Booked Solid Show - Short Term Rental Podcast

Gil Chan
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Join host Gil Chan on 'Booked Solid,' the podcast dedicated to helping short-term rental operators and property managers maximize bookings and scale their businesses. Each week, gain actionable insights from industry experts, uncover proven strategies, and learn the secrets to achieving more nights booked. Elevate your rental business and stay ahead in the competitive market with 'Booked Solid.'

  1. 2D AGO

    🌍 Culture-Inspired Vacation Rentals: My 10-Step Unique Stays Framework with Anastasia Tara

    "A tree without roots is a dead tree." Your branding looks polished. The colors match. The logo is on point. But does any of it connect to who you actually are as a host? In this episode of Booked Solid, Anastasia Tara — founder of The Unique Stay community — shares how she and her husband transformed ordinary residential homes into culture-inspired vacation rentals themed around Japan, Bali, Italy, Greece, the Maldives, and France. She walks through her full 10-step Craft Build Scale framework, explains why your personal "why" is the most underused marketing tool you already own, and reveals how themed properties generate repeat guests who book your next unit before they even check out of the first. Whether you're planning your first property or rethinking an existing one, this conversation will challenge you to look inward before you look outward. 📲 Connect with Anastasia Tara 🌐 Personal Website: AnastasiaTara.com🏡 Community: UniqueStays.co💼 LinkedIn: Anastasia Tara📸 Instagram: @AnastasiaTarai🐦 X/Twitter: @AnastasiaTarai

    48 min

  2. 6D AGO

    Scaling an STR Portfolio With Intention Across 6 Markets with Fouad Bazzi & Jacinda Neustel

    "You gotta make it or make it. These are your two options." What happens when a 20-year corporate banker with a vision meets a solo operator managing 30 properties by herself — cleaning, messaging guests, and fixing maintenance issues with no team? In this episode of Booked Solid, Fouad Bazzi and Jacinda Neustel share how they combined their very different strengths to build a property management company spanning 82 properties across six markets. They talk about why saying yes to everything nearly broke them, how hiring for core values changed their team, and why the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) became the backbone of their operations. Whether you're managing two doors or two hundred, this conversation is packed with perspective on growing with intention — not just growing for the sake of it. 🔗 Connect With Fouad & Jacinda Fouad Bazzi: Instagram: @fouad_airbnbLinkedIn: Fouad BazziWebsite: fouadbazzi.com Jacinda Neustel: Instagram: @the.airbnb.queenFacebook: Jacinda NeustelWebsite: thequeensbnbs.comBook: The Airbnb Queen on Amazon 🎧 Fouad is currently looking to help 10 operators set their goals and objectives for 2026. Reach out to him on Instagram if you're ready to scale with intention.

    1 hr

  3. FEB 11

    Hotel Guest Experience Strategies for Short-Term Rentals with Katie Cline

    "The first 10 minutes of a guest's stay set the tone for everything that follows." That single insight from luxury hotel research changed how Katie Cline operates her short-term rentals, and it might change how you think about yours, too. In this episode of Booked Solid, Katie sits down with Gil to share what years inside the boardrooms of Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels, and St. Regis taught her about hospitality, and how she now applies those five-star principles to her growing portfolio of vacation rentals in upstate New York. From the psychology of confirmation bias to why your welcome note probably shouldn't include the guest's name, this conversation covers the small, often free gestures that turn first-time guests into repeat bookers. Whether you manage one property or forty, Katie's hotel guest experience strategies for short-term rentals will give you a fresh perspective on how to serve your guests and strengthen your brand. 🔗 Connect with Katie Cline 🌐 Website: ByKatieCline.com📩 Newsletter: BuyYourSecondHomeFirst.com🎙️ Podcast: Second Home First | Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality📸 Instagram: @ByKatieCline | @BuyYourSecondHomeFirst | @SuiteSuccessPodcast💼 LinkedIn: Katie Cline🎁 Free Resources: TheFiveStarRental.com

    1 hr

  4. FEB 5

    Destination Marketing Direct Bookings STR: Tapping Into Tourism Data with Jennifer Barbee

    "Be so good they can't ignore you. That's where you are." What if there was an entire organization in your county — funded partly by your own lodging taxes — dedicated to driving visitors to your destination, and you've never once reached out to them? In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Jennifer Barbee, tourism strategist and creator of the Host Gap™, to uncover a massive blind spot for short-term rental operators. Jennifer has worked with over 400 destinations across the U.S. and reveals how DMOs (Destination Marketing Organizations) hold a goldmine of traveler research, event calendars, and visitor data that most hosts have never tapped into. You'll learn how independent lodging went from 4% of the market to nearly 30%, why that shift is changing everything, and how building a relationship with your local tourism office could reshape your direct booking strategy from the ground up. 🔗 Connect with Jennifer Barbee LinkedIn (Personal): linkedin.com/in/jenniferbarbeeincLinkedIn (Destination Innovate): linkedin.com/company/destinationinnovateInstagram: @alittlejennspirationX (Twitter): @jenniferbarbeeNewsletter: The Daily Destruptor on LinkedIn

