Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast
Hosted by Gil Chan, this podcast focuses on helping short-term rental operators and property managers increase their bookings and grow their businesses. Each episode features conversations with industry experts and covers practical strategies for maximizing occupancy and staying competitive. The show aims to provide actionable takeaways that listeners can apply directly to their rental operations.
Episodes
OTA Ranking Optimization Lessons From 25,000 Units and Counting with Bart-Jan Leyts
"Anyone could be ranked number one. Just slash your prices."That line from Bart-Jan Leyts sums up a trap many hosts fall into. Ranking first on Airbnb or Booking.com means nothing if your revenue goes backward. This episode of the Booked Solid Show is a little different. We usually talk about building your direct channel. This time, Gil sits across from someone who studies the other side
AI Native Direct Booking Website Lessons From Building Hostaway's Pro with Rick van der Plas
"You also need to just be a marketer." 🎙️A beautiful website won't book itself. Rick van der Plas, Chief Technology Officer at Hostaway, sees direct booking sites go live across one of the largest PMS platforms in the industry, and he knows which ones actually get found. In this episode, Gil and Rick compare notes on building an AI native direct booking website. They cover why load s
Direct Booking Fundamentals I Learned Over 30 Years in Vacation Rentals with Michelle Marquis
"Direct bookings should be their steak, and Airbnb should be the icing." 🥩Michelle Marquis has spent three decades in vacation rentals. She started out faxing inventory to Expedia and now advises Guesty and PriceLabs through The Marquis Effect. On this episode of the Booked Solid Show, she makes a case that almost sounds radical right now: slow down on AI and get your direct booking fund
Luxury Direct Bookings Past 60% Built One Guest Connection at a Time with Rachel Alday
"The goal is actually deeper connection." 💛Rachel Alday started Abode Luxury Rentals with her husband during the 2008 financial crisis. Eighteen years later, they manage around 200 luxury homes across Park City, Jackson Hole, and Sun Valley, and over 60% of their bookings come direct. In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Rachel tells Gil what she wishes she had known sooner. She exp
AI Search Visibility Is Rewriting the Hotel Booking Funnel with Kin Sio
"Direct booking is a commercial system, not a website project." That's the line Kin Sio opens with on this episode, and it sets the tone for one of the most tactical conversations we've had on AI search visibility yet. Kin runs revenue and marketing operations for more than 40 independent and boutique hotels through his firm, Lights On Digital. In this episode, he walks through h
Local Content Direct Bookings: The Bar Guide That Booked 16 Months with Damian Sheridan
"We are the local experts."Damian Sheridan spent eight years doing SEO for property managers before he built one of the biggest education brands in short term rentals. He knows the technical side cold. So it says something that his best story about local content direct bookings is a 600 word page about which bars in his Spanish village show football. Nobody would call that a booking stra
Dynamic Pricing Strategy Runs on Three Signals, Not Just the Market with Mridul Bansal
"Use OTAs as billboards." That single line from Mridul Bansal reframes the whole direct versus OTA argument.Mridul is a Product Marketing Manager at PriceLabs, and he spends his days between the product team and the hosts who actually use the tool. In this episode he opens up the box most operators treat as magic. He walks through the three inputs that decide what your property gets pric
Direct Booking Channels Hiding in Your Guest Messages with Jeff Iloulian
Jeff Iloulian spent five years building a 150 property portfolio in Los Angeles, and set up close to 300 units along the way. He also once checked out of IKEA with 48 shopping carts and a $40,000 bill, then watched most of it break, chip and peel inside a year.In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Jeff, cofounder and CEO of HostGPO, to talk about what that portfolio actually
Host to Host Direct Bookings That Pay Peers Instead of Platforms with Na'ím Anís Paymán
"Pay your peers, not the platforms."That one line explains most of what Na'ím Anís Paymán has built. He scaled a UK portfolio past 500 units across serviced apartments, guesthouses, and hotels. When the software could not keep up, he gave two developers six months and a hard deadline, then migrated 150 units onto a system he owned. Today he has made that PMS free and launched a host
