The Netflix original series “Stay Here” debuts today, shining a new spotlight on the vacation rental industry. The show features well-known interior designer and TV personality Genevieve Gorder and real estate expert Peter Lorimer showing short-term rental owners how to update their properties and increase their profits.
Gorder is a two-time Emmy nominee known for her role on TLC’s “Trading Spaces” and several other home design shows. “I look for the diamonds that need a lot of polishing,” she says in an episode.
Lorimer is the CEO and broker behind PLG Estates, a firm in Beverly Hills, California with a self-described “punk rock” approach to real estate and a specialty in short-term rentals. The agency lists 12 high-end properties available for rent around the Los Angeles area from $550 to $5,625 per night.
In the eight-episode season, the pair travel to unique properties around the country, from a Seattle houseboat in episode one to a vineyard cottage in episode five and a DC firehouse in episode eight. They help “vacation rental owners transform their one-star disappointment to a five-star stay,” Gorder says in the show’s introduction.
“We’ll create moneymakers for homeowners and a memorable experience for their guests,” Lorimer narrates. The hosts introduce each city with a brief history of its rental market or tourism landscape and vacation rental data from AllTheRooms, including total rental units, average nightly rates, and annual revenues. This sets up how the hosts can make each property more competitive in its market.
They do so through total renovation of both the property and the owners’ marketing strategy. While Gorder revamps the property’s design and adds features designed for guest appeal, Lorimer teaches the owners about branding and pricing. The show’s format is similar to that of many popular home renovations shows: homeowner has a drab property that’s not netting them the value it could, then a design-real estate duo enters the picture to save the day.
Along the way, homeowners learn how to add amenities, local experiences, and marketing tactics to make their guests happy and earn more money. At the end of the episode, the homeowners are surprised with a magazine-worthy home reveal and rental rate suggestions that meet their financial and occupancy goals. What the Netflix series leaves out are the challenges to home renovations and short-term rental management, either real or contrived for cameras.
Gorder, or “Gen” as Lorimer calls her in the show, kicks the homeowners out to revamp the property with contemporary design, stocking it full of both Instagram-worthy features and amenities that guests are looking for. Think Pinterest-popular chunky knit blankets, market lights, vintage pieces from local antique shops, and fire pits in front of a sweeping vista.
Meanwhile, Lorimer arranges curated local experiences and uses them to teach the homeowners introductory marketing strategies. In the houseboat episode, he explains SEO and pay-per-click advertising. With the vineyard cottage owners, he explains hashtags (to their endearing bewilderment) and later brings them to happy tears showing them how blogging showcases all there is for guests to love about their home.
Throughout the episodes, both hosts always bring their concepts back to the equally important goals of increasing revenue and delivering special guest experiences. They marry their individual areas of expertise through strategies like spending 10 percent of a guest’s first night’s rental on a welcome perk and owning a niche in the market through design and quality – “nichin’ out,” as Gorder says.
For seasoned property management professionals, the show won’t provide much in the way of new strategies or insider tips, but it does provide a feel-good outside view of what the vacation rental industry is all about: the excitement, romance, and business of travel hospitality.
Updated 8/27/18: For casting information for future episodes, inquiries can be sent to Critical Content at StayHereCasting@criticalcontent.group.
I have a home by Disneyland and could really use some help revamping it! Would love to talk to someone about the show!
For everyone asking for casting information, inquiries can be sent to Critical Content at StayHereCasting@criticalcontent.group.
https://www.facebook.com/Mattafiedairbnb/
How can I get in touch with someone to submit a location? Thanks
Oh my this show is WONDERFUL! I am impressed with their attention to details and the research they do to truly understand the local competition and the owner’s strengths and areas of opportunity. We are closing on a HIGH POTENTIAL lake view vacation home in South Lake Tahoe, steps from Heavenly Mountain and this will be a complete turn around! Our Goal: Have the renovations complete in time to secure Thanksgiving, 2018 rentals! Would absolutely LOVE their input as we plan to make the investments anyway – wouldn’t it be nice to get it right the first time? Adding to the challenge, we live in Texas and will be managing this absolute redo from afar. IF anyone has a lead on how to get an audition, would appreciate that input!
I have a beautiful guesthouse in Portland, Jamaica called no regrets guesthouse. Would love to figure out how to get on this show. Maybe they’ll do a stay here international… hint hint
I have a rental in Asheville NC looking for some ideas. We are on VRBO #372999. We do good but never cover all the expenses. Love to hear how you to get on the show.
Very interesting show, and good to know that we have approached our rental in Ktrgyzstan the right way.
Like many people are asking, who is payming for these very expensive remodels?
That’s exactly what I was wondering. I do hear Gen saying to the Hudson, NY owner that his budget doesn’t cover enough of the furniture. So, I”m guessing, the host pays for the renovations. I’m also guessing that Gen gets a discount from stores to help with this. Just a guess on my part, but professionals frequently get discounts at furniture stores. Great Show! I’m really enjoying it.
Awesome, well put together show. Amazing results with true professionals. This show is a HUGE HIT. “Brilliant,this will change the industry. I WANT to be on your show. I have a unique Buffalo/Yak Ranch in Central Oregon that would make for a perfect fit to the show. Something different in the greatest tourist city destination in Oregon. Horse Shelters to cabins is the goal. Already have tipi’s, Ranch Bunkroom, tent spaces, remodeled Bunkhouse and have plans to do treehouses overlooking Buffalo pastures.
