the ASSC, and whether the new government (and Andy Burnham) will move the needle for hosts. This episode is powered by Lodgify — get 20% off with code HOSTPLANET20: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet Timestamps: 1:05 Get 20% off Lodgify with code HOSTPLANET20 1:52 Janet's first few months at the STAA 2:58 The make-up of the STAA 4:05 STAA targets for the next 12 months 5:48 Collaborating with other industry bodies like PASC UK and the ASSC 7:07 What the STAA does and why operators should be interested 9:13 The registration scheme is on hold 11:21 What does a good registration scheme look like? 13:48 Tourism levy update… a battle we won't win? 18:13 Business rates 20:34 The impact of the new government on short-term rentals. Will Andy Burnham help us? 21:55 Collaborating with destination marketing organisations 24:38 Short Stay Summit 28:13 Supporting the Host Planet Roadshow 30:39 Find out more about the STAA and the Short Stay Summit Contact Janet Uttley: janet.uttley@ukstaa.org Host Planet Roadshow: https://www.hostplanet.club/host-planet-roadshow The Host Planet Podcast is powered by Lodgify — get 20% off with code HOSTPLANET20: https://www.lodgify.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=creator-collab&utm_campaign=host-planet #ShortTermRentals #Airbnb #STAA #Lodgify #HostPlanetPodcast

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  Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals

  OTA vs Direct Booking: What Actually Wins in 2026?

  Aug 19, 202632 min

  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 OTA ranking, why reviews matter differently on Airbnb vs Booking.com, and how to build an OTA vs direct booking strategy that doesn't leave money on the table. Built to Book is a six-part series from Host Planet and Smoobu, built to help hosts optimise revenue, ranking, and guest experience across every channel. ⏱️ Timestamps 1:18 What hosts misunderstand about their ranking on Booking.com 3:26 If you want to boost your ranking tomorrow, this is what you should do 4:18 Do all the OTAs rank properties the same way? 5:58 Are reviews more important on Airbnb than on Booking.com? 6:38 Should hosts think about OTA commission differently? 9:07 How the OTA algorithms actually work 13:17 Preferred Partner and Genius… worth it? 16:38 Don't just put your rates up if you join a programme! 18:04 The most counterintuitive thing to do to boost your ranking 19:59 How to convert an OTA guest to a direct booker 21:08 Get 20% off Smoobu: https://www.smoobu.com/en/hostplanet/?utm_source=hostplanet&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=podcast_2 21:57 The early signals a listing is starting to struggle 24:35 What should your rates be on OTAs vs your direct booking website? 27:07 Should your direct booking website always be a bit cheaper than the OTAs? 28:10 If you're auditing a listing with bookings, where to start? 29:38 The OTA change nobody has adapted to Built to Book is brought to you by Smoobu – get 20% off your subscription: https://www.smoobu.com/en/hostplanet/?utm_source=hostplanet&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=podcast_2 Subscribe to Host Planet for more short-term rental strategy, OTA optimisation and channel manager advice: https://www.hostplanet.club/ #BuiltToBook #Smoobu #BookingComTags

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  Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals

  Turno's Isa Bortolossi on Fixing Airbnb Cleaning Chaos | Turnover Tactics

  Aug 17, 202621 min

  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, brought to you by Host Planet and Turno, we sit down with Isa Bortolossi from Turno to unpack what's really going wrong behind the scenes of most cleaning operations – and how to fix it before it costs you a booking. Isa shares the craziest turnover story she's seen, breaks down the recurring problems her team spots across thousands of support tickets, and explains why anticipating issues beats firefighting them. We also get into the numbers: over 40% of Turno's projects last year were same-day turnovers, and Isa reveals the Turno Cleaner Guarantee and the hand-rating system hosts actually trust. If you're heading into peak season and want your cleaning operation to hold up under pressure, this one's for you. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 1:26 Check out Turno: https://turno.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=host_planet 2:17 There's always a new challenge with turnovers 3:31 Isa's craziest story 4:57 Anticipating problems is better than solving them on the fly 6:07 Isa's team and the problems she sees again and again 9:53 What support tickets show about problem operations 11:33 The hand rating trusted by a Turno user 13:00 More than 40% of Turno projects last year were same-day turnovers 15:20 The Turno Cleaner Guarantee 17:57 Isa's top tip for hosts approaching peak season 20:17 Reach Isa and Turno Connect with Isa Bortolossi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isadora-bortolossi/ Learn more about Turno: https://turno.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=host_planet Turnover Tactics is a Host Planet series in partnership with Turno, helping short-term rental hosts build smarter, more sustainable operations. ️ Subscribe to Host Planet for more short-term rental strategy, automation tips, and host interviews every week: https://www.hostplanet.club/

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  Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals

  The Direct Booking Strategy Every Host Needs in 2026 | Becky Ward

  Aug 13, 202624 min

  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

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  Host Planet: Expert Insights for Short-Term Rentals

  Choosing a PMS? The Mistake Most Hosts Make (ft. Hostfully's Frank Bosi)

  Aug 11, 202635 min

  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

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