JetBlue's corporate venture capital wing has already picked some winners in the short-term rental sector. That's some progressive thinking for an airline, and Frontdesk wouldn't mind bolstering that record.
Stay Alfred's collapse opened up for Frontdesk an opportunity to rise in rental property management with a less-risky model. More interestingly, Frontdesk's new software offering for multifamily communities takes advantage of an opportunity left on the table by Expedia Group, which botched the execution of its Pillow and ApartmentJet acquisitions.
U.S. hoteliers are finding their pricing options constrained because of an influx of both short-term rental supply during peak periods, and because of hotel construction. Hoteliers may decide to get into the short-term rental market or not, but they increasingly have to take it into account when fine-tuning pricing strategies.
Hotel-style accommodations brand Sonder has hit on a plausible business that uses technology to wring out inefficiencies from key processes. But several questions still hover around its model, as investment money gushes into the segment.
If Airbnb is successful with Airbnb Plus, it will ensure that alternative accommodations are no longer seen as an alternative. But making it a success will be easier said than done.
There's a new generation of property managers trying to bring hotel-like professionalism and scale to the vacation rental market. Their tech chops will play a large role in determining if they succeed or fail.