Guest Fraud Prevention Made Simple for Direct Booking Hosts with Ela Mezhiborsky
"Real fraud that's aware of your loopholes will not come in looking sketchy." That's the moment this episode shifts from guest screening 101 into something a lot more unsettling — and a lot more useful. On this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Ela Mezhiborsky, Co-Founder and President of Autohost, to talk about guest fraud prevention in an age where AI can fab
Converting Apartments to Short-Term Rentals for 3x the Revenue with Tim Bratz
"Resourcefulness is the ultimate resource." — Tim BratzWhat happens when a commercial real estate operator with 2,800+ apartment units starts converting a slice of that portfolio into short-term rentals — and generating two to three times the revenue on those units?In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Tim Bratz, founder of Legacy Wealth Holdings and Smart Manageme
Direct Booking Conversion: Why Traffic Alone Won't Fill Your Calendar with Amber Knight
🎙️ Why Your Marketing Is Working — But Guests Are Still Booking on Airbnb"You have to build trust on that website. Just being cheaper is not enough." — Amber KnightYou're driving traffic. You're running ads. Guests are clicking. And then... they book on Airbnb anyway.If that sounds familiar, this episode is exactly what you need to hear. In this conversation, Gil sits down with A
STR Design Strategy That Doubled Revenue to $254K with Courtney Petrovich
"The only differentiator between my property doing $254K and my neighbor doing $185K? Design — and the strategy behind it."What if the gap between a good STR and a great one wasn't the location, the square footage, or even the amenities — but the intention behind every design decision?In this episode of Booked Solid, Gil sits down with Courtney Petrovich, founder and principal design
Scaling 220+ STRs and Direct Bookings Without Losing Your Brand with Tim Hubbard
"You can have a perfect property, listed perfectly, with perfect reviews — but if it's not priced right, people just won't book it." — Tim HubbardWhat does it actually look like to run a short-term rental business from thousands of miles away, across 40+ cities, in multiple countries, and still deliver a five-star guest experience consistently?That's not a hypothetical. That&
Hospitable's Free PMS Plan Changed Everything for STR Hosts with Pierre-Camille Hamana, CEO and Founder of Hospitable
What would it look like if your property management software started working for you — not the other way around? In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Pierre-Camille Hamana, the founder and CEO of Hospitable, to unpack one of the most ambitious product months in short-term rental software history. Pierre breaks down a $0 subscription PMS plan, an MCP server that lets you tal
Scaling Short-Term Rental Operations to 93 Doors With Steve Resnick
What does it actually take to scale to 93 properties in a single market — without losing the five-star experience that got you there in the first place?In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Steve Resnick, Cofounder and CEO of HeavenlyRez Vacation Rentals, opens up about the journey that took him from a single beach house in Ocean City, New Jersey, to running the #1-ranked property management c
A Smartwatch Ping Turned One Rental Into an Autism-Friendly Brand with Suzanne Hacker Robinson
"Don't give up. People give up too early — and it usually doesn't make sense to." — Suzanne Hacker Robinson 🌴What if the quiet, unsexy part of hosting — the checklists, the naming, the tiny intentional touches — is actually what separates a one-and-done guest from one who books direct every year? In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Suzanne Hacker Robinson
Direct Bookings in Short-Term Rentals: From 10% to 80% with Suzy Turnbull
"You have to really get under the cover of knowing who it is you're trying to attract. If you don't know that, you are not going to succeed." — Suzy TurnbullHow does a single-property host in Panama grow from 10% to 80% direct bookings in just over two years? In this episode of Booked Solid, Gil sits down with Suzy Turnbull, author of 5-Star Hosting Made Simple and a former marke
Social Media Marketing for Short-Term Rentals: Building a Brand That Books Directly with Emily Lethgo
Most hosts launch a direct booking site and then wait. They post occasionally. They hope something goes viral. And when bookings don't come, they quietly go back to Airbnb.Emily Lethgo built something different — and she did it in the Smoky Mountains, one of the most competitive short-term rental markets in the country. Starting with a single cabin and a marketing background, she spotted a gap
Guest Favorite Over Superhost: What's Actually Moving the Airbnb Algorithm with Dan Rivers
