The Host Report.
Notes from the field on running short-term rentals — anywhere. Pricing playbooks. Messaging tactics. Regulation explainers. Hosts you'll learn from.
Running an STR like a business · May 21, 2026
How to build an Airbnb guest experience guidebook
A great Airbnb guidebook turns a good stay into a five-star review. Here's how to build one that answers guest questions before they're asked, in any market.
Running an STR like a business · May 21, 2026
Best Airbnb management software in 2026
A practical buyer's guide to Airbnb management software in 2026 — what to look for, how Guesty, Lodgify, Hostify, and Symplehost compare, and how to choose.
Direct bookings & OTA strategy · May 21, 2026
The complete guide to a direct booking strategy
A full how-to guide for short-term rental operators: build a direct booking funnel, pick the right booking software, drive traffic, and measure what works.
Market & regional playbooks · May 21, 2026
Dynamic pricing for Airbnb: how to grow revenue in 2026
Why Airbnb's smart pricing leaves money on the table, how dynamic pricing actually works, and how to set it up across your portfolio without losing control.
Running an STR like a business · May 21, 2026
The 2026 STR conference calendar worth your travel budget
A global directory of the short-term rental conferences worth attending in 2026 — from Nashville to Mexico City to Melbourne — and how to get value from each.
Running an STR like a business · May 21, 2026
What the 2026 STR conferences are really telling operators
Four trends running through every major STR conference in 2026 — guest experience, revenue management, tech consolidation, and direct booking — and what to do.
Running a short-term rental like a business · May 21, 2026
Symplehost vs Guesty: which is the better fit for you
Symplehost vs Guesty compared honestly: one product that ships every layer versus an enterprise PMS. See which platform fits how you actually run your rentals.
Running a short-term rental like a business · May 21, 2026
Symplehost vs Hostify: which is the better fit for you
Symplehost vs Hostify compared honestly: flat per-listing pricing versus a fixed annual subscription. See which model fits how you run your rentals.
Direct bookings & OTA strategy · May 19, 2026
How to build a direct booking strategy that cuts your OTA dependency.
A four-stage funnel for turning OTA guests into repeat direct bookers — with the math on what each booking is actually worth.
Market & regional playbooks · May 17, 2026
The Queenstown ski-season pricing playbook (June to October).
How to price a Queenstown property through ski season — the four windows that decide your winter, and what to charge in each.
Running an STR like a business · May 15, 2026
The pricing mistakes that cost the average operator $8k a year.
Four pricing habits that quietly drain a single property — and what each one is actually worth in a year.
Running an STR like a business · May 12, 2026
The exact weekly routine of a 4-property owner who still has weekends.
What a sustainable hosting week actually looks like — broken down by day, with the tasks you stop doing manually.
Market & regional playbooks · May 8, 2026
Listing on Expedia vs. Airbnb — what actually converts.
Most hosts treat Expedia as a footnote and Airbnb as the main event. The data says the answer is more nuanced — and varies by market.
AI + automation for hosts · May 4, 2026
Never write a guest message from scratch again — a template system.
The 12 templates that cover 80% of guest messages — and how the AI co-host learns the other 20%.