What's it really like hosting in the Belize jungle?

In this episode of the Host Planet Playbook – powered by Hospitable – James Varley speaks with Cheryl McConnaughey, from Lucky Dreamer Lodge in Belize, about building a unique short-term rental business in one of the world’s bucket list destinations.

Cheryl shares:

• Her journey from running a US bed & breakfast to hosting in Belize

• The realities and challenges of operating in the jungle

• How to attract the right guests using social media, blogs, and SEO

• The essential amenities you need (even without air conditioning or microwaves!)

• How to deliver an authentic, memorable guest experience

• The biggest lesson she’s learned as a host

If you’re an Airbnb host, vacation rental owner, or property manager looking to create a distinctive guest experience and stand out in a competitive STR market, this episode is packed with practical insight.

Watch or listen now and discover what it takes to run a truly authentic short-term rental business.

1:45 Lucky Dreamer Lodge – hosting in the Belize jungle

2:14 From bed & breakfast hosting in the US to Belize

3:06 What Cheryl loves about Belize: the people

4:01 The challenges of hosting in the jungle

8:15 How to attract the right types of guests (social media, blogs, SEO)

10:08 Belize is a bucket list destination

11:41 Essential amenities in the jungle, including an outdoor kitchen and laundry hut

13:48 Authentic hosting: no air conditioning and no microwaves!

17:02 Tips to deliver a great guest experience

20:30 Biggest lesson learned: don’t assume anything

21:26 Meeting people from across the globe

22:30 Quickfire questions

30:42 Industry shout-outs

32:03 Ultimate goal for the business

Download a free copy of the Host Planet Playbook: https://www.hostplanet.club/host-planet-playbook

The Host Planet Playbook was created in collaboration with property management software, Hospitable. Interested in using a PMS which will help you manage your rentals on autopilot? Get 25% off Hospitable for the first three months: https://hospitable.com/partners/hostplanet

Lucky Dreamer Lodge: https://www.luckydreamerlodge.com/

The Host Planet Playbook series is presented by James Varley, Founder and CEO of Host Planet. Connect with James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Host Planet: https://www.hostplanet.club/

The Host Planet Podcast is where Airbnb hosts, Booking.com hosts, Vrbo hosts, and short-term rental operators come to learn what actually works. Each episode features expert insights from people actively building, managing, and scaling short-term rentals, covering everything from Airbnb hosting fundamentals to advanced rental strategies. Whether you’re focused on guest satisfaction, rental management, or smarter automation tips, the show delivers practical advice you can apply immediately to improve performance and increase Airbnb bookings.

Across the series, we explore Airbnb host tips, listing optimization, price optimization, and Airbnb listing optimization – alongside real-world investing insights and behind-the-scenes Airbnb secrets you won’t hear elsewhere. From hosted conversations with industry leaders and Airbnb ambassadors to actionable guidance on bookings and short-term rental growth, Host Planet helps hosts navigate short term rentals with confidence and clarity.

The show is presented by James Varley, a holiday let investor and property manager who is also the Founder of Host Planet. Before founding Host Planet, James spent 20 years in the media, including a decade leading corporate communications for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Contact the show: info@hostplanet.club

#DirectBookings #VacationRental #HostTips #ShortTermRental #GuestExperience #PropertyManagement #HostPlanetPlaybook #HostPlanet #Hospitable #PMS #PropertyManagementSoftware #Belize #Jungle #JungleHosting

Is the Airbnb review system fundamentally broken?

In this episode of the Host Planet Podcast – powered by Hostfully – James Varley sits down with Humphrey Bowles, Founder of Truvi, to challenge one of the most controversial parts of the short-term rental industry: reviews.

We discuss:

• Why a four-star review feels like the end of the world

• The real impact of one-star ratings on Airbnb hosts

• Whether guests should always receive five stars

• Why the “guest opinion circus” needs reform

• How luxury rentals are unfairly categorised

• What Airbnb could learn from Amazon and other review-led platforms

• Humphrey’s vision for a smarter, fairer review system

If you’re an Airbnb host, property manager, or vacation rental operator worried about ratings, this episode will make you rethink how reviews should work in the STR industry.

Watch now and join the debate.

0:00 Why is the short-term rental review system broken?

0:55 A four-star review feels like the end of the world

3:35 Should you give every guest a five-star rating on Airbnb?

5:47 The whole guest opinion circus needs to change

7:26 The impact of poor reviews on Airbnb

10:29 The impact of getting a one-star review on Airbnb

12:23 Should guests be encouraged to be brutally honest?

15:46 Humphrey’s vision of a new review system

19:39 Who decides which section a rental ends up in?

23:09 Luxury properties don’t want to be lumped in with the rest

26:08 Should we learn from Amazon and other review-focused platforms?

28:45 ‘Better than beautiful lies’ – the mindset shifts hosts should make

Looking for a great property management software or digital guidebook?

You need Hostfully!

Check out these special offers:

Property Management Software: Get $500 off onboarding by using the code PLANET500.