"Take the cheat code — go find someone who's done it, who's done it well, and learn from them." — Dan RiversIf you've been thinking about revenue management as a single lever you pull once in a while, this episode is going to shift your perspective. Dan Rivers has been in real estate since 2005, navigating everything from high-rise condo management on the beach to flipping ho
AI Guest Communication in Short-Term Rentals: Building a Human Brand at Scale with Sabrina Mulligan
"Guests want and deserve answers instantly — and when you learn the art of great communication, they'll keep talking to Zoe even after they find out she's AI."What happens when a guest asks mid-conversation, "Are you AI or human?" — and then just keeps chatting anyway?That's not a glitch. That's the goal.In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down wi
Direct Booking Business Principles That Took One B&B from €10K to €100K with Yvonne Halling 🏡
What if the key to more direct bookings had nothing to do with algorithms, dynamic pricing, or paid ads — and everything to do with who you are and who you want to serve?That's exactly what Yvonne Halling discovered when she transformed her four-room bed and breakfast in the Champagne region of France from a €10,000-a-year hobby into a €100,000-a-year business — without a single listing on Boo
The Direct Booking Machine Behind Joshua Tree's Most Recognized STR Brand with Patryk Swietek
"If you can two x your conversions and you're already making $50,000 on direct — you could be making $100,000." — Patryk SwietekThere's a version of building a short-term rental business where you grind market by market, property by property, hoping something sticks. And then there's the version Patryk Swietek built — one that compounds.Patryk is the co-owner of The Cohost Co
🌍 Culture-Inspired Vacation Rentals: My 10-Step Unique Stays Framework with Anastasia Tara
"A tree without roots is a dead tree."Your branding looks polished. The colors match. The logo is on point. But does any of it connect to who you actually are as a host? In this episode of Booked Solid, Anastasia Tara — founder of The Unique Stay community — shares how she and her husband transformed ordinary residential homes into culture-inspired vacation rentals themed around Japan, B
Scaling an STR Portfolio With Intention Across 6 Markets with Fouad Bazzi & Jacinda Neustel
"You gotta make it or make it. These are your two options."What happens when a 20-year corporate banker with a vision meets a solo operator managing 30 properties by herself — cleaning, messaging guests, and fixing maintenance issues with no team? In this episode of Booked Solid, Fouad Bazzi and Jacinda Neustel share how they combined their very different strengths to build a property ma
Hotel Guest Experience Strategies for Short-Term Rentals with Katie Cline
"The first 10 minutes of a guest's stay set the tone for everything that follows."That single insight from luxury hotel research changed how Katie Cline operates her short-term rentals, and it might change how you think about yours, too. In this episode of Booked Solid, Katie sits down with Gil to share what years inside the boardrooms of Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, and St. Regis taught
Destination Marketing Direct Bookings STR: Tapping Into Tourism Data with Jennifer Barbee
"Be so good they can't ignore you. That's where you are."What if there was an entire organization in your county — funded partly by your own lodging taxes — dedicated to driving visitors to your destination, and you've never once reached out to them? In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Jennifer Barbee, tourism strategist and creator of the Host Gap™,
Short-Term Rental Education and Branding: Building a Media Empire with James Varley
"Hospitality is the North Star. If it doesn't drive back to that, it's probably not gonna work."James Varley went from managing communications for the FIFA World Cup to building one of the fastest-growing educational platforms in the short-term rental space. In this episode of Booked Solid, James opens up about his unconventional path into hosting, the painful lessons he learned
STR Brand Identity Direct Bookings: Scaling to 175 Properties with Lisa Roads
"I'd rather be small and personal and well known for that than just be a generalist."What happens when a marketing agency owner sees a gap in the vacation rental market that nobody else is filling? She builds an empire from scratch—175 properties across Cyprus, managed remotely from the UK for 18 years—and then successfully exits during a pandemic.Lisa Roads joins the Booked Solid Sh
EP95 - Building an Authentic Personal Brand That Converts Guests into Loyal Bookers with Amber Hurdle
