STR News.

This article from Skift discusses how travel brands are utilizing TikTok for advertising and bookings, including options for direct booking within the app. Hosts can potentially leverage these trends by exploring influencer partnerships and advertising on platforms like TikTok and Booking.com to drive bookings.

This article discusses Model Context Protocol (MCP), a new technology that streamlines how travel systems interact with AI, potentially allowing for direct bookings and bypassing middlemen. Hosts should be aware of this technology as it could impact how guests book and discover their listings through AI-powered search.

This article is a host guide to HomeToGo, a metasearch engine and direct booking platform. Hosts can list directly on HomeToGo, which attracts travelers with an average booking window of 90 days, but must manage calendar and pricing synchronization to avoid double bookings. Understanding the fee structures (commission or split fee) is essential for maximizing visibility.

The STR landscape is evolving, with shorter booking windows and guests prioritizing experiences over just bedrooms. Hosts should adapt by focusing on dynamic pricing, creating unique guest experiences, and building direct booking strategies to stay competitive.

At DARM 2025, the shortening booking window trend was highlighted along with the importance of demand signals. Direct bookings deliver higher revenue, but require a strategic approach. Owners now expect clarity and proactive communication regarding their property's performance. Segmentation is essential, and AI is advancing, but context remains key.

This article summarizes key trends from the DARM 2025 conference, highlighting the shrinking booking windows, the importance of direct bookings, and the rising expectations of owners. Hosts should adapt to these trends by focusing on early demand signals, developing direct booking strategies, enhancing communication with owners, and segmenting their portfolios.

This NerdWallet article expresses a critical view: Airbnb has become 'terrible'. This likely refers to increased competition, stricter regulations, or a shift in the platform's focus away from hosts. Hosts should reassess their strategies and potentially explore alternative platforms or direct booking options to stay competitive.

This article explains how to list your vacation rental on Google Vacation Rentals (GVR). It highlights that individual hosts can't list directly and should use property management software like iGMS to integrate, increasing direct bookings and control over listings.

This BiggerPockets article discusses the evolving landscape of short-term rentals, highlighting the shift toward treating STRs as businesses. Hosts should focus on building strong operational systems, diversifying booking channels, and investing in direct booking to thrive in 2026 and beyond.

This article discusses direct booking strategies, highlighting the importance of website design, trust signals, and user experience. It emphasizes the shift from an OTA-focused mindset to an e-commerce approach, encouraging hosts to build their brand and optimize the booking process on their own websites. Actionable advice includes focusing on trust and user experience and optimizing the booking flow for higher conversion rates.

This article compares two property management systems (PMS), Lodgify and Uplisting, highlighting their features and target users. It then advocates for Hostfully as a better alternative, emphasizing its broad feature set, integrations, and customer service. Hosts should consider evaluating their current PMS and if they need more direct booking and marketing features, then Lodgify is best. If they prioritize automation and low costs, Uplisting is a good choice, but Hostfully may offer a wider range of services.

OwnerRez has integrated with HiChee, a price comparison platform, to help hosts attract direct bookings and reduce reliance on OTAs. This integration offers accurate pricing and calendar syncing, and verified OwnerRez hosts get a free HiChee Traveler Plan.

This podcast episode features Eviivo, a property management system (PMS) that aims to help hosts save time, simplify operations, and grow bookings. Eviivo emphasizes direct bookings and integration capabilities, which can help hosts reduce reliance on OTAs. Consider exploring PMS options like Eviivo to streamline your hosting operations and boost direct bookings.

This article from Get Paid For Your Pad discusses how to drive more direct bookings using creators and micro-influencers through a community called Content Army. The article provides insights on how to build and maintain creator partnerships, organize retreats, measure impact on bookings, and common mistakes to avoid. Hosts can learn how to leverage influencer marketing to increase direct bookings and build their brand.

This article discusses an influencer campaign that generated $12,000 in direct bookings with a $900 investment. It highlights how hosts can identify effective local influencers, the benefits of single-property landing pages, and the importance of contracts and content rights. Hosts should consider implementing a similar strategy to reduce reliance on OTAs and increase direct bookings.

This article reports a surge in direct bookings for Aspen Vacation Rentals. This trend suggests a potential shift in guest booking behavior and could impact your marketing strategy. Hosts should consider evaluating their direct booking strategy and website performance.

This article from Get Paid For Your Pad dives into the power of email marketing for STR hosts, offering actionable strategies to boost direct bookings and guest engagement. It covers building an email list, using automation, and creating engaging content, alongside insights on revenue management and CEO-level focus. Hosts can learn how to drive more direct bookings and optimize their operations.

This article from Get Paid For Your Pad highlights how to drive direct bookings using influencer marketing. Hosts can download free resources, including a creator guide and an influencer collab calculator, to align with creators and assess the ROI of partnerships.

This Skift article highlights a problem with Vrbo's OneKey rewards program, where travelers can earn points but are unable to redeem them for bookings. The update aims to fix the issue, improving the overall guest experience and incentivizing repeat bookings. This fix could increase guest loyalty and drive more direct bookings for hosts.

This article discusses the importance of guest data collection and direct bookings. It highlights Stayfi, a Wi-Fi marketing tool, as a way to gather guest emails and market directly to them to increase occupancy and reduce dependence on OTAs.

This article discusses Stay-fi, a guest Wi-Fi marketing tool, and how hosts can use it to collect guest email addresses and encourage direct bookings. It highlights the benefits of reducing reliance on OTAs through email and text marketing. Hosts should consider implementing guest data collection and email marketing strategies to drive direct bookings.

This podcast episode emphasizes the importance of experiential design and marketing for short-term rentals to stay competitive. Hosts are encouraged to create Instagrammable spaces and leverage platforms like TikTok for marketing to attract guests and drive direct bookings. It also highlights the significance of market research to target the right guest avatar.

This article discusses the importance of experiential design in short-term rentals to attract guests and stand out in a competitive market. It emphasizes making properties Instagrammable, using social media for direct bookings, and targeting design to ideal guest avatars. Hosts should consider incorporating thematic decor and collaborating with local businesses to enhance guest experiences.

This article discusses market trends in the short-term rental space, specifically highlighting Google's increasing presence with Google Vacation Rentals and the rise of direct bookings. It also emphasizes the importance of a diverse marketing strategy and leveraging various channels to reach potential guests in an evolving market.