Digital Guidebooks: Get 30% off for life by using the code HOSTPLANETGB.

Click here to sign up for Hostfully: https://tinyurl.com/3ay8bhtk

Keen to book a Hostfully demo? Click here to connect with Frank Bosi: https://tinyurl.com/Hostfully-Demo

Email Frank: frank@hostfully.com

Host Planet: https://www.hostplanet.club/

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Humphrey Bowles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humphrey-bowles/

Truvi: https://truvi.com/

Episode to check next:

The 2026 Holiday Let Compliance Checklist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITvlxKPA8v0&t=1s

The Host Planet Podcast is where Airbnb hosts, Booking.com hosts, Vrbo hosts, and short-term rental operators come to learn what actually works. Each episode features expert insights from people actively building, managing, and scaling short-term rentals, covering everything from Airbnb hosting fundamentals to advanced rental strategies. Whether you’re focused on guest satisfaction, rental management, or smarter automation tips, the show delivers practical advice you can apply immediately to improve performance and increase Airbnb bookings.

Across the series, we explore Airbnb host tips, listing optimization, price optimization, and Airbnb listing optimization – alongside real-world investing insights and behind-the-scenes Airbnb secrets you won’t hear elsewhere. From hosted conversations with industry leaders and Airbnb ambassadors to actionable guidance on bookings and short-term rental growth, Host Planet helps hosts navigate short term rentals with confidence and clarity.

The show is presented by James Varley, a holiday let investor and property manager who is also the Founder of Host Planet. Before founding Host Planet, James spent 20 years in the media, including a decade leading corporate communications for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Contact the show: info@hostplanet.club

#HostPlanet #HostPlanetPodcast #HostPlanetBitesize #ShortTermRentals #VacationRentals #HolidayLets #Airbnb #BookDirect #PropertyManagement #PropertyInvestment #BookingCom #Vrbo #JamesVarley #Hostfully #PMS #DigitalGuidebooks #SpecialOffer #HumphreyBowles #Truvi

What will separate winning short-term rental hosts from the rest in 2026?

In this Host Planet Bitesize episode, powered by Hostfully, Sally Henry from Key Data breaks down five critical trends every STR host and property manager needs to understand – from pricing agility and rate discipline to shrinking booking windows and changing guest behaviour.

Covered in this episode:

• Why pricing agility matters more than ever

• Why cheaper isn’t always better

• Shorter stays and tighter booking windows

• Airbnb and Booking.com gaining ground on direct bookings

• What the data is telling us about 2026

2:06 Rate agility – be super dialled-in to your pricing

3:59 Host Planet Roadshow: https://www.hostplanet.club/host-planet-roadshow

5:21 Rate discipline – cheaper is not always better

7:31 Length of stay continues to contract

10:36 Booking windows are getting shorter

12:17 Direct bookings channels are losing market share to Airbnb and Booking.com

15:42 Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook

Looking for a great property management software or digital guidebook? You need Hostfully!

Check out these special offers:

Property Management Software: Get $500 off onboarding by using the code PLANET500.

Digital Guidebooks: Get 30% off for life by using the code HOSTPLANETGB.

Click here to sign up for Hostfully: https://tinyurl.com/3ay8bhtk

Keen to book a Hostfully demo? Click here to connect with Frank Bosi: https://tinyurl.com/Hostfully-Demo

Email Frank: frank@hostfully.com

Host Planet: https://www.hostplanet.club/

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Sally Henry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-henry-3516229/

Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook

Episode to check next: 5 Reasons Your STR Needs AI Right Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM-zt2OvS3k

The Host Planet Podcast is where Airbnb hosts, Booking.com hosts, Vrbo hosts, and short-term rental operators come to learn what actually works. Each episode features expert insights from people actively building, managing, and scaling short-term rentals, covering everything from Airbnb hosting fundamentals to advanced rental strategies. Whether you’re focused on guest satisfaction, rental management, or smarter automation tips, the show delivers practical advice you can apply immediately to improve performance and increase Airbnb bookings.

Across the series, we explore Airbnb host tips, listing optimization, price optimization, and Airbnb listing optimization – alongside real-world investing insights and behind-the-scenes Airbnb secrets you won’t hear elsewhere. From hosted conversations with industry leaders and Airbnb ambassadors to actionable guidance on bookings and short-term rental growth, Host Planet helps hosts navigate short term rentals with confidence and clarity.

The show is presented by James Varley, a holiday let investor and property manager who is also the Founder of Host Planet. Before founding Host Planet, James spent 20 years in the media, including a decade leading corporate communications for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Contact the show: info@hostplanet.club

#HostPlanet #HostPlanetPodcast #HostPlanetBitesize #ShortTermRentals #VacationRentals #HolidayLets #Airbnb #BookDirect #PropertyManagement #PropertyInvestment #BookingCom #Vrbo #JamesVarley #Hostfully #PMS #DigitalGuidebooks #SpecialOffer #DirectBookings #STRMarketing #Sally Henry #KeyData #Trends