Although it has been years since I’ve traveled in mesmerizing Tokyo, my memories are as vivid as though they had been sparked yesterday—pleasures aswirl in unique flavors and noises, creativity and ingenuity. So when luxury publisher Assouline released the new book Tokyo Chic, I dove into its 312 lush-paper-stock pages, with more than 200 photographs and illustrations, which are bound in an outsize (10-by-13-inches, 6.4-pound) format—a hefty hardcover wrapped in silk. The brainchild of Andrea Fazzari, whose deft imagery and words are love letters to the inimitable capital, Tokyo Chic showcases a massively enthralling—yet strikingly intimate—city. Currently based in Tokyo, Fazzari is a James Beard Award-winning photographer, author and restaurant maven with notable backgrounds in fashion and film. Born in New York City, she has lived in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain and Thailand—and speaks four languages. What a sophisticated guide to have at your armchair traveler’s fingertips! Indeed, this coffee table tome would make a treasured holiday gift for those who have already vacationed in Japan or simply dream of doing so.
More Short-Term Rental Bans and Battles
06.12.2023 - 04:38 / skift.com / Srividya Kalyanaraman
New This Morning: Following extensive discussions within the community spanning almost four years regarding short-term rental homes, the Dallas City Council implemented zoning limitations to prohibit their presence in single-family neighborhoods last week. However, as a middle ground, short-term rentals will still be permitted in commercial areas and multi-family neighborhoods.
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These regulations governing the remaining rentals have been approved and are set to be enforced starting in December. The delay in enforcement is aimed at giving short-term rental operators the time to gradually phase out their operations while allowing the city code enforcement to adequately prepare for implementation.
Dallas is the latest among cities that are cracking down on short-term rental enforcement. Over the weekend, the city of Tempe said it will file charges seeking to suspend a short-term rental license against the owners of a short-term rental property where shots were fired at a May 21 party.
Meanwhile, short-term rental operators in the Fort Worth area are suing the city stating the new rules violate economic liberty and private property rights. The new rules passed in February this year require short-term rental operators to comply with zoning regulations and pay hotel occupancy taxes.
London-based property management and hospitality company Guest Ready has made some AI-driven updates to its platform. First is the introduction of personalized, on-demand guest itineraries tailored with information such as property address, guest demographics, trip purpose and length of stay. Second is the feature that handles guest communications — suggesting and improving answers to guest messages and emails directly within the platform’s unified mailbox. This feature enables guest-facing teams to respond swiftly and professionally, providing accurate information and addressing guest inquiries effectively.
In more AI news, Boston-based property operations platform Breezeway launched AI-powered 24/7 guest support. Breezeway Assist, as it is called, will use data from guest reservations, messaging, property guide, and operational tasks to respond to guests. Property managers and hosts can choose to use Assist as an after-hours service, handling all guest interactions.
The Chinese outbound traveler is an opportunity for short-term rental operators around the world. The new Skift research report on understanding the post-covid Chinese traveler highlights some interesting opportunities for the vacation rental sector. As evident in the chart below, about half of the respondents said that they prefer hotels over rentals while traveling domestically or internationally. And they prefer five-star hotels above all else.
Hawaii Governor Wants to Use 3,000 Short-Term Rentals for Wildfire Survivors
Hawaii Governor Josh Green has asked for 3,000 condos and homes operating as short-term rentals to be converted into long-term housing for those displaced by this summer’s wildfire in Lahaina.
With More Than 6,000 Residents Still Living In Hotels On Maui, Governor Threatens To Halt All Short-Term Rentals In January
Hawaii Governor Josh Green said he is ready to “drop the hammer” or go “nuclear” on short-term housing rentals on Maui.
Taylor Swift and Short-Term Rentals: It's a Love Story
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour made headlines even before it began — by overwhelming booking platform Ticketmaster and drawing attention even from the U.S. Senate.
European Short-Term Rental Brands Begin to Consolidate
Dealmaking has kept short-term rental businesses in Europe busy. The past few months have seen an uptick in activity — be it mergers, or acquisitions or rebrandings.
Booking Focuses on U.S. Short-Term Rental Growth While Airbnb Looks Abroad
Booking Holdings Chief Financial Officer David Goulden said this week that the flagship Booking.com brand launched its short-term rental business as a supplement to hotels “15-plus years” ago, which is roughly around the time Airbnb got going in San Francisco.
Is Athens infested with bedbugs? Fake posters aim to deter tourists from short-term holiday lets
Fake signs warnings of bedbug infestations are being used to deter tourists in Athens, Greece.
The Short-Term Rental Correction in the U.S. Was Sharp
This is not a story of “Airbnbust,” but instead we’re talking about a correction of the “Airbnboom” that has taken place since the highs of the pandemic.
Canadian Curbs on Short-Term Rentals
Happy Thanksgiving, folks! I know you’d rather carve a turkey than open your inbox, so we will keep this brief.
Short-Term Rentals Show Staying Power Throughout the Summer
You read it here first: We’re halfway into the year, and the short-term rental industry has been buoyed by summer travel picking up, despite prevailing economic uncertainty.
Short-Term Rental Occupancy Takes a Fall, a Bad Surprise for Hosts
Stat of the Day: Thinking that you, like us, are wondering what’s happening to occupancy levels this summer, we had some numbers crunched for us by data analysis firm Beyond Pricing and this is what it found: U.S. occupancy for July is pacing about 5 percentage points down year-on-year, from 37 percent in 2022 to 32 percent in 2023.
Short-Term Rentals' Sober Summer
If you’ve seen a tweetstorm about the alleged “Airbnb collapse” and are wondering if the data seems too dramatic – you’re not alone, or even wrong.