If you ever do a series in the uk, please look me up, I have an Airbnb and would love some extra eyes look at it and help me. Please can I be your diet uk client
We have a 1940’s fisherman’s cottage in Gulf Shores, Alabama that could use your attention!
Your show is wonderful! I ate up all the episodes in three days. Peter and Genevieve are a great team, both bringing valuable insights and upgrades to each project. They are very gentle and adept at handholding nervous clients, who in the end, are rightly blown away by the results. It would be interesting to know if the goals of each client were met, and in what time frame. Perhaps that is forthcoming. Great job, guys!
Who pays for the renovations? Nothing is ever mentioned about budgets, home owner loans,
Etc. The clients generally need money, so does the show pay? I doubt it.
Why are the bathrooms never mentioned or worked on? The mos important room!
COME TO CAPE COD !! We have a home that could use your miracle powers. We are considering our property for rental possibilities..HELP!!!
If you’d like to book the Austin home from episode #3, you can find it here: https://www.turnkeyvr.com/austin-tx/2br-travis-heights-victorian-w%2f-private-pool-%E2%80%93-close-to-south-congress?&adults=2.
We keep our home owner’s details private, but I can say this, the designers on this show did not spend a lot of money on this renovation, and the improvements have had outstanding results. The property performance is off-the-charts. The recommendations they give on the show are spot-on and have proven real-world results. They are an amazing duo!
Thanks for sharing the link to the Austin property!
I have a listing on airbnb I am a supervisor but need updates. I’ve been putting all my profits back into the house and my listing is special because you get a personal chef breakfast with the stay. Help me update!! Thanks family friendly big breakfast grove city OH
What a wonderful twist on home design shows! Help me get my Brevard, NC vacation home for 12 maximized with beautiful design for the current remodel!
Was anyone wondering how the houseboat was going to deal with rain given they have full on rain nonresistant furniture outside ??
It doesn’t rain often in the summer in Seattle. At least not in my experience staying there. I think furniture covers. It wouldn’t be as great a stay in the winter. But still very bright and cozy inside. I looked them up on Airbnb and they are doing a great business.
I have that special property on a cliff overlooking a beautiful lake with 180-degree view. How do I get on this show? I need some serious help.
HEEEEEEEEELP.
I left a message giving this show and the people involved “Kudos”. Just one thing I would love to see a ,maybe 6 months in on the clients to see how it worked out-Although I know with Geneieve and Peter the clients have made dreams into reality!!!
Look for the properties online. I found the houseboat on Airbnb.
I am not an owner but, this is a dream of mine. Would like to say #stayhere is now my favorite show. I have even gotten emotional watching the episodes. I can see a dream become a reality. Beautiful, Beautiful work. Love you guys!!!
I just saw somebody ask the same question as me. Who “foots the bill” on all these over the moon renovations. I am trying to do the calculations in my head, but, I assume this is thousands of dollars or renos and upgrades. I watch those British redo shows and they give the home owner only $1000(pounds) to get it done in a few days. Definitely,
these renos are way more expensive. Can you tell us who pays? they are spectacular.
I was watching the DC Firehouse episode and I believe there was mention in it, that the owner was paying for the renovation, or at least a great deal of it.
While its a fun watch (i saw the 1st episode only), the show misses the target completely on a pretty significant point… without any mention of the cost of renovation, and who’s paying for it, its pretty useless to be discussing occupancy rates and per night costs for trying to break even!
So true.
I love this show. We just turned a regular rental into a vacation rental. This month. We have had 3 bookings and I would love to see how to improve. We are located in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, in Stevensville, MT. On Airbnb as the”Bitterroot Gem”. How can I apply to be on the show?
I too would love the opportunity to renovate my Airbnb home. Although we get a few bookings year round, I know we could do so much better with Peter and Gen’s expertise!
How do I book some of the places on the show? I am finding it difficult to find the rental homes featured on the show.
I would also love to know how to get my listing on an episode of StayHere. A riverfront property in Old Saybrook, Connecticut with lots of charm. One of those diamonds in need of Mr. Lorimer’s marketing and Mrs. Gorder’s polishing for sure.
Hello!
What a great show!
I LOVE to sign up for #stayhere!
Thanks so much!!
Love, love, love the show! I have a second property I purchased in the world destination of South Lake Tahoe, California that I’ve been trying to dial in the last 6 months. It’s an original 1950 cabin in a popular area. I’m just at a complete loss on what to do in this larger backyard, among some other things.
Help!
Fun and interesting show, but no info on the cost of property renovations nor who pays for the renovations.
Aloha, I’m Jonas and have 2 vacation rentals on the Big Island of Hawaii.
One is a very romantic loft cabin perfect for couple and the other is a downstairs 2 bedroom 1bath duplex where I live upstairs. I love hosting and sharing some of the less touristy areas of Hawaii.I am a sea captain by trade and have run a few megayachts.
The problem I’m having is that I think I’m having a problem getting the quality guests. Most of my bookings are for two to three nights of people that have been in a resort on the other side of the island then come to my rentals to see a few sites and do laundry. I need help with marketing!!
My Oregon coast, beachfront rental needs “Stay Here”. Where do I find details and requirements to apply?
Hello, Please advise the application process for auditioning to have my listing appear on the show.
Thanks so much for your prompt response!
how can I get an audition to put my listing in the running for the show?