"Your personal brand is what people are saying about you when you're not in the room."In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Amber Hurdle—brand strategist, keynote speaker, author, and former Gaylord Hotels executive—to explore why personal branding isn't just for influencers. It's the foundation of trust that converts lookers into bookers.Amber breaks d
EP94 - Building a 12-Cabin Micro Resort With 30-50% Direct Bookings with Steph Weber
"Brand is where trust is built. Brand is the reason people say yes."In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, we welcome back our very first podcast guest—Steph Weber, CEO of The Weber Co. and co-owner of Cabins on the Cumberland, a 12-cabin micro resort in Kentucky. From building brands that emotionally connect with guests to navigating Airbnb's 2025 fee changes, Steph shares raw in
EP93 - Hotel Marketing Strategies STR Hosts Can Apply to Stand Out with Susan Barry
Hotels have spent decades perfecting the art of hospitality, systems, and guest experience. Short-term rentals? We're still figuring it out—and that's actually our most significant advantage.In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Susan Barry joins Gil to bridge two worlds that are rapidly converging. With over a decade of experience opening hotels for Starwood, nearly 17 years running H
EP92 - ROI-Driven STR Design: How Guest Avatars Shape Profitable Rentals with Terri-Leigh Huleis
Make it till you make it—not fake it.That mindset carried Terri-Leigh Huleis from designing her first multimillion-dollar mountain property to building Found Home Co. into a powerhouse STR design studio, completing 64 projects annually. Her journey proves that scrappiness, customer obsession, and understanding your ideal guest can transform not just properties—but entire businesses.In this episode
EP91 - Private Chef Vacation Rental Upsells: Earn $150+ Per Booking with Siddhi Mittal
🎙️ From Wall Street to Private Chefs: How Siddhi Mittal Built the #1 Chef Marketplace and What It Means for Your STR"The universe has your back. No matter what you're doing, it'll just work out for the better."That's the philosophy that guided Siddhi Mittal through the rollercoaster of building Yhangry from scratch—and it's serving her well as she expands into the U.S. ma
EP90 - Guest Retargeting Direct Bookings: 400% Revenue Growth with Sam Mistretta
Airbnb just changed everything with their new fee structure—and most hosts are sleepwalking into smaller profits.In this episode of Booked Solid, Sam Mistretta returns to share what he's learned after 18 months in the trenches helping hosts drive repeat bookings through text and email marketing. Sam built a system that grew his own direct booking revenue by 400%, and his company, Go STR Market
EP89 - From 1% to 30% Direct Bookings: Systems-Driven Approach to Scaling Short-Term Rentals with Harshad Lalan
From aerospace engineer to acquiring four boutique hotels in just 12 months—Harshad Lalan's journey proves that systems thinking and strategic boldness can transform your short-term rental business.In this episode of the Booked Solid podcast, Harshad shares how he and his wife Ishita scaled from zero properties to a thriving portfolio by combining her design brilliance with his analytical syst
EP88 - Connection Before Conversion: Copywriting Strategy with Genevieve White
What if the secret to better bookings wasn't flashier photos or bigger marketing budgets—but simply finding the right words?In this episode, we sit down with Genevieve White, a travel copywriter and coach based in Scotland's remote Shetland Islands. Genevieve helps vacation rental hosts and tourism businesses move beyond bland, AI-generated content to create messaging that actually connect
EP87 - Your Website as Digital Front Door: Converting Guests in 2 Clicks with Frank Bosi
"Your website is everything. It's your marketing. It's your digital front door."Frank Bosi from Hostfully knows what separates hosts who struggle with direct bookings from those who thrive. In this episode of Booked Solid, Frank shares the small, intentional steps that build sustainable direct booking revenue—without burning out. From his luxury hotel background at Ritz Carlton a
EP86 - Bringing Luxury Hotel Standards to Short Term Rentals with Moira Sedgwick
"We know we can't be there to get guests what they need, so we're constantly thinking—what do they need? What will they think they need, and how can we have it there before they know they need it?"In this episode of Booked Solid, Moira Sedgwick shares how years of working with luxury hotel chains and the James Beard Awards shaped her approach to short-term rentals. You'll dis
EP85 - From 3% to 15%: Why Platform Fees Changed My Business Strategy with Orlie Benjamin
