Today, Expedia Group announced the expansion of Stayz® distribution through its globally renowned brands and updates to its vacation rental marketplace, including strengthening the Premier Host program and introducing new products for hosts.
The announcements were made during EXPLORE Connect: Vacation Rentals, where hundreds of partners convened to hear the latest on Expedia Group’s vacation rental strategy and developments to its global Vrbo brands, including Stayz, Bookabach, Abritel and FeWo-Direkt.
“When choosing a vacation rental, travellers expect quality and reliability – from booking to the stay itself,” said Larry Plawsky, General Manager of Vrbo Brands. “We are investing in products and features that enhance every step of the journey, driving more demand for our hosts and making Stayz the most trusted vacation rental marketplace.”
Better Visibility Across Expedia Group’s Ecosystem: Expedia Group’s globally recognised brands and B2B partnerships are diversifying demand for vacation rental partners and amplifying discoverability for travellers.
- B2B Expedia Group: Expedia Group is gradually rolling out the distribution of eligible Stayz properties through its B2B network, which consists of 70,000 businesses and more than 160,000 travel agents. Partners like Delta, Alaska Airlines, and Revolut are among the first to distribute Stayz supply.
- Expedia®: Expedia is making it easier for travellers to find and consider vacation rentals with enhanced search capabilities, including a new tab-view filter that seamlessly switches between hotels and vacation rental listings, and a new fall advertising campaign.
- Stayz®: Beginning in early 2026, Stayz will deliver greater visibility to exceptional hosts by transitioning its Premier Host program from a host-level to individual listing-level recognition. Updated qualifications include a 99% acceptance rate, 0% cancellation rate, and a 4.6+ review rating.
“Outstanding homes and excellent hospitality are what create unforgettable stays,” says Tim Rosolio, Vice President of Vacation Rental Partnerships at Expedia Group. “We believe great hosting isn’t optional, it’s the standard. That’s why we’re recognising partners who deliver excellence, supporting those who are on the path to getting there, and providing tools to attract quality demand.”
Harnessing the Power of Expedia Group’s Technology: Stayz’s latest tech solutions streamline operations and unlock new revenue opportunities for partners.
- Performance Milestones: Beginning in early 2026, Stayz’s new personalised coaching experience provides actionable insights to help hosts improve performance. As partners improve, they unlock benefits through Stayz’s new Performance Milestones, including new trust signals — such as the Top 1% badge – and increased visibility in search.
- Content Management and Onboarding (Live Now):Partners can now easily onboard new properties and manage content and policies seamlessly within their software. The new self-service capabilities reduce these tasks from days to hours and enable near real-time content updates.
- Vrbo Promotions (Live Now): More partners will now have access to Promotions through their software of choice, including early booking, last minute, mobile, and Member Only deals. Escapia, the first third-party software in development, will offer partners access to Vrbo Promotions later this year.
- Vrbo Payments (Pilot):Stayz’s new optional payment solution enables Stayz to act as the merchant of record and directly collect booking fees from travellers. The solution helps property managers drive more bookings and streamline operations.
Trust-Building Tools Powered by AI: Stayz is testing new AI features to simplify trip planning for travellers and put guest reviews at the forefront.
- AI Guest Review Summary (Live Now): This feature uses GenAI to instantly scan and summarise guest reviews, making it quick and easy to see at a glance what real guests consistently call out about properties.
- AI Property Q&A (Beta): This feature uses AI to provide instant answers using property details and guest reviews.
- AI-Powered Property Highlights (Testing): Located near the top of the property details page, Property Highlights uses AI to dynamically showcase a property’s unique features leveraging guest reviews and listing details. Using AI, we can display highlights that are targeted and personalised for the traveller.
- Trust Through Real Photos (Testing): During the review process, guests can upload their own photos alongside their written feedback.
