How do brands die?
Many answers appear, but in short-term rentals, one factor stands above the rest, laziness.
To make matters worse, this trend is becoming more common. Ironically, it connects to how the STR industry seems to have improved over the years. The key word is “seems”, because while OTAs made demand creation easier, they also pushed many owners toward complacency.
If there is one thing you cannot afford in the dynamic and fast-growing STR industry, it is complacency. Guests grow more sensitive and demanding, owners push for higher profit, and operators face new challenges every day. A brand that becomes complacent is practically dead.
So, how do you stay alive? The answer is short, and the implications are significant.
STR Global Unlocked Podcast | Episode 8
EPISODE 7 WITH SEAN BREUNER, AVANTSTAY CEO
The short-term rental industry has grown at an almost exponential pace. This growth has brought better tools and new destinations, but it has also created excess supply that often leads to poor experiences for guests, owners, and operators.
To navigate this challenging industry, Sean Breuner knew he needed to stand out. He started by looking closely at one of the biggest problems. Online reservations were easy, yet the real-life experience was inconsistent and often failed to live up to the promise.
These gaps got in the way of what Sean wanted to achieve, which was to bring people together. That insight led him to a simple concept, a hotel in a home. Sean set out to merge the best of both worlds, the comfort and amenities of a hotel with the privacy and versatility of a home. AvantStay was born in 2017.
For this idea to succeed, he knew he had to be consistent. Instead of relying on off-the-shelf solutions, he focused on building an enterprise platform. The result is one of the most versatile companies in the STR industry, with rapid growth and strong resiliency during the pandemic, one of the most grueling periods in STR history.
Sean sat down with Simon Lehmann, CEO of AJL Atelier, to discuss how a brand can survive and thrive in challenging times, a journey that always includes some tough decisions.
“We’ve always felt that the best way to build the brand is to stay true to who we are, which is groups, luxury and premium offerings. From there, we can layer on all the services that set us apart.”
In this conversation, we discuss:
Why AvantStay was built around group travel and a Hotel in a Home experience.
AvantStay is not only a hospitality company. Brand, technology, and operational tooling came together to create a vertical hospitality platform.
Why AvantStay invested in proprietary tech and what it takes to maintain quality across dispersed markets.
How the company navigated rapid expansion, macroeconomic shifts, and multiple rounds of layoffs.
Why alignment with homeowners matters more than ever and why asset light models continue to win.
How regulation, consolidation, and shifting distribution dynamics will shape the future of STR.
🎧 This week's episode of STR Global Unlocked features Sean Breuner, Founder & CEO of AvantStay.
Watch our episode here.
Coming up!
Close out 2025 with one of the most important conferences in the industry! Join Simon in the Vacation Rental Data, AI and Revenue Management (DARM) Conference, from December 1st to December 3rd.
The agenda includes the latest industry data and forecasts, as well as the presence of some of the biggest names in STR.
Click here to find out more!
Key STR Trends
INDUSTRY CHECK-IN
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky wants to offer far more than just travel, and he plans to keep pushing until he gets there. He even has a name for this vision, an “everything app”, whether the STR industry likes the idea or not. That is what he told The Verge in June 2025, as explained in this article. Now we are one step closer to that vision, and the move is drawing contrasting opinions.
As The Tech Buzz reports, post pandemic travelers want home like experiences, and the partnership with Instacart gives Airbnb access to millions of users.
However, Simon Lehmann is not convinced. The STR industry is in the middle of a debate about fundamental issues that will shape its future. A $25 dollar tip for the host does not address what the industry needs. Simon urges everyone to focus on the real problems. You can read his comment here.
Source: ComfyWorkers
Weekly News
WORTH A READ
Want to stay on top of the industry? Each issue brings you key insights, major headlines, and the latest tech shaping travel and short-term rentals.
Rising electricity costs
Cozumel is a prime destination for vacation rentals, and the surge in electricity demand has pushed costs higher. Here is what some STR operators are doing.
Stacked Data Architecture in vacation rentals
One company wants to challenge the traditional model where property technology providers aggregate information from multiple sources and deliver merged datasets, which reduces transparency and reliability.
Are hotels facing a recession?
Demand in the hotel industry is still high, but it is also showing signs of slowing. Does this point to an industry specific recession? Read and listen to this analysis to understand the trends that raise concerns.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Remove laziness and you can take on the world. It is a simple premise, but many operators and owners ignore it because they stay in a comfort zone.
As the STR industry grows more complacent, this week’s conversation highlights how important the right focus is.
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