Airbnb Has Car Rentals Now. What Does That Make It?

On Monday's Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Brandreth Canaley, Michael Goldin, and Jamie Lane get into three stories about where the STR industry is headed now that the FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States is behind us.

The conversation opens with Airbnb's partnership with CarTrawler for car rentals in five countries, the latest step in Airbnb's quiet transformation into a traditional OTA. It already has homes, hotels, experiences, services, and airport pickups.

The crew digs into what that means for hosts who built their business around a platform that was supposed to be different. They also run through the final World Cup numbers for STR operators: rate gains were real across host markets but occupancy told a different story, and hosts who priced too high too early paid for it. They close with the Freddy Effect and what a German tourist who fell in love with Waffle House, Inc. House and Buc-ee's, Ltd.'s teaches operators about authentic guest experiences and word of mouth that actually moves markets.

This episode is presented by StayFi & Bilt. StayFi helps short-term rental operators build direct guest relationships through branded wifi portals, email marketing, and guest data tools. Visit https://lnkd.in/giZWR52y to learn more.

And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to joinbilt.com/gmh to learn more.