PODCAST · business
Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast
by Gil Chan
Join host Gil Chan on 'Booked Solid,' the podcast dedicated to helping short-term rental operators and property managers maximize bookings and scale their businesses. Each week, gain actionable insights from industry experts, uncover proven strategies, and learn the secrets to achieving more nights booked. Elevate your rental business and stay ahead in the competitive market with 'Booked Solid.'
Episodes
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Vacation Rental Brand Strategy I Learned the Hard Way with Ali Haney
“You’re talking to everyone, and therefore you’re talking to no one.” 🎯 Ali Haney never planned to get into short term rentals. Twice, a plan fell through, and a rental took its place. Today she runs a branding agency for hospitality and hosts across multiple states. In this episode, Gil and Ali...
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Converting Apartments to Short-Term Rentals for 3x the Revenue with Tim Bratz
"Resourcefulness is the ultimate resource." — Tim Bratz What 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...
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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 Knight You're driving traffic. You're running ads. Guests are clicking. And then... they book on Airbnb anyway. If that sounds familiar,...
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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...
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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 Hubbard What 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...
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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 Turnbull How 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...
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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…
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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 Rivers If 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,...
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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.…
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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...
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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 Swietek There'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...
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🌍 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...
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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....
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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...
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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?...
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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...
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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…
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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 Sloan The hospitality landscape has fundamentally changed. Today's travelers...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join host Gil Chan on 'Booked Solid,' the podcast dedicated to helping short-term rental operators and property managers maximize bookings and scale their businesses. Each week, gain actionable insights from industry experts, uncover proven strategies, and learn the secrets to achieving more nights booked. Elevate your rental business and stay ahead in the competitive market with 'Booked Solid.'
HOSTED BY
Gil Chan
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast have?
Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast currently has 125 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast about?
Join host Gil Chan on 'Booked Solid,' the podcast dedicated to helping short-term rental operators and property managers maximize bookings and scale their businesses. Each week, gain actionable insights from industry experts, uncover proven strategies, and learn the secrets to achieving more nights...
How often does Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast release new episodes?
Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast publishes regularly with 125 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast?
You can listen to Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast?
Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast is created and hosted by Gil Chan.
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