Aparto Portal

Tips for successful vacation hosts

Everything you need to know for a successful tourist season — from apartment preparation, legal obligations, to commission-free direct bookings.

How to prepare your apartment for the 2026 season — complete guide
8 min read
Season prepMarch 25, 2026

How to prepare your apartment for the 2026 season — complete guide

Every tourist season starts with preparation. The difference between an average and excellent host is how ready you are before the first guest arrives.

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How much Booking.com really costs you — commission calculator
6 min
Direct bookings

How much Booking.com really costs you — commission calculator

Booking.com charges 15-25% commission on every reservation. For an average apartment, that means €2,000 to €8,000 per year.

March 25, 2026Read
10 things guests notice in the first 5 minutes
5 min
Guests & reviews

10 things guests notice in the first 5 minutes

The review is written in the first 5 minutes. Everything after just confirms the first impression.

March 25, 2026Read
How to respond to a negative review — 5 examples
7 min
Guests & reviews

How to respond to a negative review — 5 examples

Every host gets a negative review. The question is not whether it will happen, but how you react.

March 25, 2026Read
Flat-rate rental business in Croatia — everything you need to know in 2026
9 min
Laws & taxes

Flat-rate rental business in Croatia — everything you need to know in 2026

If you rent out an apartment in Croatia, a flat-rate business is the simplest legal path.

March 25, 2026Read
How to photograph your apartment for Booking — 10 tips
6 min
Equipment

How to photograph your apartment for Booking — 10 tips

A guest decides in 3 seconds — click or scroll past. That decision depends on the first photo.

March 25, 2026Read
Why you need your own website alongside Booking.com
7 min
Direct bookings

Why you need your own website alongside Booking.com

Booking.com is great for new guests. But if Booking is your only channel — you have a problem.

March 25, 2026Read
The ultimate pre-season apartment checklist — 25 items you can't skip
6 min
Season prep

The ultimate pre-season apartment checklist — 25 items you can't skip

Experienced hosts don't memorise — they use a checklist. These 25 items cover every corner of your apartment, from kitchen drawers to WiFi passwords.

March 26, 2026Read
A welcome pack that makes an impression — what to include and what it costs
5 min
Guests & reviews

A welcome pack that makes an impression — what to include and what it costs

For €2-3 per guest, you can dramatically improve the first impression. A welcome pack isn't a cost — it's an investment in reviews.

March 26, 2026Read
Google Business profile for your apartment — a free channel for direct bookings
7 min
Direct bookings

Google Business profile for your apartment — a free channel for direct bookings

Google Business is free and takes 30 minutes to set up. Every guest who searches for you on Google should find your page — not Booking.

March 26, 2026Read
How to get a 5-star review — 7 rules the best hosts follow
6 min
Guests & reviews

How to get a 5-star review — 7 rules the best hosts follow

The difference between 4 and 5 stars isn't luxury — it's the details. Learn the 7 rules hosts with an average above 4.8 follow.

March 26, 2026Read
Smart lock for your apartment — self check-in guests love
6 min
Equipment

Smart lock for your apartment — self check-in guests love

The guest arrives at 11 PM, you're 200 km away. With a key — problem. With a smart lock — "Your code is 4729, enter whenever you arrive." Review: 5 stars.

March 26, 2026Read
How to turn a guest into a repeat guest — 5 strategies for repeat bookings
6 min
Guests & reviews

How to turn a guest into a repeat guest — 5 strategies for repeat bookings

A repeat guest is gold. No Booking commission, they already know your apartment, no surprises, and better reviews. The only question is — how to win them over.

March 26, 2026Read

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News

Tourism news

Hospitality Net1h ago

Regenerative Hospitality: From Sustainability to Regeneration

The industry is evolving beyond sustainability to regenerative hospitality, which actively restores ecosystems and communities rather than just minimizing harm.

Open
Skift3h ago

Expedia’s B2B Engine Speeds Up as AI Moves Intensify

Expedia’s B2B engine is proving the partner model works. The catch: It is still the smaller business, and AI is not yet big enough to change that.

Open
Skift5h ago

Brian Chesky Says Airbnb Won’t Mix Homes and Hotels — That’s ‘Pre-AI’ Design

Airbnb's Chesky is nothing if not ambitious. Given that people's preferences can change at any moment, the ability to serve customers with only a hotel or home, depending what they need in t

Open
Skift6h ago

Sabre Claims Amadeus Blocks Competition in Airline Technology

Sabre didn't just report a strong quarter — it used that to publicly pick the biggest fight in airline technology.

Open
Hospitality Net7h ago

2026 Rising Star Award Caribbean Latin America presented to Paola Durán at ALIS CALA

Paola Durán, 26, was recognized for her role in building legal frameworks behind GHL's 60+ hotels across 10 Latin American countries.

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Hospitality Net8h ago

Meet the HSMAI Europe Board of Directors

The board includes executives from major hotel groups like Hilton, Accor, Radisson, and Wyndham, plus technology and service providers across EMEA.

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Hospitality Net9h ago

Unlock AI-powered growth for your hotel, venue, or destination

Cvent's guide covers AI applications for meetings and events including automated RFPs, room block optimization, and personalized group experiences.

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Hospitality Net10h ago

The Amadeus data in action series: Occupancy data

Amadeus introduces forward-looking occupancy data to help hotels anticipate demand up to a year ahead, using 2026 World Cup data to show untapped revenue opportunities.

Open
Skift11h ago

IHG Reports Strong U.S. Demand, a Middle East Hit, and a Bet on AI Content Over Scale

IHG is changing how guests search on its own channels. The bigger question is whether its content infrastructure will make it show up when they search everywhere else.

Open
Skift11h ago

Trivago Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google, Alleges Ongoing Harm

Trivago has lobbied against these Google practices for years. Now it's taking the conflict to a German court.

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Breaking Travel News15h ago

KERTEN HOSPITALITY EXPANDS KUWAIT FOOTPRINT WITH RAY HOTEL BY CLOUD 7 IN MANGAF

Global lifestyle hospitality leader Kerten Hospitality has assumed operations of Ray Hotel by Cloud 7, a contemporary lifestyle destination on the Arabian Gulf in Mangaf. The project marks the next ch

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Breaking Travel News16h ago

Emirates Group achieves record profit of AED 24.4 bn (US$ 6.6 bn) in 2025-26

The Emirates Group today released its 2025-26 Annual Report, achieving new record profit, revenue, and cash balance levels, despite a disruptive and challenging 12th month in its financial year. E

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Breaking Travel News16h ago

Dusit executive recognised with Thailand Meetings Leadership Award

Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, Vice President – Operations (Central & Southern Thailand) and Government & Business Relations at Dusit International, and President of the Thailand Incentive and Conv

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Breaking Travel News16h ago

WTTC hosts historic Recovery & Leadership Cruise along Egypt’s Suez Canal

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is hosting a unique Leadership Cruise on Egypt’s Suez Canal, one of the world’s most remarkable symbols of global trade. Attended by over 300 leaders fr

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Breaking Travel News16h ago

Maldives set to host Asia, Oceania and Indian Ocean tourism leaders for landmark World Travel Awards

World Travel Awards (WTA) has announced that the paradise nation of the Maldives will host industry leaders from across Asia, Oceania and the Indian Ocean for a blockbuster VIP Gala Ceremony to celebr

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