"Now operators are no longer just spending 3% of their business for lead gen from Airbnb. They're now spending 15.5%."Airbnb's latest fee structure changes everything—but are you ready to take control? Orlie Benjamin, founder of Lasoh and former marketing leader, breaks down why now is the moment for vacation rental operators to build their own direct booking infrastructure. In t
EP84 - Vacation Rental Automation: Running a Five-Star STR Business on Autopilot with Sean McGregor
"The goal is to automate the annoying so you can focus on the amazing."In this episode, Gil sits down with Sean McGregor, founder of NoCodeSTR.com, to explore how vacation rental hosts can reclaim their time without sacrificing guest experience. Sean has hosted over 5,000 groups on Airbnb while maintaining a 4.98★ rating since 2018—all while traveling through 40+ countries with his famil
EP83 - Guest Data Collection that Drives Direct Booking Revenue through StayFi with Arthur Colker
"As long as you're providing value, hopefully your marketing will be mostly perceived generously and people will want to receive it."What if the key to competing with major OTAs wasn't just about building a better website—but capturing data from every single guest who stays at your property? Arthur Colker, Founder & CEO of StayFi, discovered this truth while helping a New Orl
EP82 - Technology Enables Hospitality: Building Direct Booking Success Without Losing the Human Touch with Jessica Gillingham
In this episode, Jessica Gillingham, CEO of Abode Worldwide and author of "Tech-Enabled Hospitality," challenges the notion that automation and personalization can't coexist. As a strategic advisor to transformative technology companies across the global hospitality sector and host of the Pillow Talk Sessions podcast, Jessica brings a unique perspective on building category leaders.F
EP81 - Short Term Rental Property Niche Strategy: Doubling Revenue Through Strategic Design with Mark Lumpkin
Building a high-performing short-term rental isn't about throwing money at renovations and hoping for results. It's about strategic design choices that create a destination guests actively seek out—not just settle for.In this episode, Mark Lumpkin breaks down his proven framework for transforming underperforming properties into revenue powerhouses. From identifying the right foundation bef
EP80 - Direct Booking Amenities That Make Guests Pay 40% More with Annie Sloan
"The way that people choose travel, they consider bookings. It has culturally shifted from even 10 years ago, five years ago, particularly among Gen Z and millennials. They are experience first, location second." - Annie SloanThe hospitality landscape has fundamentally changed. Today's travelers aren't just booking a place to stay—they're curating entire experiences before th
EP79 - Building Brand Standards in Short-Term Rentals with Nikkei Rosenberg
"Stop making Airbnb more money. Do not ever send someone another Airbnb link. You are the problem. Owning your customer is the most important part of any successful business strategy."This raw admission from Nikkei Rosenberg, owner of Staylah Rentals with over 100 properties under management, captures exactly what's broken—and what's possible—in our industry. While most hosts cha
EP78 - "Mountain Mama Cabins" Owner Achieves 71% Direct Bookings Through TikTok Marketing with Brittany Magsig
"Digital media is not going away. When business owners are shying away from doing something uncomfortable, putting their business out on social media, you have to meet the world where they're at."What would you do if your social media following could generate 71% direct bookings on just one property? Brittany Magsig, better known as Mountain Mama on TikTok, turned this dream into reality by authen
EP77 - Dynamic Pricing Gaps Costing Hosts Thousands - Market Data Reveals Competitive Advantage Strategies with Jamie Lane
"There's so much incremental bookings our industry could be getting if we just did a better job of managing rates throughout the season. More than anything, drive additional revenue over and above new amenities, new photos—it's just do a better job of how you're setting rates." The short-term rental landscape has undergone dramatic shifts since 2020, creating both challenges
EP76 - Building 95% Direct Bookings Without Marketing Spend: Blake Neitzke's Relationship-First Strategy
"The core foundation should be direct bookings, but you also need OTA presence. I think the best way is all three legs of that stool."Building a hospitality business that generates 95% direct bookings sounds impossible—especially in a town with just 87 residents. But Blake Neitzke, a West Point graduate and former Special Forces officer, proved it's not only possible but sustainable.
