by Suzy Turnbull | May 19, 2026 | Guest Experience & Hospitality
A few weeks ago, I joined James Varley on the Host Planet Podcast for a conversation about short-term rentals, hospitality, and my new book, 5-Star Hosting Made Simple. James asked me to share five key learnings from the book which were: Hospitality Running your...
by Suzy Turnbull | May 11, 2026 | Marketing & Direct Bookings
A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of joining Gil Chan on his podcast, Booked Solid Show, for a conversation about hospitality, direct bookings, branding, and the future of the short-term rental industry. What I enjoyed most about the discussion was that it went far...
by Suzy Turnbull | May 4, 2026 | Industry Insights
A couple of weeks ago, I traveled to London for the Short Stay Summit and the Host Planet Roadshow. These are two of Europe’s key events for short-term rental hosts and property managers. Between the conversations, the sessions, and time spent with hosts, property...
by Suzy Turnbull | Apr 17, 2026 | Guest Experience & Hospitality
On a recent trip back to Panama, I picked up this beautiful heart shaped seed pod. (It belongs to the “Panama Tree”). It reminded me that hospitality, real, genuine hospitality, sits right at the heart of everything we do in this business. Next week, I’m heading to...
by Suzy Turnbull | Mar 31, 2026 | Guest Experience & Hospitality
Ten years ago, we started our vacation rental business in Panama, in Central America, where the climate is tropical, hot and humid all year round, with just two seasons: dry and rainy. The tourist season has its hot-spots and low-spots, but essentially runs...
by Suzy Turnbull | Mar 16, 2026 | Systems for Running your STR Business
Why Every Serious Short-Term Rental Host Eventually Needs a Property Management System March 1st was the official start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Against all expectations, and despite what my weather app confidently predicted, we had blue skies and 20°C...
by Suzy Turnbull | Feb 25, 2026 | Industry Insights
In April, I’ll be in London for a short-term rental industry conference. This week, I decided to get cracking and book somewhere to stay. I searched on Google, ChatGPT, and Perplexity (the two AI platforms I most commonly use) to find an independent host with a direct...
by Suzy Turnbull | Feb 20, 2026 | Systems for Running your STR Business
When I was researching my book, 5-Star Hosting Made Simple, one statistic stopped me in my tracks: a surprising number of short-term rental hosts operate at a loss, often without realizing it. Not because they lack passion. Not because they lack guests. But because...
by Suzy Turnbull | Dec 4, 2025 | Guest Experience & Hospitality
The holiday period is one of the most magical times of the year and one of the most competitive for short-term rental hosts. Guests aren’t just looking for a place to stay; they’re looking for warmth, atmosphere, and experiences that feel special and seasonal. Hosts...
by Suzy Turnbull | Dec 1, 2025 | Marketing & Direct Bookings
Every week, and especially around Black Friday, my inbox gets deluged with offers for “complete listing optimization packages”, usually priced anywhere from $97 to $997. These services are well-intentioned, and they certainly appeal to hosts who are scrambling to...
