The short-term rental market has been booming in Europe.A record 44.5 million demand nights were reported in the European Union in June, an 18.6% increase year over year, according to a new report from AirDNA. Available listings were up as well, to 3.8 million, a 14.8% increase year over year. But the sector’s vibrancy isn’t all due to families looking for a home to stay in or travelers heading off the beaten track. In the United Kingdom, for example, urban (24%) and suburban (20%) markets saw demand growth that was significantly higher than that in rural, coastal and mountain destinations (ranging from 12-14%), according to the report.Contributing to that urban growth are companies like Bob W and Nestor that seek to combine hotel services or standards with the flexibility of home-like apartments or other accommodations for the modern travelers they see as mixing business with pleasure.Niko Karstikko, co-founder and group CEO at Bob W, and Fran Milsom, founder and CEO of Nestor, came together last month at Phocuswright Europe for an interview in the PhocusWire studio. They discussed growth opportunities for short-term rentals in general and the potential for companies like theirs to revitalize urban areas seeing a downturn in commercial office use.“There’s a lot of space in this sector, and you can do that within the confines of a city,” said Karstikko, whose Finland-based company operates in 10 countries and 17 cities in Europe. “London’s an endless opportunity almost

In June, Realtor.com, in collaboration with AirDNA, released their ranking of the top 10 places to buy a beach house in the U.S. to use as a short-term rental.

As affluent globetrotters seek out not just destinations, but unique properties catered to their elevated lifestyles, it’s no surprise that the luxury rental vacation market is on the rise. The United States has become the mecca of the global vacation rental market with industry experts anticipating over $100 billion in revenue and 10.7% growth throughout 2024 alone.Despite the short-term rental (STR) market’s upward trajectory, high-end renters have reported disappointment with legacy players. Properties listed with other major action rental services that are marketed as luxury locales online often fail to meet the rigorous standards that sophisticated hotels hold themselves to.Wander is positioned to disrupt the vacation rental market for the better. With its roster of unique high-end properties located across the country’s most sought-after destinations, Wander has set itself apart from the luxury STR competition. Wander is approaching profitability by the end of 2024 despite only just having turned three years old in May.The company’s rising reputation as one of the rental market’s leading choices has been guided by the expertise of founder and CEO John Andrew Entwistle. Entwistle’s own let-down experiences as a luxury vacation rental client drove him to seek a targeted solution for the entire industry