HostGPO

We're proud to have a leader who dreams big and inspires us to do the same. And this is not just something we strive for personally, this is the whole ethos of HostGPO–we want to help our members realize their dreams. The HostGPO Advisory Board is a stepping stone towards elevating the vacation rental industry and making it easy for everyone within it to find success. Bravo to our CEO Jeff Iloulian for his vision and to our new Advisory Board members for empowering this collective step towards a new generation of hospitality. #believe #startup #success #business #businessgrowth

I do a lot of podcasts, webinars, and speaking events... But I rarely get to dive into the weeds on some of what we do best HostGPO - the sexy world of complex procurement solutioning. Thankful to Isaac French for asking us to geek out and present a Case Study on Start to Finish Launching a Property for his Experiential Hospitality group. It was great to facilitate a conversation between Alicia Buerger, one of our Strategic Account Managers, and Seth Johnson (388 Ventures / Meadow Homes / Howard Financial) and Brian Meyer (FLOHOME). These have been a few of our team's favorite projects over the years, where we've been able to help end-to-end on getting them live. Specifically, there's A LOT that happens AFTER the diligence, negotiations, and deal closing but BEFORE your first guest checks in! Rather than just chat through high level ideas on "how to set up a property" we tried to go as deep as possible, sharing OS&& and FF&E templates, top products and brands for different use cases, information on consolidated shipping options, and best practices on timelines for successfully launching. There is a RIGHT WAY to set up a property, no matter how logistically complex (a home in the woods or in Brian's case a home on the water). And it goes beyond just having excellent design, which at this point is just a prerequisite.

Are you ready? 👉 https://lnkd.in/g6avKGuR #HostGPOpen #Pickleball #CharityEvent #Community #AZRT #VRMA

One thing about HostGPO: our love language is giving gifts. So when STR Nation came back around, we couldn't resist raffling off the gift of a good night’s sleep for your guests–a Helix hospitality mattress. Congrats to the winner, Jason; we know your guests will love it. A big thank you to Stephanie F. and Patryk Swietek for throwing this conference! #conference #strnation #raffle #lovelanguage

As HostGPO grows, so do the benefits for our members. That’s why we’re excited to announce 3 new partnerships: Build with Ferguson, Schlage Locks, and SLX Hospitality. From Schlage's best-in-class smart locks to SLX Hospitality’s home goods essentials and Build with Ferguson’s extensive fixtures, appliances, and building supplies, these partners help improve security, guest satisfaction, and efficient procurement for our members. Log into our member portal to learn more: hostgpo.com #HostGPO #partnerships #procurementefficiency #onestopshop

I chose to stay at an Agriturismo in Sardinia last week instead of at a luxury hotel… And it struck me that while a new wave of experiential stays is sweeping the US vacation rental market, these concepts have been around for much longer. At a recent conference, I was lucky enough to host a HostGPO panel on Experiential Stays with industry leaders in the space, Ben Wolff / Amy Dourson / Bryndee Barton, and Matthew O. Brimer. Here’s the definition we came up with for Experiential Stays: "Inspirational accommodations that are built for the sole purpose of providing guests with an immersive, memorable, and shareable experience. These stays are unique and are designed around concepts, locations, or activities that surprise and delight." And that is exactly how I would describe my stay at this Agriturismo. Immersed in its setting and location, an Italian farm, and a truly unique experience that I could not have had anywhere else. We often think of experiential stays as homes where each room represents a different Harry Potter book or on that is shaped like a potato (s/o Kristie Wolfe), but unique accommodations don't always need to be so extreme - they just need to provide that immersive and memorable experience. Staying in a renovated historic farmhouse, a centuries-old castle, or a cozy cabin in the woods allows guests to immerse themselves in the local culture, architecture, and stories in an authentic way. These stays offer a rich experience, blending modern comforts with the natural charm and character of their surroundings. While they require more work to set up, maintain, and market appropriately than a traditional vacation rental, they don’t need to be luxe to be exceptional–my little farm stay was, let’s say, rustic-chic. And, the ROI on experiential stays can be exponential, which is probably why we are seeing so many pop up. Additionally, the unique nature of these properties also makes them a great fit for the STR space vs. the replicable models our friends over in big hotel would make. The true essence of an experiential stay lies in its connection to creating an authentic and unique guest experience, whether that be through novelty, natural beauty, or the history and culture of the location. Here are a few things to check out if you’re interested in learning more about experiential stays: Follow thought leaders in the space like: Samantha Shankman and Isaac French. Check out Christopher Breen's Substack: https://lnkd.in/eDkFER4i For Inspiration check out this article: https://lnkd.in/eSaycD97 And see some great examples we pulled together below from: Eric D. Moeller's Freewyld, Brian Meyer's FLOHOM and many more

Influencers can be a powerful tool to reach new guests, but where do you start? Join our STR Collab’s webinar today featuring Hayden and Nikki of @Journey More and content creator Ryan Thompson of Seeking Discovery, as these experts will share all the details of collaborating with influencers, including what to pay and expect in return. Register for the webinar 👉 https://lnkd.in/gTQTdtyn

Thank you to Operto for having us at the first-ever #Operate webinar! Our CEO, Jeff, enjoyed discussing the importance of smart locks in vacation rentals and our partnerships with Yale, Schlage, Igloo, and more. If you’re looking for locks for your properties and don’t know where to start, read our blog on the best smart locks for your vacation rental: https://lnkd.in/gaECcZHk Looking forward to the next Operate discussion!

Have a listen to our CEO (Jeff Iloulian) and COO (Kimberly White) chat about the future of the industry. We always enjoy talking about the importance of elevating the industry and standardizing operations! Thanks for inviting us onto The Art of Hospitality Podcast pod Adam Norko!

We love being able to connect with our members. Georgia was recently in Orlando for the annual SkyRun Vacation Rentals conference where she was able to learn more about our community members and help show them how to streamline and economize their procurement. And a special welcome to Skyrun Kiawah and Skyrun Orlando for joining the HostGPO family! Thank you to Susan Graber for planning and to Lindsey Eller and Lukas Krause for hosting such a valuable event! #SkyRun #conference #HostGPO #VacationRentals #Orlando #Community #Networking #Procurement #Efficiency #Welcome