Join Short Term Rentalz’ regular podcast series as we engage with thought leaders from the global short term vacation rental industry, including operators, service providers and property managers. Our latest series is sponsored by Track – part of TravelNet Solutions.
Why not make your brand stand-out and sponsor our podcast series?
She joins the association after seven years at VisitEngland, where she most recently served as head of industry development.
Graham Donoghue, chair at the STAA commented: “I am delighted to welcome Janet Uttley as the new CEO of the STAA. Janet joins us at a pivotal moment for the short-term rental sector, and her experience, industry relationships and clear-eyed view of the policy landscape make her exactly the right person to lead the association into its next chapter.
“On behalf of the board, I want to thank Andy Fenner for the enormous contribution he has made — the STAA he hands over is stronger, more influential and more connected than ever, and that is the platform Janet now builds on.”
Bringing extensive experience in the tourism sector, Uttley spoke to ShortTermRentalz about her new role and outlined her vision for the STAA moving forward.
The Short Stay Summit took place on the 22nd April bringing together operators, property managers, OTAs, tech providers and policymakers to discuss the future of the short-term rental sector.
Reading Time: < 1minute
In this episode, ShortTermRentalz sat down with Amirali Mohajer, CEO of hostAI, to talk about one of the biggest challenges facing the short-term rental sector – why do repeat guests still book through OTAs rather than directly with property managers?
Drawing on insights from hostAI’s recent research, Amirali shares what the data reveals about guest behaviour, booking habits and the factors that keep guests returning to platforms even after they’ve already stayed at a property.
Reading Time: < 1minute
[Sponsored content] In today’s episode, I chatted with Rob Thornley, Senior VP of Product at TravelNet Solutions. We covered everything from choosing the right tools and scaling technology strategically, to building a healthier, more efficient tech stack. Rob also shared his thoughts on the rise of agentic AI and the trends set to shape hospitality tech in 2026.
To learn more about TravelNet Solutions, click here
[Sponsored content] This week, STRz sat down with Larry Plawsky, general manager at Vrbo, to reflect on his first year leading the brand. We discussed his priorities stepping into the role, how Vrbo is sharpening its positioning within Expedia Group, the company’s approach to supporting hosts and professional partners, and the travel trends shaping its strategy for the year ahead.
In this episode, I catch up with Robin Bass, founder of Premier Properties USVI, to hear how she’s grown her short-term rental business and brought a personal touch to every stay. Robin talks about the small but powerful ways she’s using tech from helping her team work smarter to making each guest experience smoother. She also shares how she keeps that all-important human connection at the heart of her approach.
In this episode, we hear from Jason Ring CRO at Travel Net Solutions and Jim Birmingham, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Travel Solutions to unpack what AI really means. We cracked down on what makes something ‘true AI’ in hospitality tech, debunked common AI myths and discussed where the future of AI is headed in the hospitality space.
In episode 61 of the Short-Term Rentalz Podcast, we spoke with Jayne McCaw, founder of Jayne’s Luxury Rentals to discuss her approach to embedding luxury in the short-term rental space. Jayne discusses how to navigate hyper-personalisation in the luxury STR space and her approach to the guest experience.
In episode 60 of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we sat down with Veronica Rivas, Senior Director Global Business Development at Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, to explore what short-term rental operators can learn from the hotel playbook when it comes to building loyalty, trust, and consistency at scale. Veronica shared how Marriott is evolving its approach to the STR market and offered insights into how operators can apply key learnings from the hotel sector and the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty scheme to enhance guest experiences and drive growth.
If you are a property manager interested in joining the Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy programme, please visit: https://homes-and-villas.marriott.com
In Episode 59 of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we’re joined by Austin Ford, Associate Director of Revenue Management, and Vanessa Moore, VP of Revenue Services at Track, a leading property management system for short-term rental operators.
We dive into the growing demand for flexible cancellation policies and explore why they’ve become a must-have in today’s travel landscape. From boosting conversion rates and building guest trust to giving operators a clear competitive edge, Austin and Vanessa break down the data behind flexibility and share practical tips on how to strike the right balance between guest-friendly policies and business performance.
Take a look at our recent webinar in partnership with Track on elevating the guest experience with smart solutions via this link.
For episode 58 of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we speak to David Stephens, lead data scientist at TravelNet Solutions, to discuss his observations and takeaways from his company’s Next25 event in Nashville, how he sees AI levelling the playing field for short-term rental operations, and his predictions for how AI collaboration will evolve over the next five years.
View our previous podcast with Kate Berge, senior account manager lead at Track, at this link.
Watch / listen to our webinar in partnership with Track on ‘Making market data the core of your innovation strategy’ – in which David also participated – at this link.
For episode 57 of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we speak to Doug Strachota, director product management at LGE Electronics, to learn more about how the company is expanding into the short-term rental space, how it is seeking to increase profitability and brand recognition for property managers, and what he sees as the next major tech innovations in the travel and hospitality segments.
For episode 56 of the STRz podcast, we’re joined by James Bugner, head of sales for EMEA and APAC at remote staffing solution provider Extenteam, to discuss his big takeaways from the major industry conferences this year, why the industry is placing more importance on company culture, and the main challenges and opportunities facing the space as we head in 2025.
For Episode 55 of the STRz podcast, we’re joined by Siddhi Mittal, co-founder and co-CEO of chef marketplace yhangry, to discuss her startup’s move into the short-term rental segment and her own personal motivation, the current trends that she is observing, and the curation of guest searches for more bespoke experiences.
For episode 54 of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we’re joined by Toivo Halvorsen, CEO of hospitality tech solution company Dharma, to explore everything from his route into the short-term rental industry to the purpose of Dharma’s technology and the future potential of AI, and the key topics that he believes are currently not being discussed enough in the sector.
For episode 53 of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we’re joined by Kate Berge, senior account manager lead at CRM-based software platform Track, to discuss everything from SEO tips to help your properties rank higher, advice on how to drive more direct bookings through your website, to what paid ads work best for vacation rentals.
For episode 52 of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we’re joined by Bart-Jan Leyts, founder and CEO of online travel agency ranking management platform Otamiser, to learn more about how the company is deploying its $3 million in recent funding, the demand for visibility on the major OTAs, and upcoming pricing and revenue management strategy shifts around events.
For episode 51 of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we’re joined by Marco Celani, the president of short-term rental association AIGAB and property management company Italianway Spa, to discuss the regulatory landscape in Italy, the wider causes of the international affordable housing shortage, and his insights on the so-called ‘overtourism’ debate.
For a landmark 50th episode of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we catch up with Cynthia Huang, co-founder and CEO of peer-to-peer vacation rental ecosystem Dtravel, to speak about how the company is disrupting the short-term rental industry, her reaction to Airbnb raising guest service fees for cross-currency bookings, and why we should be excited rather than concerned for the future of cryptocurrency, web3 and blockchain technology.
For episode 49 of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we are joined by Jeff Cavins, founder and CEO of Outdoorsy, to learn more about his company’s expansion into outdoor stays, Jeff’s experience working with Steve Jobs at Apple, and his plans for potential M&A or an IPO in the future.
For episode 48 of the ShortTermRentalz podcast, we chat with Richie Khandelwal, co-founder of revenue management platform PriceLabs, about the company’s game-changing ‘Breakthrough Release’, PriceLabs’ commitment to innovation, and its recent accolade at the 2023 Shortyz Awards.
:
