Vacation Rental Industry Month in Review May 2019
Vacation Rental Industry Month in Review May 2019
The HomeAway brand is being phased out
May 2, 2019Longtime brand HomeAway is being phased out. The Vrbo brand will be its primary short-term-rental brand. The HomeAway.com website will remain active for the foreseeable future, according to a spokesperson, but Vrbo will be the go-to name for marketing and branding purposes.
Read moreTurnkey Vacation Rentals announced that their select rental properties will be available on Homes & Villas by Marriott International
May 6, 2019At launch, Homes & Villas by Marriott International will feature TurnKey homes in approximately 36 markets across the U.S., including Austin, Texas; Destin, Florida; North Lake Tahoe, California; Summit County, Colorado; and Park City, Utah.
Read moreMint House raises $15M
May 7, 2019The idea behind the brand is to offer high-end private accommodation for business travelers with services and amenities that would ordinarily be found in a top hotel property.
Read moreMelissa C Thomas-Hunt joins Airbnb as Head of Global Diversity and Belonging
May 8, 2019Melissa Thomas-Hunt will serve on Airbnb’s Executive Team and lead the strategy and execution of the global internal diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging programs for Airbnb’s 5,000 employees around the world.
Read more2019 OPMA Executive Summit
May 8-10, 2019 Park City, UTDesigned for OPMA member executive level representatives, the intimate program format encourages discussions, the exchange of ideas and solutioning the industry’s most pressing and challenging issues
Read moreSean Joyce joins Airbnb as Chief Trust Officer
May 13, 2019Airbnb's Belinda Johnson, Chief Operating Officer stated "Our vision is for Airbnb to be the most trusted platform in the world, and I am thrilled that Sean Joyce is joining us to lead our work towards that goal.”
Read moreFL VRM Xtravaganza
May 14-15, 2019 Orlando, FLAt the Florida VRM Xtravaganza, you can count on top industry speakers that will provide you with the best knowledge, business trends, and product/service experience available. Xplorie presented the "7 Best Practices to Drive Direct Bookings."
Read moreVacation Rental Tech Week connects property managers and owners with innovative technology partners during one week of meet-ups and events
May 15, 2019VrTech Events is now accepting applications for its annual Start-Up competition, which celebrates the latest innovations in the global vacation rental technology sector.
Read moreA bill has been signed in Washington which will require short-term rentals to remit all taxes, maintain liability insurance and include critical consumer safety provisions.
May 15, 2019The law obligates short-term rental operators and platforms to register with the state Department of Revenue and remit all local, state and federal taxes. Short-term rentals will also pay local lodging taxes which go towards promoting tourism-related activities in local communities across Washington.
Read moreAirbnb adds former Apple retail chief
May 17, 2019Angela Ahrendts, the former senior vice president of retail at Apple, joins Airbnb as its third independent non-affiliated board member.
Read moreAmazon introduced flight search and booking on its platform in India.
May 17, 2019A "Flights" button is now featured and takes users to the white label version of the OTA's existing flight functionality. The emergence of a flight booking tool comes amid ongoing speculation that Amazon will make a concerted effort to re-enter the travel space.
Read moreNew Orleans short term rental market anticipating tighter rental regulations
May 24, 2019The proposed provision would ban "whole-home" rentals in residential neighborhoods in the city. This new policy will go to a final vote within 90 days.
Read moreAirbnb is eliminating guest fees for property managers and hotels that sign up for its service beginning June 4th
May 28, 2019Existing and newly enrolled property managers will have the choice to switch to a 14% host-only fee “or a shared host and guest fee” in the Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa markets.
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