In this Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast Bonus episode, Brandreth Canaley and Michael Goldin sit down with Tim Rosolio, VP of Vacation Rental Partnerships at Vrbo/Expedia Group, from a standout “Vacation Rental of the Year” property in New Hampshire. Tim breaks down what actually drives performance on Vrbo today, from must-have amenities and pricing strategies to the growing importance of quality, consistency, and reviews in an increasingly saturated market. He shares why the short-term rental “gold rush” is officially over, and what operators need to do now to stay competitive. The conversation also dives into Expedia Group’s broader strategy, including the rapid growth of B2B distribution, the expansion of vacation rentals across Expedia’s ecosystem, and how new tools like promotions and sponsored listings are changing visibility and bookings. They also tackle AI in travel, where it’s already delivering value, where it’s overhyped, and why the human element still matters in hospitality. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Snowy New Hampshire Setup 01:08 Why This Rental Won 01:26 How Vrbo Picks Homes 02:35 Hosts Who Go All In 05:22 Amenity Must-Haves 07:57 Boosting Rankings Fast 08:25 Promotions That Convert 10:25 Is The Gold Rush Over 12:44 Quality Over Quantity Era 16:58 Standards And Trust Issues 19:00 Cleaning and Reviewing Data 20:26 Reviews Signal Quality 21:36 Star Ratings Confusion 22:26 B2B Growth Expansion 25:09 AI In Travel Tech 26:32 Keeping Human Hospitality 28:16 OneKey On Vrbo 29:48 Sponsored Listings Launch 33:14 Rapid Fire Wrap Up Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social X: https://twitter.com/skift Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
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38 mins