    56 min

  5. JAN 28

    Short-Term Rental Education and Branding: Building a Media Empire with James Varley

    "Hospitality is the North Star. If it doesn't drive back to that, it's probably not gonna work." James Varley went from managing communications for the FIFA World Cup to building one of the fastest-growing educational platforms in the short-term rental space. In this episode of Booked Solid, James opens up about his unconventional path into hosting, the painful lessons he learned rebranding his company, and why consistency beats complexity when building an audience. Whether you're a new host wondering where to start or an experienced operator looking to sharpen your direct booking game, this conversation delivers practical wisdom on brand clarity, local marketing tactics, and why the simplest strategies often produce the biggest results. James also shares the QR code tactic that keeps bringing guests back to his properties and why building your email list remains the single most important thing you can do for your business. Connect with James: 🌐 Website: hostplanet.club💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley📧 Email: info@hostplanet.club📚 Free Downloads: hostplanet.club/free-downloads🎤 Host Planet Roadshow: hostplanet.club/host-planet-roadshow

    1h 14m

  6. JAN 23

    STR Brand Identity Direct Bookings: Scaling to 175 Properties with Lisa Roads

    "I'd rather be small and personal and well known for that than just be a generalist." What happens when a marketing agency owner sees a gap in the vacation rental market that nobody else is filling? She builds an empire from scratch—175 properties across Cyprus, managed remotely from the UK for 18 years—and then successfully exits during a pandemic. Lisa Roads joins the Booked Solid Show to share her journey from hands-on property furnishing (yes, she shipped entire containers of furniture across the Mediterranean) to becoming one of the most respected voices in STR business strategy. Now, as The Holiday Property Coach and founder of Women in Short-Term Rentals, Lisa helps property managers build profitable direct booking brands that attract both the right guests AND the right property owners. In this episode, you'll discover why having a logo isn't the same as having a brand, how to curate your portfolio for maximum conversions, and the trust signals that actually get guests to book directly. Plus, Lisa reveals why dog-friendly marketing converted her from browser to booker in just hours—and how you can apply the same psychology to your ideal guest avatar. Whether you're managing 5 properties or 50, this conversation will reshape how you think about niching down, building trust, and positioning your business for long-term success. 🔗 Connect with Lisa Roads Lisa welcomes connections from property managers and hosts looking to grow their businesses strategically. Website: theholidaypropertycoach.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lisaroadsFacebook: The Holiday Property CoachInstagram: @theholidaypropertycoachCommunity: Women in Short-Term Rentals on Facebook and LinkedIn

    1h 18m

  7. JAN 16

    EP95 - Building an Authentic Personal Brand That Converts Guests into Loyal Bookers with Amber Hurdle

    "Your personal brand is what people are saying about you when you're not in the room." In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Amber Hurdle—brand strategist, keynote speaker, author, and former Gaylord Hotels executive—to explore why personal branding isn't just for influencers. It's the foundation of trust that converts lookers into bookers. Amber breaks down how short-term rental hosts and property managers can leverage psychology and neuroscience to build authentic brands that attract ideal guests, command premium rates, and create lasting loyalty. From her celebrity event planning days with Sony Music and Jessica Simpson to leading the internal rebrand when Marriott acquired the world's largest hotel property, Amber brings decades of hospitality expertise to help you stop hiding behind a logo and start building a business that books direct. Whether you manage two properties or two hundred, this conversation will shift how you think about showing up for your guests—and why it matters more than ever. Connect with Amber: 🌐 Website: amberhurdle.com💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/theamberhurdle📸 Instagram: @theamberhurdle📘 Facebook: facebook.com/AmberHurdleFan

    1h 6m

  8. JAN 1

    EP94 - Building a 12-Cabin Micro Resort With 30-50% Direct Bookings with Steph Weber

    "Brand is where trust is built. Brand is the reason people say yes." In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, we welcome back our very first podcast guest—Steph Weber, CEO of The Weber Co. and co-owner of Cabins on the Cumberland, a 12-cabin micro resort in Kentucky. From building brands that emotionally connect with guests to navigating Airbnb's 2025 fee changes, Steph shares raw insights from the trenches of hospitality marketing. Whether you're managing one property or planning your first micro resort, this conversation covers the critical shifts every STR operator needs to embrace heading into 2026—including why your direct booking website matters only if a marketing strategy backs it. 🔗 Connect with Steph Weber 📸 Instagram (The Weber Co.): @theweberco📸 Instagram (Personal): @stephnweber💼 LinkedIn: Steph Weber🌐 Website: theweberco.com🏕️ Cabins on the Cumberland: cabinsonthecumberland.com

    52 min
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5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Join host Gil Chan on 'Booked Solid,' the podcast dedicated to helping short-term rental operators and property managers maximize bookings and scale their businesses. Each week, gain actionable insights from industry experts, uncover proven strategies, and learn the secrets to achieving more nights booked. Elevate your rental business and stay ahead in the competitive market with 'Booked Solid.'

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