CASE STUDY

Hilton Head HR host turns flexibility into peak season success

Holiday Rental host Travis Gibbon dramatically grew his peak season bookings by leveraging Vrbo’s self-service data insights and listing settings.

Holiday homes Revenue performance

Strategic host meets traditional market

Travis Gibbon founded Island Rentals on the white beaches of Hilton Head, SC, with a simple but powerful message: ‘Love where you live.’ Now, Island Rentals has grown into a property management firm with 125 properties—and Travis into a 12-year Vrbo Premier Host who centres market data in his listing decisions.

 

Island Rentals had good visibility with guests—but when Hilton Head demand declined, so did Island Rentals’ booking numbers. Taking advantage of the approaching peak booking season would be critical. 

‘I’ve found what I call my hybrid approach to be the best option. I’m always trying to maximise my owners’ revenue and capture that top dollar while shifting towards a more flexible model that increases last-minute bookings.’

Travis Gibbon

Owner and Holiday Rental Host, Island Rentals

Travis knew that most of the market had built rigid strategies based on historical high demand: property managers often enforced strict cancellation rates, offered no refunds within 30 days of arrival and set seven-night minimum stays in the summer peak season.

 

 

He followed suit himself, but this strict approach wasn’t attracting the guests Island Rentals needed. Seeking a fresh approach, Travis took action with self-serve tools in the Vrbo dashboard.

The right balance of flexibility and calendar settings

Access self-service tools and property settings in your Vrbo dashboard at any time.

Vrbo’s data insights revealed a potential competitive edge for Island Rentals: by removing seven-night stay requirements and relaxing cancellation policies, Travis could take a more balanced approach and capture a large number of untapped peak season bookings. Namely, he saw potential to reach the many guests seeking refundable accommodation and last-minute bookings.

 

Travis decided to move away from the prevailing listing approach that dominated the Hilton Head market. He relaxed his booking restrictions to attract more guests and increased prices on selected popular nights to maximise revenue.

‘I relaxed my cancellation policy and got rid of the seven-night minimum through the peak season, while increasing rates for the sought-after weekends. We were able to offset the income and still capture a lot more rentals that would otherwise sit vacant.’

 

Travis Gibbon

Owner and Holiday Rental Host, Island Rentals

A surge in peak season booking volume

Travis’s strategic adjustments for the summer brought a dramatic increase in bookings for Island Rentals that far outpaced the competition.

 

As the Hilton Head market trended down by 10-15% on average, Island Rentals’ occupancy, average daily rate and RevPAR all went up between 2% and 5%.¹

 

Plus, even with Travis’s new, flexible cancellation policy, his number of last-minute cancellations stayed low.

‘We were middle of the pack island-wide as far as revenue. And we saw a big jump up after we made the changes.’

Travis Gibbon 

Owner and Holiday Rental Host, Island Rentals 

How to prepare for peak booking season

Are you looking to put these strategies into action? Here are our top tips to get the most out of peak demand periods.

Create a balanced booking strategy

Create a strategy that balances restrictions and flexibility to help maximise your business while staying in control. To attract and keep more guests, you can:

  • Open your inventory at least 12 months (but up to 24 months) in advance

  • Block your calendar when needed to avoid preventable cancellations

  • Double-check your day-of-the-week check-in and checkout restrictions

  • Review and update minimum length of stay requirements

Make your property listing pop

Differentiating your holiday rental from competitors can give you a competitive edge. To stand out, consider:  

  • Reviewing your property description and photos 

See how travellers view your property

After you’ve reviewed and tweaked your strategy, double-check that travellers can find you.  To make sure your property is appearing how you intend, try: 

Update your property settings today

Go to Vrbo dashboard

Prepare for peak booking season

Review your cancellation policy
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