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As you all may know, I'm going to be in San Antonio, Texas where I’ll be speaking at the Vacation Rental summit this May 2018. The topic I'll be discussing is a really good one. It’s one that is often overlooked by vacation renters. I’ve decided on this particular subject because of its potential and lucrative impact. My topic at the conference will be “The riches are in the niches.” If you want to stand out and differentiate your vacation rental from your neighbors and perhaps target an untapped market of travelers, you need to come and listen to my session…
You can also learn from the many speakers who will be in attendance, including our very own friend, Tammi Sims. Tammi will be there discussing the importance of building a community for your business. You can also catch Heather Bayer, Matt Landau, and many other experts. If you want to build a prosperous vacation rental, then this conference is the one to attend.
Airbnb Open?
Another reason to attend…I haven’t heard anything about this year’s Airbnb Open. Have you? Perhaps, I’m just out of the loop? Hmm.
The Vacation Rental Success Summit is THE PREMIER VACATION RENTAL CONFERENCE, where you learn to TAKE YOUR VACATION RENTAL FROM ‘BEST KEPT SECRET' TO HOUSEHOLD NAME.
Yes, you still have time to get your discounted ticket.
I will be arriving early to have a meetup with you, my dear listeners, which will take place on Friday, May 18th. You don’t need a ticket for the meetup or anything. This get-together is free and fun. Win-win. It’s just for us to connect face-to-face. You know, share our stories with live reactions. It's a way of getting out from behind our computers and engage with real folks living the experience. I love that!
The meetup will take place at:
The Westin Riverwalk 420 W Market St, San Antonio, TX 78205 go to the lobby of the center of the hotel at 6 pm and I'll be there until 8 pm.
I hope to see you at the FREE meetup and hopefully in the audience at the conference as well.
Our Regular Show:
Speaking of our friend Tammi Sims… I finally managed to wrangle my dear Tammi… Yes, our elusive feline makes it to the mic!
In this episode, we begin by singing and sharing our dreams. You know, of where we are and what we always wanted to do. And I also think, as a birthday gift for myself hint..hint, I’m going to take a few lessons because it’s never too late to learn something new.
Listen to “Reunited and it feels so good a Hot Mic with Tammi Sims”
Catching Up:
Of course, on this episode, I catch up with what Tammi’s been up to since the last time she stopped by the hosting journey. As usual, she’s been busy and traveling. New Zealand, Paris, London, Washington. It's hard to keep up with and keep track of all the places she goes in between our visits.
She also talks about her first date with Alex at an Airbnb on Orcas Island. You have to listen to get the juicy details.
We talk about the new Airbnb 48-hour grace period. I understand that some hosts are confused about this rule, as are some guests. The new rule is that the guest can cancel a reservation within 48 hours if they book a reservation 14 days in advance before arrival.
Now hosts don’t have to share their address with the guest during this 48-hour window. I speak about why we as hosts feel this is important on THJ 36: The Sharing Economy is Here to Stay… Embrace It
We also go deep into cancellations-how often it can happen, how we handle them-plus, travel insurance for guests. We wonder why Airbnb doesn’t offer travel insurance for the guest??? We think it could make our lives as hosts a bit easier.
Tammi tells a story about how she handled a very particular request from a guest. You know, those very special requests where you say to yourself, “Is this reservation even worth it?” Tammi explains how she handled it by trusting her gut. Gut instincts are important hosts. Listen to that little voice… it can help.
Reviews and Cancellations:
Do you ever ask your guest for a review or for a 5-star review? You have to listen to our take on this because we have a very strong opinion.
I’ll be updating the reviews episode as well because Airbnb has changed the way guests review us. Oh yeah. There is a whole new system, and unless you’re a guest, you have no idea why we are getting 4 stars….
We spoke about cancellation policies for that business badge and whether we want to change it to moderate. I’m strict, which I can’t be if I want to have the business badge. My cancellation policy is the only thing holding me back… and we talk all about how I feel about it.
We also talk about one of my students from the Airbnb 101 class who is a Tammi fan… Well, it seems like they might get together in person.
Dear hosts, the Airbnb 101 class will be available again in June.
We have tons of great stuff coming up in June-webinars, cleaning challenges-so join The hosting Journey newsletter, so you can be in the know.
I want to thank Tammi for joining me one more time. It was a great episode, chock full of information. I’m looking forward of seeing her, and hopefully, many of you, live in San Antonio.
Your host,
Evelyn
Links:
Some of the links mentioned are affiliate links. if you choose to make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Commissions come at no additional cost to you.
PS: Want more…