EP75 - Community Partnerships Direct Bookings Strategy: Local Business Collaborations for STR Success with Ashley Ramos
"I would have to say collaboration, and that's really been my go-to word for the year because I have noticed such a difference when I'm able to collaborate with others, whether it's something for them or something that benefits me." - Ashley RamosWhat if the secret to consistent direct bookings wasn't found in complex digital funnels or expensive marketing campaigns, but
EP74 - From Corporate Burnout to 70% Direct Booking Independence: Marketing Strategies with Kerri Gibson
"We are 70% direct book. My mentality is we own our business through our website and I treat the OTAs simply as marketing platforms, as billboards." - Kerri GibsonIn this episode, you'll discover the exact framework Kerri used to build her direct booking dominance, from her early website experiments to sophisticated email nurture campaigns that create 40% return guests. Plus, she sha
EP73 - Beyond Airbnb: Building Luxury Hospitality Ecosystems for Direct Bookings with Moriya Rockman
Bring yourself to your hospitality journey. There's no one else like you." — Moriya RockmanThe short-term rental industry is evolving beyond the simple host-guest transaction. Today's successful vacation rental operators are building direct booking ecosystems, creating communities, and establishing themselves as destination ambassadors rather than just property managers. Few understand this transf
EP72 - Proof Property-Specific STR Websites Convert Better Than Generic Management Pages with Joe Rohne
What does it take to truly own your guest journey — from the moment they see your property to the moment they return next year? For Joe Rohne, short-term rental operator, investor, and broker, the answer lies in control: control of your brand, your pricing, your data, and your guest relationships.In this episode of Booked Solid, Joe shares how he built a resilient direct booking strategy that leve
EP71 - UpClose Marketing’s Product Placement Strategy that Turns Free Products into 5-Star Stays with Rachel Vigil
“When guests walk in and discover a gourmet snack or high-end facial mask, it’s more than an amenity—it’s a delight.” That’s the unforgettable touch Rachel Vigil brings to vacation rentals through Up Close Marketing—a platform connecting hosts with premium brands for product placements that wow guests and reinforce their brand identity.In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with
EP70 - "75 Properties Later: Why a Delisted Airbnb Made Federico Zimerman Go Direct"
“If you rely only on OTAs, you’ve lost control—direct bookings give you the freedom and stability to weather anything.” — Federico ZimermanFrom a spare bedroom in Buenos Aires to managing 75+ properties and opening a boutique inn in the Catskills, Federico Zimerman’s journey is anything but ordinary. On this episode of Booked Solid, Gil welcomes Federico to unpack how an airline trainer turned STR
EP69 - How Garrett Brown Built a 76% Direct‑Booking Glamping Empire with Land‑Hacked Unique Stays
In this episode of Booked Solid, Garrett Brown—BiggerPockets Short-Term Rental Expert and founder of Cameron Ranch Glamping—shares how he turned a single house into a land-hacked luxury retreat business. Using a blend of creative hospitality, structured site analysis, and marketing systems built on influencer content, Garrett achieved a remarkable 76% direct booking rate. He walks us through his s
EP68 - How a 25-Year-Old Host Scaled His Short-Term Rental Business with AI and Direct Bookings - Chad Harker
“It’s not about how much you make—it’s about how much you keep.” At just 25 years old, Chad Harker is building a high-cash-flow STR portfolio in Edmonton using real estate acquisitions, direct booking strategies, and custom-built AI systems to scale—without burning out.In this episode, Chad shares how he house-hacked his way into the industry, scaled using BRRR-style methods, and now automates his
EP67 - For the Love of Upstate: Turning Rustic Homes into Luxury STR Retreats with Skyler Vaughn
“When you're doing something hard, it's supposed to feel hard… but know that you're on the right path.”Skyler knows firsthand: building a direct‑booking short‑term rental business from the ground up is not easy, but it can be extraordinary. In this week’s episode of the Booked Solid Show, Skyler shares how he and his wife, Maddie, went from furnishing arbitrage properties in San Diego
EP66 - STR Design Mastery: Trends, Mistakes & $500K Makeovers with Ishita Lalan
a 🛠️ “Design isn’t just about what it looks like—it’s about what it earns.”Our guest is Ishita Lalan, founder of Ishita Interiors and architectural designer behind over 150 short-term rental transformations across the country. From $500,000 gut-renovations to quick-turn landscape upgrades, Ishita approaches every STR with the mindset of an investor and the precision of an architect.This episode is
EP65 - The Calendar Funnel That Turned Warm Leads into Booked Guests – Founder of STR Insights, Kenny Bedwell Explains
