What Vacation Rental Guests Really Want in 2026 (And What I’d Do About It)

Every few months a new travel report lands in my inbox, and most of them tell me what I already know. Expedia Group’s Built to Stay report is a little different. It looks only at vacation rentals, and it surveyed 1,758 travelers across seven countries, all of whom had stayed in a vacation rental in the past year. The question at the center of it: what do vacation rental guest expectations actually look like in 2026, and what earns a guest’s trust?

I read it as someone who self-manages short-term rentals in McCall and Riggins, Idaho. Here’s what stood out, and what I’d tell any owner to do about it.

The headline: guests want the basics done right, every time

The report’s biggest finding is that quality isn’t about luxury. Travelers’ nonnegotiables are a safe and secure property, high ratings for cleanliness, fast and reliable Wi-Fi, a responsive host, and accurate listing photos. When they define “clean,” they get specific: 74% named fresh, clean sheets and towels, 67% no unpleasant odors, and 66% spotless bathrooms and empty, clean trash bins.

And it pays. According to the report, 86% of travelers would pay more for a higher-quality vacation rental.

My take: this is the most reassuring thing a new owner can read. You don’t need a cold plunge or a private chef to compete. You need a rental that is clean, works, and looks exactly like the photos. That’s not glamorous, but it is completely within your control.

Cleanliness is a system, not a standard

When I started with rentals, I cleaned my own cabins for a full year. It was humbling, and it was the best training I ever got. You can’t write a great cleaning checklist until you’ve done the work yourself and noticed the things guests notice: the hair on the shower wall, the faint smell in the fridge, the trash can that’s empty but not actually clean.

The report says “clean enough” is no longer enough, and I agree. But what I’d add is that consistency matters more than intensity. One spotless turnover doesn’t build a reputation. The same spotless turnover, every time, does. That only happens with a written checklist, photos of how each room should look when it’s ready, and a cleaner you treat like the most important person on your team. Because they are.

Wi-Fi is no longer an amenity

Fast, reliable Wi-Fi made the list of top nonnegotiables, right next to safety and cleanliness. That matches my experience. The first question almost every guest asks is the Wi-Fi password, which is why I’m such a fan of the little gadget that answers it for them.

I’ll be honest: internet at our Riggins cabin has been my toughest problem this year. Satellite didn’t work under the trees, and I’m still working on the right solution. It’s a good reminder that in rural Idaho, connectivity is something to research before you buy, not after. If you’re looking at a cabin as a rental, ask what internet service actually reaches the property and how well it performs.

Fast responses come from good systems, not from never putting your phone down

This was the stat that made me stop: 56% of travelers expect a host to respond within an hour or less if something goes wrong. The report also found that 87% of Vrbo’s top 1% of hosts reach out before a guest even asks a question.

If you’re a self-managing owner with a full life, an hour can sound impossible. It isn’t, if you build for it. We run our rentals through Hospitable, so the check-in details, the house guide, and the “how was your first night?” message go out on schedule without me typing them. That frees my attention for the messages that actually need a human. Answering most questions before a guest has to ask is the easiest way to be fast when it counts.

Hidden fees are the fastest way to lose a guest

The number one pre-stay anxiety in the report was hidden or extra fees, named by 42% of travelers. The biggest deal breakers were a total price that isn’t clear upfront, high or unclear cleaning fees, and extra charges for using amenities.

My take: if a guest feels tricked at checkout, you’ve lost them, even if they still book. Price the stay so the total feels fair, keep fees simple, and never charge extra for something your photos are selling, like the hot tub. Guests are comparing the total, not the nightly rate, so you should too.

Reviews are the real currency, and recent ones count most

The report calls trust “the new currency,” and reviews sit at the center of it. Travelers want reviews that are verified, recent, and detailed, and 81% say they would pay more for a rental with stronger trust signals. Among Vrbo travelers, 73% said the recency of reviews is very or extremely important.

This is exactly why we launched our Riggins cabin this summer at deliberately discounted introductory pricing. A beautiful new listing with zero reviews is a hard sell. Our goal for the first month wasn’t revenue. It was proof. We booked out about three weeks within the first three days, and every one of those stays was a chance to earn a review. Now we can move toward our target rate with real guests vouching for the place.

Promotions work, but they shouldn’t be your strategy

The report found that 91% of travelers are influenced by promotions, and that Vrbo hosts see an average 15% lift in incremental booking value across promotion types. Promotions help guests choose between similar properties, trade up, or stay longer.

Here’s where I’d add a little caution. This report comes from a booking platform, and platforms benefit when hosts run promotions on their platforms. I use discounts too, just with intention: introductory pricing to earn early reviews, and a direct-booking site where our rates run about 10% below the booking platforms, so repeat guests have a reason to book with us. Even the report says the same thing: use promotions to stand out once the fundamentals are in place, not as a race to the bottom. A discount can’t fix a listing that isn’t clean, accurate, and responsive.

What this means for mountain and lake rentals like ours

One of my favorite parts of the report breaks expectations down by destination, and McCall sits right on two of them. Mountain and ski travelers want well-equipped kitchens, appreciate local, personal recommendations, and will pay more for stronger trust signals. Lake travelers worry about cancellations and overwhelming house rules, and they want plenty of recreation.

So for a McCall rental, I’d put my energy here: a kitchen someone would actually want to cook in, a short house guide with your real favorite spots in town, house rules a guest can read in one minute, and a firm commitment to never cancel on a guest. Add the household basics too. The report’s most appreciated extras were simple things like enough toilet paper, paper towels, and dishwasher pods, plus thoughtful local recommendations. Nobody wants to run to the store on the first night of vacation.

My five takeaways for owners

• Treat cleanliness as a system: a written checklist, reference photos, and a cleaner you value.
• Make Wi-Fi, heat, hot water, and entry systems bulletproof before you add anything fancy.
• Automate the predictable messages so you’re free to respond quickly to the unpredictable ones.
• Show the real total price and keep fees simple.
• Earn reviews first, then use promotions on purpose.

None of this is new, and that’s the point. What guests want is a rental that feels dependable from the moment they book to the moment they leave. That comes from good systems, not more effort. When the basics run on a system, you get more consistent stays, better reviews, and more of your own time back. That’s the kind of rental business I want to build, and the kind I help other owners build too.

If you’re thinking about buying or launching a short-term rental in the McCall area, here’s how I help STR buyers and owners. You can also reach me at (208) 315-6244 or ragan@yahooidaho.com.

Source: Expedia Group, Built to Stay Report: The Keys to Winning Traveler Trust in Vacation Rentals, 2026. Survey of 1,758 travelers in seven markets, fielded April 22–24, 2026, by The Harris Poll.