Tips for successful vacation hosts
Everything you need to know for a successful tourist season — from apartment preparation, legal obligations, to commission-free direct bookings.
How to prepare your apartment for the 2026 season — complete guide
Every tourist season starts with preparation. The difference between an average and excellent host is how ready you are before the first guest arrives.
How much Booking.com really costs you — commission calculator
Booking.com charges 15-25% commission on every reservation. For an average apartment, that means €2,000 to €8,000 per year.
10 things guests notice in the first 5 minutes
The review is written in the first 5 minutes. Everything after just confirms the first impression.
How to respond to a negative review — 5 examples
Every host gets a negative review. The question is not whether it will happen, but how you react.
Flat-rate rental business in Croatia — everything you need to know in 2026
If you rent out an apartment in Croatia, a flat-rate business is the simplest legal path.
How to photograph your apartment for Booking — 10 tips
A guest decides in 3 seconds — click or scroll past. That decision depends on the first photo.
Why you need your own website alongside Booking.com
Booking.com is great for new guests. But if Booking is your only channel — you have a problem.
The ultimate pre-season apartment checklist — 25 items you can't skip
Experienced hosts don't memorise — they use a checklist. These 25 items cover every corner of your apartment, from kitchen drawers to WiFi passwords.
A welcome pack that makes an impression — what to include and what it costs
For €2-3 per guest, you can dramatically improve the first impression. A welcome pack isn't a cost — it's an investment in reviews.
Google Business profile for your apartment — a free channel for direct bookings
Google Business is free and takes 30 minutes to set up. Every guest who searches for you on Google should find your page — not Booking.
How to get a 5-star review — 7 rules the best hosts follow
The difference between 4 and 5 stars isn't luxury — it's the details. Learn the 7 rules hosts with an average above 4.8 follow.
Smart lock for your apartment — self check-in guests love
The guest arrives at 11 PM, you're 200 km away. With a key — problem. With a smart lock — "Your code is 4729, enter whenever you arrive." Review: 5 stars.
How to turn a guest into a repeat guest — 5 strategies for repeat bookings
A repeat guest is gold. No Booking commission, they already know your apartment, no surprises, and better reviews. The only question is — how to win them over.
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Tourism news
Postcard Hotel Is Bringing Its Brand to India’s Cities, With a Club-First Twist: Exclusive
A smaller inventory, all-suite accommodation and a club designed into the property — Postcard Hotel’s Kapil Chopra says he is sure that enough buyers will pay for it.
Otelier, Avalara Launch Two-Way Integration to Streamline Hotel Tax Compliance
Otelier and Avalara have integrated their platforms to automate lodging tax filing, flag PMS rate discrepancies daily, and streamline exemption tracking for multi-jurisdiction hotel operators.
PHAL Launches the World's First Total Hotel Agentic AI Solution, as a Third Top 10 Global Operator Selects PHAL
PHAL launched PHAL OS, a modular agentic AI platform covering the full hotel lifecycle, and confirmed a third Top 10 global hotel group mandate within six months of its first client engagement.
Vanguards of Excellence: Trends from the Winners of World Travel Awards Americas & Caribbean
From the power of personal service to the changing role of AI, the winners of World Travel Awards 2026 share the ideas, values and strategies shaping the future of travel.
Stay 30 Days, Get $4 Million! Fake Challenge Videos Are a New Headache for Hotels
The videos are cheap to make. Hotels pay the price in front desk resources and reputation.
Fighting Spirit’s Data Sale to Google: Court Filings Show the List Getting Longer
The deal has faced months of delays and pushback, coming to represent a thorny issue of how far bankruptcy code should go to protect employee privacy as AI makes rapid advances.
How Crowne Plaza Newcastle Captures New Revenue and Scales Guest Communication With Canary
Crowne Plaza Newcastle generated over £20,000 in ancillary revenue and scaled guest communication using Canary's messaging and dynamic upsell tools after switching to self-management.
Higher Prices Are Supporting Travel Revenues While Volume Growth Slows
Rising prices are supporting travel revenues, but affordability pressures and uneven demand suggest the industry may be earning more without necessarily welcoming more travelers.
BTN Interviews: Cristina Ozores on Ocean Conservation, Sustainable Cruising on EXPLORA III
Breaking Travel News speaks exclusively with Cristina Ozores, marine conservationist, National Geographic Educator and newly appointed Godmother of Explora Journeys’ EXPLORA III. Drawing on more than
GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang Joined CNN to Discuss Quiet Skies and Business Travel Demand
GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang discussed the Quiet Skies Act, inflight call bans, and a 7% rise in global business travel spend with CNN's Richard Quest.
Delta Delays Riyadh Service to March 2027 Following Airport Attacks
Delta’s planned Atlanta-Riyadh service was already facing questions about safety and demand for the route ahead of the original October launch.
OneReg enters UK market with Bristol Airport partnership
OneReg, the fast‑growing aviation compliance platform transforming how airports and airlines manage safety and certification, today announced its first UK partnership – with Bristol Airport, one of th
The H Dubai Welcomes October with Pinktober Treats, Dining Specials, and Halloween Celebrations
Situated on Sheikh Zayed Road and shaped by the world-class hospitality of the STORY Hotels & Resorts family, The H Dubai welcomes October with dining experiences and seasonal celebrations. Th
AI Finds Her the Hotel. She Won't Book Through It Yet. Hotels Turned Staff into System Operators. RevPAR Growth Is Hiding a Cost Crisis.
Monday opened with Markus Busch on AI driving pre-booking discovery to independent hotels commission-free while websites fail to convert the visit, Martin Soler arguing hotels reduced staff to compute
EXPLORA JOURNEYS INTRODUCES ITS FIRST PRESIDENT’S JOURNEY, HOSTED BY ANNA NASH ABOARD EXPLORA II
Explora Journeys is introducing its first President’s Journey, hosted by President Anna Nash aboard EXPLORA II from 9 to 16 December 2026*. Designed by Anna herself, the Journey brings together return