New Vrbo Updates Show It’s Making Reliability Its Core Identity
Maui U-Turns on Ban, Boom Launches AI Ops Agent, Airbnb Sees Italy Surge & Seniors Flocking South
Maui is pulling back from its full short-term rental ban, proposing to preserve 4,519 legacy STR units through new hotel zoning, while Boom has launched “BAM,” an AI-powered ops agent designed to automate STR management workflows post a $12.7M funding round. Meanwhile, Airbnb’s early winter 2025–26 trends (based solely on platform data) show Italy booming ahead of the Olympics, US families booking longer rural stays, and retirees heading to Florida.
Airbnb’s AI Era Isn’t About Automation, It’s About Emotion and Understanding
📌TL;DR- Airbnb is using AI not just for efficiency, but to make travel more human. New features like “Connections,” improved maps, and flexible carousels aim to foster emotional loyalty by helping guests connect with each other and explore meaningfully. It’s a shift from automation to empathy, making AI a tool for belonging, not just booking.
Google’s New AI Mode Could Rewrite How Guests Discover and Plan Trips
📌TL;DR- Google’s new AI Mode is transforming how travelers discover and plan trips, combining conversational search, live pricing, curated itineraries, and Google Maps into a single, seamless experience, without ever leaving Google. For short-term rental property managers, this shift could redefine visibility, as AI Mode favors high-quality, structured content and even highlights short-term rentals over hotels in family or group searches. With visual search, paid placements, and direct booking potential on the horizon, managers must optimize their Google listings, metadata, and imagery to stay competitive.
OwnerRez Integrates With Right to Rent Collaborative, NYC Tenants Protest Intro 1107 Bill, and Pass the Keys Adopts AI Messaging
OwnerRez Partners With Right to Rent for Hands-Free Advocacy About Right to Rent Collaborative: The …
Hostaway Rolls Out AI Messaging, Airbnb Challenges Restrictions in Australia, Lodgify Debuts Payments and Financing Tools
Hostaway unveils AI Auto Reply to cut response times for guest queries About Hostaway:Hostaway is …
How Property Managers Can Adapt to Airbnb’s Host-Only Fee Without Losing Margins
Airbnb is switching all PMS-connected listings to a host-only fee model globally , and understandably, …
Airbnb to Appeal New Orleans Ruling, Expands Compliance Push in Spain, Key Data Launches New Tools in the UK
Airbnb to Appeal Court Ruling Upholding New Orleans’ Strict Rental Laws Snigdha’s Views Airbnb Scales …