In order to set a gold standard for the vacation rental industry, only locally owned and / or operated vacation rental brands are to be considered for the stamp of approval that is provided by The 100 Collection™ imprint and issued by a trusted peer-to-peer collective of leading industry owners and managers, known as doyennes. Properties must adhere to specific quality, safety and cleanliness requirements, while the professionals caring for the properties must meet the highest hospitality standards.

The doyennes involved in The 100 Collection™ bring decades of hospitality experience and are independent business owners with a track record of success who are peer-vetted in consideration for this brand differentiating distinction. They will have exclusive access to innovative strategies, enhanced distribution channels and diversified marketing services, while they are also the protectors of Main Street, making sure that they maintain the uniqueness of their communities.

Prior to launching, co-founders Travis Wilburn and Rebecca Lombardo observed the growing “chasm” between advanced customer expectations and the aptitude of many vacation rental owners to deliver a superior hospitality experience following the pandemic. They then developed the third-party validation system to meet the needs of a more discerning and educated traveller.

Quality of guest experience, personal safety and cleanliness, touchless technology and diversified day-use services are just a few of the differentiating factors offered by The 100 Collection™, according to the two co-founders.

Travis Wilburn said: “The pandemic demanded a reset button to meet the evolving to needs of a consumer-driven vacation rental industry. It places a tremendous responsibility on owners to embrace innovation and up-level their offerings.

“Guests want high tech yet low touch, an emphasis on cleanliness but also a new level of awareness around personal safety. There are many conflicting needs to be addressed, and they need to be handled in a timely and effective way, every single time.

“Our collective of professional doyennes is well versed in evolving to create refreshed best practices on cleanliness, touchless technology, and timely digital communications,” he added.

At a transformational time for the vacation rental industry, The 100 Collection™ is designed to balance strained relationships between owners and guests by addressing communication collapses and enhancing service delivery, while enabling guests to book with certainty over clear property policies. It also seeks to alleviate confusion surrounding auto-generated guest reviews that are often embellished or purchased, leading to guest dissatisfaction.

Rebecca Lombardo said: “Most travellers make vacation decisions with brands that reflect our values, but when booking a vacation rental there is no way to see the brand managing the property. Relying on other guests’ perceptions of their stays is a challenge, as many reviews are enhanced or placed.

“The 100 Collection provides a trusted platform to learn about each brand and the doyenne running that brand who is fully dedicated to each property and its surrounding community,” she added.

For more information, watch our interview recorded at the 2022 VRMA International Conference in Las Vegas with The 100 Collection co-founders Travis Wilburn and Rebecca Lombardo at this link.