Vrbo News

Vrbo has emerged as a major player in the short-term rental space, serving families and group travelers with a platform focused on whole-home accommodations. At PhocusWire, we bring you the latest Vrbo news, examining the company’s strategy, platform innovations, and its impact on the evolving home-sharing economy.

Vrbo vacation rental updates and home sharing market trends

Our reporting explores Vrbo’s product enhancements, marketing shifts, and partnerships within the broader Expedia Group ecosystem. From traveler experience upgrades and host tools to policy changes and regulatory challenges, we follow how Vrbo is positioning itself in a highly competitive vacation rental landscape.

The short-term rental industry is booming – but will it last?
News / Online
The short-term rental industry is booming – but will it last?
By Jill Menze | June 14, 2021
The alternative accommodations market is headed for a record summer, but as people return to work and school, can that trajectory be sustained? Read More
Vrbo and Airbnb unite to crack down on party houses
News / Online
Vrbo and Airbnb unite to crack down on party houses
By Kevin May | June 11, 2021
The two giants of the short-term rental world have decided to come together to try and address a specific element of the problem, when repeat offenders get delisted on one platform and then materialize... Read More
VIDEO: Fighting fraud in vacation rentals
News / Online
VIDEO: Fighting fraud in vacation rentals
By PhocusWire | June 7, 2021
Speaking during PhocusWire Pulse: Decoding Travel Security, Expedia Group's James Cassidy explains how booking vacation homes via an intermediary comes with certain protections. Read More
expedia-group-restructuring-hires
News / Online
Expedia hires Apple, Verizon execs as part of restructuring plan
By Mitra Sorrells | May 24, 2021
Expedia Group is adding top executives from Apple and Verizon as part of an operational restructuring that also includes the departure of three current executives. Read More
Awaze boosts rental portfolio through further acquisitions in Europe
News / Distribution
Awaze boosts rental portfolio through further acquisitions in Europe
By Linda Fox | May 21, 2021
Acquisitions in the U.K. and Denmark have added about 1,000 new homes to Awaze's existing porfolio. Read More
Short-term rental demand surpasses 2019 levels
News / Online
Short-term rental demand surpasses 2019 levels
By Jill Menze | May 17, 2021
In the U.S., April marks the first month since the start of the coronavirus pandemic to surpass 2019 performance, though other regions lag behind. Read More
Expedia Group bets on brand marketing as it prepares for travel rebound
News / Online
Expedia Group bets on brand marketing as it prepares for travel rebound
By Jill Menze | May 6, 2021
In its Q1 2021 earnings call, Expedia Group said it's focusing on brand marketing to differentiate its offerings and capitalize on returning travel demand. Read More
Vrbo puts new emphasis on helping its best hosts
News / Online
Vrbo puts new emphasis on helping its best hosts
By Kevin May | April 13, 2021
To qualify as a Premier Host, owners must have a 90% or higher acceptance rate of guests, have cancelled on guests on less than 5% of occasions and have higher than a 4.3 rating from guests. Read More
my-method-vrbo-wyng
News / Online
My Method... How Vrbo is using a privacy-conscious marketing strategy
By Wendell Lansford - Wyng | April 12, 2021
In the first three months, 80,000 users completed the Vrbo Vacay Finder quiz and 25% of them clicked to book a trip.   Read More
Sounding Off: Airbnb isn't a community - it's a business
Interview / Online
Sounding Off: Airbnb isn't a community - it's a business
By PhocusWire | April 2, 2021
The real test of the company comes from hereon with its quarterly figures, strategic initiatives that boost them and destroying the competition. Read More
vrbo-targets-superhosts
News / Online
Vrbo targets Airbnb “Superhosts” as rental competition heats up
By Jill Menze | April 1, 2021
Vrbo is offering experienced short-term rental hosts increased visibility through its new Fast Start program. Read More
Short-term rental bookings boom in the U.K. after roadmap announcement
News / Online
Short-term rental bookings boom in the U.K. after roadmap announcement
By Jill Menze | March 3, 2021
Following Boris Johnson's announcement that the U.K. would ease lockdown plans, short-term rental bookings jumped 88% over the week prior. Read More
Expedia Group and Booking Holdings slashed marketing by $6B in 2020 (but Airbnb now makes an entrance)
News / Online
Expedia Group and Booking Holdings slashed marketing by $6B in 2020 (but Airbnb now makes an entrance)
By Kevin May | March 2, 2021
The body check on marketing spend by the two giants of online travel in 2020 ends a run of gradually slowing increases in prior years. Read More
Collaboration: the key word for responsible recovery in vacation rentals
Opinion / Online
Collaboration: the key word for responsible recovery in vacation rentals
By Kevin Locraft - Expedia Group | February 25, 2021
To spur and sustain widespread economic recovery in the vacation rental sector, cities, platforms and vacation rental owners and managers must collaborate on effective public... Read More
expedia-q4-2020-earnings
News / Online
Expedia Group pulls Vrbo from Google’s vacation rental metasearch product
By Mitra Sorrells | February 11, 2021
Expedia Group's revenue and gross bookings were both down 67% in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Read More
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