This week’s roundup covers strong Fourth of July booking demand, new hospitality insights from Alchemer, Airbnb.org’s disaster relief efforts in Venezuela, and proposed short-term rental regulations in Croatia. Let’s dive in.
PriceLabs released data this week showing strong demand ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, with historic destinations seeing some of the strongest year-over-year growth. Booked nights are up 74% year-over-year in Williamsburg, Virginia, 64% in Philadelphia, and 53% in Washington, D.C., as travelers head to destinations hosting America250 events. Florida markets are also seeing strong demand, with bookings up 90% in Miami, 60% in Orlando, and 51% in Fort Lauderdale. Alongside the increase in demand, average daily rates (ADR) are climbing, with Philadelphia leading the way at 84% year-over-year, followed by Atlanta, Seattle, and Miami.
Airbnb.org announced this week that it is providing free temporary housing for first responders in Venezuela following the recent earthquakes. Through partnerships with Rescue Response International, CADENA International, Project HOPE, and others, Airbnb.org is using the Airbnb platform to connect emergency response teams with free housing as they deploy to support affected communities. Since its founding in 2020, Airbnb.org has provided more than 1.6 million nights of free temporary housing across nearly 140 countries, continuing its mission to support communities impacted by natural disasters and humanitarian crises.
A newly published hospitality study from Alchemer highlights several key shifts in how travelers view and choose accommodations. Based on a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. travelers, the report found that, despite the long-standing advantage of hotel loyalty programs, vacation rentals are now outperforming hotels in overall guest loyalty. The study also found that younger travelers continue to favor vacation rentals by a significant margin and that cleanliness remains the most important factor when choosing a place to stay. The findings reinforce the importance of maintaining high cleaning standards, responding to guest feedback, and building a strong base of reviews.
The Croatian government approved a proposal this week that would introduce new short-term rental regulations in 2027 if approved by Parliament. The new rules would require all vacation rental operators to register through a centralized national system, with every room, apartment, and holiday home receiving a unique registration number before it can be listed on booking platforms. The proposal is intended to align Croatia with the EU’s Regulation (EU) 2024/1028, which establishes a common framework for collecting and sharing short-term accommodation data. Officials say the new system is designed to improve transparency and long-term stability in Croatia's short-term rental industry.
Registration is now open for the 2026 OwnerRez Roadshow! This August, the OwnerRez team will be joined by Rental Guardian, Lynnbrook Group, Turno, Avalara, and StayFi for three FREE full-day events in Blue Ridge, GA, Gulf Shores, AL, and Tampa, FL. Each event will feature talks from STR industry experts, roundtable discussions, an all-speaker Q&A panel, FREE coffee, a FREE lunch, and plenty of opportunities to connect with the OwnerRez team and co-hosts. Whether you’re new to the vacation rental industry or a seasoned operator, we hope you’ll join us this summer!
As travel demand remains strong this summer and governments continue to refine short-term rental regulations, expect more changes across the vacation rental industry in 2026. Check back next week for the latest news!