The Booking Revolution: Saving Big & Airbnb’s New Policies

Welcome Back to episode 168 of the STR Daily podcast, powered by Boostly, the industry's first AI driven podcast for short term rental professionals. I'm your host Bob, back to bring you the latest news, trends and insights in the world of travel, AI and hospitality. Whether you're a host, property manager or or industry expert, we're here to keep you informed and ahead of the game. Our goal is simple to provide you with actionable knowledge and updates to help you navigate this fast moving industry with confidence. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode in today's episode. First up, A new platform is shaking up the short term rental industry by showing travelers just how much they can save by booking direct. Instead of using Airbnb, Savvy, formerly known as BNB Finder, has introduced a real time price comparison tool that reveals how booking directly with property managers can save hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars. Take this example. A six night stay at a four bedroom property in Phoenix is listed at $2339 on Savvy. The same listing on Airbnb, $2889. That's a $550 difference. But here's the catch. When you go to the property manager's actual website, the price comes out to $2,616, making the real savings closer to $273. While the experience on Savvy isn't always seamless, some users report issues navigating to property manager websites. The bottom line remains avoiding Airbnb's service fees can lead to significant savings, and Savvy's CEO Eric Goldreyer says that's the goal to help travelers make smarter booking decisions by showing all available pricing options, even if it means linking to Airbnb when it offers the best deal. Speaking of Airbnb, the company is rolling out major changes to its cancellation policies in 11 countries, potentially testing the waters before a global shift. As of January 20, 2025, guests in select markets including Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa and Turkey can now cancel within 24 hours of booking for a full refund, as long as the reservation was made at least seven days before check in. But that's not all. Airbnb is introducing a brand new limited policy allowing guests to Cancel up to 14 days before check in for a full refund. And in a move that's likely to frustrate some hosts, Airbnb is removing its strict policy, which previously let hosts keep 50% of the booking fee. And if guests cancelled close to check in. What does this mean for hosts? More cancellations, more uncertainty, and potentially more speculative bookings where guests reserve dates they're unsure about. While Airbnb is likely making this change to compete with platforms like booking.com and to ease regulatory pressures in certain countries, it leaves hosts needing to rethink their pricing and availability strategies. That's all for today's episode of STR Daily. Powered by Boostly. If you need help boosting your direct bookings, check out the Boostly website. And if you'd like a shout out on the podcast, leave a review. We love hearing from our listeners, and your feedback helps us improve. Also, don't forget to share this podcast with your industry peers. Tag Boostly UK on social media when you do, and we'll be sure to share it too. Thanks for tuning in. And remember, book direct.