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OpenAI acquires AI travel agent Odessia founded by former Sonder CEO
Reading Time: 2 minutesOpenAI has acquired Odessia, the AI travel agent founded by former Sonder CEO Francis Davidson, who will join its team to focus on travel.
ShortTermRentalz Summit 2026: Industry leaders come together to explore the future of short-term rentals
Reading Time: 5 minutesUK: The fifth annual ShortTermRentalz Summit welcomed more than 100 industry professionals to Bankside Hotel in London on 5 November, bringing together investors, operators, property managers and technology providers to discuss the key trends and challenges shaping the sector in 2027.
Booking Holdings launches Vayo AI travel agent
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Booking Holdings has launched AI travel startup Vayo and plans to invest up to $100 million in the business, subject to its continued development and market conditions.
HomeToGo appoints Christine Prauschke to lead Originals
Reading Time: 2 minutesEurope: HomeToGo has appointed Dr Christine Prauschke as chief business officer, giving her operational responsibility for its property management division, HomeToGo Originals, including Interhome.
Booking.com research links payment choice to booking conversion
Reading Time: 2 minutesUK: Almost two-thirds of accommodation professionals say they have seen guests abandon bookings when their preferred payment method was unavailable, according to new research from Booking.com.
AI adoption quadruples among small STR hosts, says PriceLabs
Reading Time: 2 minutesGlobal: Fifty-eight per cent of small short-term rental hosts now use artificial intelligence to manage their listings, up from 14 per cent in 2025, according to research from PriceLabs.
You’re not short on data. You’re short on answers, says Guesty
Reading Time: 3 minutes[Sponsored content] Guesty explores how its Data copilot helps property managers turn portfolio data into actionable insights, using plain-language questions to understand performance and prepare for owner conversations.
Guesty AI agents: Transforming short-term rental management
Reading Time: < 1 minute[Sponsored content] Discover how Guesty’s AI agents are helping property managers automate everyday tasks, improve guest communication and make more informed decisions as their businesses grow.
TravelAI’s Sonder strategy: Urban stays, AI and a $100m target
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWorldwide: In the latest episode of The Short Scoop, STRz editor Priya Khaira speaks to TravelAI co-founder and CEO John Lyotier about the company’s acquisition of the Sonder name, trademarks and domain portfolio, and what comes next for the well-known accommodation brand.
This could be your workday with a team of AI agents
Reading Time: 3 minutes[Sponsored Content]: In this sponsored feature, Guesty explains how AI agents can help property managers reduce manual work and keep operations running around the clock.