"Don’t just sell the cabin—sell the waterfall hike and the glass-cutting workshop nearby"That’s Kenny Bedwell’s philosophy on today’s Booked Solid Show. As the CEO of STR Insights and an active short‑term rental investor, Kenny brings a fresh mindset: direct bookings thrive when you market the destination first. Expect this episode to teach you how to build trust with guests through cura
E64 - The ROI of Great Design: Why Guest Experience Starts with the First Scroll with Brianna Amigo
"You never want to compete on price. You want to compete on experience." — Brianna AmigoIn the world of short-term rentals, one thing is clear: good design isn’t just pretty—it’s profitable. On this episode of Booked Solid, Gil sat down with Brianna Amigo, founder of Brianna Michelle Interiors, to uncover how design directly impacts bookings, guest experience, and your bottom line. From
EP63 - Boost Direct Bookings with Hotel-Level Cleanliness - Well & Good Shows You How with Jonathan Wicks
"One man's trash is another's treasure. We all have our things we obsess over. If we were all doing the same things, we’d have major problems." – Jonathan WicksWhen Jonathan Wicks launched Well & Good Professional Services, he wasn’t just starting another cleaning company — he was reimagining how professionalism and consistency in vacation rental servicing can elevate the ent
EP62 - Crafting Guest Loyalty Through Experiential Marketing with Dawn LaMattina Asher
Dawn LaMattina Asher is the founder and creative director of The Olive Jar, an experiential marketing studio focused on vacation rental design, amenities, and media content creation for visionary hosts. With 20 years of experience in experiential storytelling across entertainment media, hospitality, and brand marketing, Dawn helps hosts transform ordinary stays into unforgettable guest experiences
EP61 - Curating Memories: Large Group Stays Perfected with Kim Herrlein
On this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil is joined by Kim Herrlein, the Chief Leisure Officer of Purveyors of Leisure. Kim is a short-term rental operator who has mastered the art of large group travel through beautifully designed estate properties in California's Coachella Valley. She recently expanded her hospitality vision by launching The Fainting Couch, a boutique hotel in Northern C
EP-60 The Direct Booking Revolution: The Rise of HostBuddy AI with Jay Ullrich
In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, we sit down with Jay Ulrich, CEO and Co-Founder of HostBuddy AI, the platform that’s shaking up the short-term rental industry. Jay is a property manager turned tech innovator, known for transforming his 50-unit portfolio in San Diego into a blueprint for smarter, more resilient hosting.With a deep understanding of the challenges hosts face from OTA over-r
EP59 - Turning Train Cars into Dream Stays: Creating a Brand Where All Belong with Amy Corbett
In this episode of Booked Solid, Amy Corbett reveals how she’s transforming quirky spaces like vintage train cars and grain bins, into sought-after escapes. Discover how her brand, All Belong Co., is redefining what it means to be a host by creating inclusive, unforgettable experiences that go beyond the ordinary. From harnessing niche communities to building direct bookings that aren't dependent
EP58 - "Think Like a Guest, Market Like a Boss". Strategic Seasonal Marketing for Short-Term Rentals with Jamey King
Jamey King is a Senior Marketing Executive at eviivo, where he brings deep expertise from years in the vacation rental and short-term accommodation industry. With a background that includes leadership roles at Sony Electronics, VRMA, PointCentral, and Safely, Jamey has shaped strategies in business development, partnerships, and marketing across the board. Now based in Indiana, he leads efforts to
The Short Term Show x Gil Chan Collaboration: "Revolutionizing Direct Booking Websites for STRs"
Recently, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Avery Carl on The Short Term Show. This interview was even more special because Avery and her team were kind enough to agree to a crossover episode for Booked Solid to spotlight direct booking strategies and tools that help STR hosts take control of their business.We discussed a topic near and dear to my heart: building sustainable, long-term su
EP57 - No Job Boards, No OTAs, Just Bookings: Direct Bookings the ‘CraftedStays Way’ with Owen Johnson
When it comes to growing a short-term rental business, many operators rely on online travel agencies (OTAs) or job boards. But Owen Johnson, took a different route through Direct Bookings.In this episode of Booked Solid, Gil dives into Owen's unconventional approach to direct bookings, where the focus is on building systems and loyalty that don’t depend on third-party platforms. Owen shares his jo
EP56 - "Beyond the Sale: Building High-Performing STRs from Day One" Featuring Tyler Coon, Founder of Savvy Realty
When most people think about real estate agents, they picture the transaction — the showing, the contract, the close. But for Tyler Coon, it’s just the beginning.On this episode of Booked Solid, Gil sits down with Tyler, founder of Savvy Realty, a nationwide real estate team laser-focused on helping investors buy (and succeed with) short-term rentals. What sets Tyler apart isn’t just his knowledge
