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 a short-term rental like a business · August 1, 2026
Guesty vs Hostaway vs Lodgify (2026): an honest three-way comparison
Guesty, Hostaway, and Lodgify compared honestly in 2026 — pricing models, AI messaging, direct booking, and who each platform actually fits.
Running a short-term rental like a business · August 1, 2026
Hospitable alternatives in 2026: 5 platforms without the caps and add-ons
The best Hospitable alternatives in 2026, compared honestly — for hosts hitting AI caps, add-on pricing, or the edges of a messaging-first tool.
Running a short-term rental like a business · August 1, 2026
Hostaway alternatives in 2026: 5 platforms with prices you can actually see
The best Hostaway alternatives in 2026, compared honestly — for hosts tired of quote-only pricing, onboarding fees, and annual contracts.
Running a short-term rental like a business · August 1, 2026
Lodgify alternatives in 2026: 5 platforms when the website isn't enough
The best Lodgify alternatives in 2026, compared honestly — for hosts who've outgrown a website-first platform and need the operation behind it.
Running a short-term rental like a business · August 1, 2026
What is an Airbnb co-host? Duties, fees, and how co-hosting works in 2026
What an Airbnb co-host does, what co-hosts charge, how to add or become one, what belongs in a co-host agreement — and when an AI co-host makes more sense.
Guest communication · July 31, 2026
Best Automated Guest Communication Software for Vacation Rentals (2026): 9 Tools Compared
An editorial roundup of the 9 best automated guest communication tools for short-term rentals in 2026 — features, pricing, and who each one is really for.
Running a short-term rental like a business · July 31, 2026
Best Channel Manager for Short-Term Rentals (2026): 7 Tools Compared
An honest roundup of the best channel managers for short-term rentals in 2026 — real-time sync, supported OTAs, pricing, and which tool fits your market, from the US to Australia.
Dynamic pricing · July 31, 2026
Best Dynamic Pricing Tools for Vacation Rentals (2026): A Data-Backed Comparison
An editorial roundup of the best dynamic pricing tools for vacation rentals in 2026 — how they work, what they cost, and which one fits your portfolio.
Operations · July 31, 2026
Best Property Operations & Task Automation Software for Short-Term Rentals (2026)
Compare the best short-term rental operations and task automation software of 2026 — SympleHost, Breezeway, Operto, and Turno — with honest best-for verdicts.
Property management · July 31, 2026
Best Vacation Rental Management Software (2026): The Complete Guide
An editorial roundup of the best vacation rental management software in 2026, with honest best-for/not-for verdicts, a full feature comparison, and transparent pricing.
Guest communication · July 31, 2026
How to Automate Guest Communication for Short-Term Rentals: A Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
A step-by-step 2026 guide to automating short-term rental guest messaging — trigger maps, copy-paste templates, tool options, and how to measure impact.
Running a short-term rental like a business · July 27, 2026
SympleHost vs Hospitable: which is the better fit for you
SympleHost vs Hospitable compared honestly: an AI co-host on every plan versus automation assembled tier by tier. See which platform fits your rentals.
Running a short-term rental like a business · July 27, 2026
SympleHost vs Hostaway: which is the better fit for you
SympleHost vs Hostaway compared honestly: transparent flat pricing versus a quote-only mid-market PMS. See which platform fits how you actually run your rentals.
Running a short-term rental like a business · July 27, 2026
SympleHost vs Lodgify: which is the better fit for you
SympleHost vs Lodgify compared honestly: an AI co-host that does the whole job versus a website-first platform with tiered features. See which fits your rentals.
Operations · July 3, 2026
Best Airbnb Cleaning & Housekeeping Automation Software (2026)
Compare the best Airbnb cleaning and housekeeping automation tools of 2026 — SympleHost, Turno, Breezeway, ResortCleaning — plus how to auto-schedule turnovers.
Running an STR like a business · May 21, 2026
How to benchmark your Airbnb property against the competition
A practical guide to building a competitive set, benchmarking occupancy, ADR, and RevPAN, and turning the numbers into specific moves that grow revenue.
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
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.
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.
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%.