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Airbnb announces ‘Reserve Now, Pay Later’ feature
US: Airbnb is introducing a Reserve Now, Pay Later policy to offer US guests an option to pay $0 upfront when booking eligible domestic stays. The ‘Reserve Now, Pay Later’ feature applies to US-based stays with flexible or moderate cancellation policies. Guests pay the full amount shortly before the end of the listing’s free cancellation […]
Pass the Keys partners with Conduit for AI-powered guest communication
UK: Short-let property management firm Pass the Keys has announced a partnership with AI-powered guest messaging platform Conduit. The integration links Pass the Keys Connect, the company’s proprietary property management system, with Conduit’s AI messaging platform. The move consolidates communication across third-party applications into a single interface in efforts to streamline communication between franchise partners with […]
Airbnb eyes ‘AI-first’ future with autonomous trip-planning agents
US: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has outlined plans for the company to become an “AI-first application”, with autonomous agents able to plan trips, manage bookings and provide real-time support. The announcement, made during Airbnb’s Q2 2025 earnings call on 7 August, followed the release of results showing double-digit revenue growth and steady global demand. Chesky […]
Airbnb to “go significantly more aggressively into hotels,” says CEO
US: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has outlined plans to expand the number of hotels listed on the platform, signalling a shift towards a broader accommodation offering. During the company’s Q2 2025 earnings call, Chesky said Airbnb would be “going significantly more aggressively into hotels”, with a focus on independent and boutique properties, particularly outside North […]
US short-term rentals outperform hotels in Q2, according to Key Data
US: US short-term rentals outperformed hotels across every region in Q2 2025, according to the latest Vacation Rental Market Index from Key Data. The report, which tracks performance across 13 million listings, found STRs achieved an average revenue per available rental (RevPAR) advantage of nine percentage points over hotels. The findings point to a sector […]
HostGPO partners with Amazon Business
US: HostGPO, a group purchasing organisation serving the short-term rental industry, has entered into a strategic partnership with Amazon Business to provide members with new procurement benefits. The agreement will give HostGPO members access to discounts of up to 40 per cent on products, in addition to 50 per cent off Amazon Business Prime memberships. […]
Accor to open first Mövenpick resort in the Netherlands in 2028
Netherlands: France-based hotel group Accor has signed a development agreement for a 240-key Mövenpick resort in Petten, set to become the brand’s first resort in the Netherlands. Scheduled to open in 2028, Mövenpick Resort & Spa Pettemer Duynen will have 240 rooms, a spa and wellness centre, swimming pools, meeting facilities for up to 500 […]
Over 10,000 European hotels join legal action against Booking.com
Europe: More than 10,000 hotels across Europe have joined the collective legal action against OTA Booking.com, expanding on a case first reported in June. The claim challenges the platform’s long-standing “best price” clause, also known as a Platform Most Favoured Nation (PMFN) clause, which required accommodation providers to display the same or lower rates on […]
Pricelabs launches free market reports for countries and regions worldwide
[Sponsored Content] Dynamic pricing and revenue management solution provider, Pricelabs, explains the benefits and uses of its new STR Index data In the world of short-term rentals, having access to reliable market-level data is crucial, especially for those who need to monitor industry trends, analyse policy impacts, or benchmark performance at a national or regional level. […]
Airbnb research finds STR caps unlikely to improve long-term rental supply
US: New research from booking platform Airbnb indicates that placing caps on short-term rentals is unlikely to lead to a significant increase in long-term rental housing supply. The study, based on a survey of Australian hosts, found that 88 per cent said they would not convert their listings into long-term rentals, even if local governments […]