EP55 - Booking More by Posting Less: Turning Instagram Into a Funnel by The Social Media Hotelier - Paul Anderson
In this week’s episode of Booked Solid Show, formerly Direct Booking Simplified, we sat down with Paul Anderson—also known as The Social Media Hotelier. Paul is a marketing strategist specializing in leveraging Instagram to drive direct bookings for short-term accommodation businesses.As a retired guest house owner, international bestselling author, and expert in consumer psychology, Paul transfor
EP54 - Airbnb Shut Down His Listing—Now He’s Taking Full Control with Direct Bookings with Zachary Humphrey
In our latest Booked Solid podcast episode, we sat down with Zachary Humphrey, a registered nurse who turned his passion for real estate into a thriving short-term rental business. Zach isn’t just any investor—he’s built his portfolio from the ground up, balancing a demanding W2 job with his growing STR empire, and learning some hard but valuable lessons along the way.From rental arbitrage to grou
EP53 - DTI, STR Loans & Growth: Funding Rentals Without Limits with Parker Borofsky
“If you’re expecting direct bookings to work overnight, you’ll be disappointed. But if you treat it like building a real business, you’ll see long-term success.” Parker, a powerhouse in the short-term rental space. Not only does she self-manage 12 properties across Tennessee and Florida, generating over a million dollars in annual revenue, but she’s also a seasoned mortgage expert. As the founder
EP52 - Why Hosts Struggle with Direct Bookings—and How to Fix It with Strategy, Mindset & Obsession with Emanuele Pani
“Most people never let a goal become an obsession. They have an idea, it becomes a want, and when the first plan doesn’t work, they abandon it instead of adjusting the plan.”Emanuele Pani, known as "E" in the short-term rental community, is the co-host of the STR Secrets Podcast and a coach specializing in co-hosting and boutique hotels. He shared how shifting his mindset allowed him to
EP51 - Own Your Audience, Own Your Business: How to Take Control of Your Bookings with Madeleine Raiford-Holland
Madeleine Raiford is the founder of MHM Luxury Properties, a boutique short-term rental company that has scaled to seven figures while maintaining high profitability and time freedom. She also runs a mastermind community at MRH Education, helping hosts start and optimize their rental businesses. Before diving into short-term rentals, she was a COO in the high-security identification industry. Her
EP50 - " The goal is to create scroll-stopping listings: How I Doubled My Revenue in 3 Months " with Mike Sebastian
Mike is the co-founder of The Hideaways and Build Your Hideaway, where he specializes in helping hosts maximize revenue through unique short-term rental builds. With a background in digital marketing, Mike has scaled from 0 to 19 properties in just three years, mastering the art of market research, design differentiation, and direct bookings along the way.In this episode of Direct Bookings Simplif
EP49 - The Three Pillars of Direct Booking Success: Trust, Responsibility, Hospitality with Heather Bayer
Heather Bayer is a pioneer in the short-term rental industry, with over two decades of experience. She founded and ran a successful property management company overseeing 200+ properties before selling it in 2022. Now a full-time coach, consultant, and educator, Heather shares her deep knowledge of vacation rental best practices through her platform, Vacation Rental Formula.With a strong focus on
EP48 - Hospitable Hosts: Raising the Standard in Hospitality-Driven Short-Term Rentals with Jodie Odlin
On this episode of Direct Booking Simplified, we sat down with Jodie, the Founder of Hospitable Hosts - a multi author book. She is also a property manager originally from Australia who built a thriving short-term rental business in the UK—all while managing it remotely from the other side of the world. Jodie shared her journey, the challenges of scaling a direct booking business, and why hospital
EP47 - Facebook Groups, Repeat Guests, and More: Scaling Direct Bookings Without Overcomplicated Systems with Sarah Pell
Ever wondered how to break free from OTAs and take control of your bookings? Sarah Pell did just that. She went from teaching elementary school to managing a thriving short-term rental portfolio using a mix of ownership, arbitrage, and co-hosting. In this episode of Direct Bookings Simplified, Sarah reveals the exact strategies she used to scale her business, build a strong direct booking system,
EP46 - 5 Proven Strategies for Direct Booking Success with Jennifer Spencer
“Trust comes from having a secure site and a seamless booking process. If your site instills confidence, guests will book without hesitation.”
In the latest episode of Direct Booking Simplified, we sat down with Jennifer Spencer, a seasoned host with over a decade of experience in the vacation rental industry. Jennifer owns two stunning properties: one nestled in the Canadian Rockies and another i
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