WOOHOO!! Episode 100. Wow.
Words cannot express how honored we are to have had you all with us on this journey to this epic milestone.
We’re not ascending into the 100’s empty handed though - in just 3 days we’re launching a special 1st of the month episode where we’ll unveil a few improvements and new initiatives that are coming your way from yours truly.
But for now - Back to our regularly scheduled programming!
In this very special anniversary episode, Alex & Annie are joined by Travis Wilburn and Rebecca Lombardo - Co-Founders of The 100 Collection.
The 100 Collection is a prestigious evaluation program that recognizes exceptional vacation rentals managed by industry-leading companies committed to excellence in hospitality across a multitude of destinations.
Travis and Rebecca are huge believers in the value that local brands bring to the vacation rental space and the importance of a “Doyen/Doyenne” - meaning the most well respected and knowledgeable person in their particular space - as the term describes the absolute best local vacation rental manager.
Their approach to adding new members to The 100 Collection is centered around finding the local Doyen/Doyenne. During this evaluation process, the highest esteemed and most trusted local hosts are curated and often unbeknownst to them enter a research and evaluation process to potentially become part of The 100 Collection.
This fresh and diligent market approach is exactly what the vacation rental space has been begging for. The AirBnB Revolution has brought a plethora of new vacation rental managers, and when the barrier of entry for service providers drops while the amount of providers scales exponentially - problems arise.
Unethical practices (including hidden fees, privacy issues, bait and switch business models), a lack of proper customer service, and huge disruptions to local long-term rental markets that have gained the attention and scrutiny of local governments at top travel destinations are all rising issues that are negatively impacting the trust in short-term rentals and further emphasize the importance of a reliable and professional brand.
So what steps can you take to become a 100 Collection certified host?
While a level of secrecy when answering this question is necessary to maintain the core value of their initiative, according to Travis they look at the simple things, such as -
Do they have a phone number?
Are the properties well documented online?
How is the brand represented by the brand itself?
Are the properties best representing their location?
Are they meeting or exceeding modern hospitality standards?
And it makes a ton of sense. All of these individual aspects are crucial parts of forming the unified brand perception of your vacation rental business, and ultimately drive buying decisions.
As the trust in random operators dissipates, your marketing strategy should revolve around raving fans and a standard of excellence, as going forward this is what’s going to drive consistent revenue for your vacation rental brand in an oversaturated and problem ridden market.
Speaking of marketing - The 100 Collection isn’t blind to the uphill battle of building a new brand.
A huge part of their strategy is to compound their brand loyalty based on the excellence of their admittees. Travis compares this to eating at a Michelin star restaurant - once you recognize the value of an award, you tend to seek out more brands that have successfully secured that very same award. And overall, it’s a winning strategy that’s based on trust, reliability, and most importantly - phenomenal experiences.
The 100 Collection brand colors and logos aren’t random either. Great minds from Disney and Michelin came together with Travis and Rebecca to build the gold & black brand guidelines - striking and luxurious colors to represent striking and luxurious properties, and of course distinguished Doyens/Doyennes.
The 100 Collection is going live mid-July - so their guest-facing launch is right around the corner.
We highly suggest you follow their journey and take the lessons discussed in this episode to heart when building your vacation rental brand.
00:00 - Welcome to Episode 100!
00:50 - How Today’s Guests Started The 100 Collection
02:25 - What is The 100 Collection?
04:22 - The Meaning of “Doyen”
06:43 - How The 100 Collection Evaluates New Members
09:15 - The Importance of a Professional Vacation Rental Host
11:47 - How They Find a Doyen/Doyenne
15:40 - Current 100 Collection Portfolio
18:15 - The Value of The 100 Collection Brand & More On Their Evaluation Process
22:43 - How Customers Make Buying Choices & How To Develop a Trustworthy Brand
25:50 - When The 100 Collection is Going Live and Their Marketing Strategy
31:17 - What’s Next for The 100 Collection
34:43 - The 100 Collection Potentially Collaborating with VRMA
35:58 - The Story of The 100 Collection Brand
39:20 - A BIG Thank You to Our Fans!!
This episode is brought to you by Casago, Guest Ranger, and Good Neighbor Tech.
Visit AlexAndAnniesList.com to view our top picks for the best suppliers in vacation rental technology and services.
Special thanks to Rev & Research for being the presenting sponsor of Alex & Annie’s List.
Connect with Travis:
Website | Linkedin
Connect with Rebecca:
Website | Linkedin
Connect with Alex and Annie:
Alex Husner | Annie Holcombe
AlexAndAnniePodcast.com
