During the Visit Greater Palm Springs Five-Star Meetup, co-hosted with Rent Responsibly, a panel of experts provided two hours of content on preparing your vacation rental business for 2026 and beyond.
Davis Meyer, Vice President of Government and Community Relations at Visit Greater Palm Springs, opened the event by highlighting the region’s growing short-term rental economy. With more than 7,400 permitted vacation rentals now operating across the valley, the sector contributes $907 million in direct visitor spending annually, supports more than 4,400 local jobs, and generates $126 million in revenue for state and local tax coffers.
Below are key takeaways from three panel discussions on national travel and industry trends, Coachella-specific market considerations, and strategies for staying competitive, as well as five breakout roundtable discussions on boosting bookings, regulations, listing optimization, property care, and guest assistance.
Takeaway 1: Tuning in to evolving traveler preferences and expectations helps maintain bookings and guest satisfaction.
About 91% of travelers prefer laid-back, unique stays over adventure-packed trips, according to Expedia Group’s Unpack ’26: The Trends in Travel report.
“They just want to be in a tranquil area with their family, with their dog, and to simply just relax and read,” said panelist Steven Anderson, Enterprise Partner Success Manager at Expedia Group, parent company of Vrbo.
Other trends from the Unpack ‘26 report to pay attention to:
- Flexible cancellation policies drove 68% of bookings from January to September 2025.
- Pet-friendly listings and large outdoor communal spaces are highly desirable features that boost booking performance.
- Shorter lead times require hosts to maintain availability and respond quickly to last-minute inquiries.
Tips for operators:
- In listings, highlight features that make your home unique or appeal to a growing demographic of travelers, such as historical architecture, a window seat for readers, or a fenced backyard for children and pets.
- Embrace flexible cancellation policies to drive bookings.
- Consider eliminating your pet fee to attract individuals or families with pets.
Takeaway 2: Standardized quality and cleanliness underpin unique guest experiences.
Today’s guests are seeking the quality and standardization often found in hotels. About 75% of guests said that they would book a specific vacation rental if they knew it was serviced like a hotel, according to a 2024 survey by Well & Good.
Panelist Jonathan Wicks, Founder and CEO of Well & Good Professional Services, compared vacation rentals to a masterpiece and operators to artists.
“In order to create a beautiful painting, you must start with a fresh canvas. That canvas is your standardization” of the basics, like linens, amenities, and cleanliness, Jonathan said.
Tips for operators:
- Hire verified, well-trained professionals to handle cleaning and turnover.
- Use off-site laundry facilities to ensure the thorough laundering of linens.
- Schedule regular maintenance of HVAC systems and exterior property care, especially in desert conditions, to ensure guest comfort and protect your property.
- Communicate professional servicing and guest amenity guarantees before booking to differentiate your listings and increase conversions.
Takeaway: Focusing on the guest experience and repeat bookings gives you a competitive edge.
In the Coachella Valley, the vast majority (70%) of guests are repeat visitors, according to the 2025 Visitor Intercept Study.
“Your best chance at a booking is a repeat visitor a lot of the time,” Davis said, noting that the more effort you put into creating a great guest experience, the more likely they are to return.
Tips for operators:
- Make your property dog-friendly
- Consider special touches for pets, such as Jonathan’s idea for booties to protect their paws from hot patio surfaces.
Takeaway: Travelers engage more with listings that contain video.
Listing photos are no longer enough to cinch a booking. Travelers want to see your property and the experiences they can have there come alive in a video.
Including video in your listing is a way to set yourself apart from other operators.
“If you can generate a 15 to 30-second snapshot of the best attributes of your listing, that is going to create impulse right away, and it’s going to keep them on that listing page and into the checkout,” Steven said.
Tips for operators:
- Upload short, curated videos featuring unique property features to capture attention quickly.
Takeaway: Social media is a critical marketing channel for attracting travelers.
Social media’s influence on travel inspiration rose from 35% to 61% in the past three years, according to Expedia Group’s 2025 Traveler Value Index.
Hosts who invest in social media strategies aligned with authentic local experiences will gain a competitive edge. Jimmy Rep, a local host and social media marketing expert, emphasized the importance of authentic storytelling through social media.
“Keeping it authentic, showing your home, showcasing [your amenities] is what’s going to win you the booking. It’s what’s going to distinguish you,” he said.
Tips for operators:
- Use handwritten notes in guest books and user-generated content to help identify what guests love and inform content creation.
- Remarket to previous guests with targeted posts about availability or special offers to encourage return visits.
- Highlight posts about features in your home, such as a hot tub or EV charger, and local services that guests can use, like a shuttle to Coachella.
- Create original social media content that showcases the best amenities and highlights exceptional guest experiences.
- Use AI tools sparingly to accelerate content creation without losing genuine voice.
Takeaway: Ongoing advocacy protects your business in the long term.
Industry advocacy and collaboration in Greater Palm Springs have prevented hostile actions seen in other markets, such as Newport Beach, where hotels successfully lobbied to exclude short-term rentals from destination marketing without public input, said panelist Kenny Cassady, president of Vacation Rental Owners & Neighbors of Palm Springs (VRON-PS).
“The nimbys sneak up on us and get the rules that we don’t want… because they’re vocal,” Kenny said. “They get in front of their city council members and they tell them what they think is the problem in the city, and those council members are not hearing from us, so guess who’s going to get hurt.”
Proactive involvement is critical to avoid regulatory surprises and secure a seat at the decision-making table.
Tips for operators:
- Request a 20- to 30-minute meeting with your councilperson to introduce yourself as a local business person, homeowner, and voter, and let them know you want to talk about short-term rentals.
- Join local advocacy groups, such as VRON-PS, and engage with city officials to positively influence regulations and perceptions.
Find more insights and statistics on Coachella Valley tourism in the full slide deck from the event.
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