Expedia Group has announced a significant upgrade to its vacation rental platforms, placing Australia’s Stayz at the forefront of a global push to drive more demand, streamline host operations, and elevate guest trust.
Unveiled this week at EXPLORE Connect: Vacation Rentals, the updates reflect Expedia Group’s focus on short-term rentals as a growth engine – and a commitment to reshaping Stayz to better serve both travellers and property partners.
Key highlights include:
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Global exposure for Aussie listings: Stayz properties are now being distributed across Expedia Group’s global brand ecosystem and B2B network – including 70,000+ businesses and 160,000 travel agents. Major partners like Delta, Alaska Airlines and Revolut are already live.
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Premier Host gets an upgrade: From early 2026, the Premier Host program will shift from host-level to individual listing-level recognition – with stricter benchmarks designed to elevate quality and trust across the platform.
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Coaching and performance perks: Hosts will receive personalised insights and unlock benefits such as increased visibility in search and a “Top 1%” badge.
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New AI tools for guests: Features like instant review summaries and dynamic property Q&A leverage generative AI to help travellers make faster, more informed booking decisions.
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Faster workflows, more revenue tools: Partners can now onboard and update listings in near real-time, access new promotion tools via third-party software, and opt into an Expedia-managed payments solution.
As travellers demand greater confidence in vacation rentals, Expedia Group is betting on technology, trust and distribution to give Stayz – and its Hosts – a competitive edge.
