Short-Term Rental and Vacation Rental News

Cities are still trying to figure out how to tax and regulate this disruptive service 11 years after it was created — but so far most still aren’t doing a good job.

Did Airbnb just hire the Chip Conley of aviation?

This week in hospitality, Caesars responds to changing consumer demand, a report finds that direct booking keeps customers in loyalty programs, and a "glamping" startup raises $115 million.

This is the year the hospitality industry starts seeing itself the same way its guests do.

Is Airbnb flailing at a way to build an expansion narrative ahead of an initial public offering? Buying HotelTonight would save some time and effort in making inroads with boutique hotels, but does Airbnb really need HotelTonight to do that? In travel, everyone is always talking to everyone so we're unsure how serious these informal talks ever were.

Airbnb could be in the initial stages of getting into property management. While such an initiative has its risks in terms of criticism from current property management partners, it seems like a much smarter strategy than expanding into very complex and difficult areas such as flights.

To be honest, this acquisition is a bit puzzling, and has us wondering: Why buy when you can partner instead? But perhaps Airbnb is onto something.

The big vacation rental players have formed an association in Japan, with the blessing of the Japan Tourism Agency. It may be a model for other Asian countries to follow.

The Miami settlement could have broader implications for Airbnb when other big landlords take it to task for hosts violating their apartment leases. And, it isn't a bad thing for Airbnb to resolve its issues with various regulators and to erase some of these legal irritants when it will likely solicit investors for a 2019 initial public offering.

Once a cottage industry operated by entrepreneurial property owners, today’s billion dollar vacation rental market is undergoing massive growth, driven by digital platforms that are evolving in tandem with its users' needs.