When you race to the bottom, even if you win, you're still at the bottom.
You've seen the social media posts, the newspaper headlines, and the short-term rental experts, complaining that the FIFA booking wave has dried up, and it's the end of the world as we know it. And that may be true, especially in places like Kansas City, which have fewer FIFA bookings this year than in the same period last year. Fear and negativity cripples good decision-making, but if you base your strategy on facts and make the right calls at the right time, and if you prepare to stand out, you'll do fine.
Remember, we talked about June being the 3rd-worst month in the Miami market? Our ADR last year was 20% above the market for June, and our occupancy was a whopping 44% above the market average. We had a good June, where the rest of the market bottomed out. Why? Because we don't focus on pricing. And we don't skimp on quality.
How do you make your listing stand out?
Think about this - you don't have brand recognition, as the Ritz Carlton, the Marriott, or the 4 Seasons do. No one has heard of your listing, so you need something that makes future guests comfortable, takes the edge off, and lets them relax, knowing that you won't cancel their reservation at the last minute, that the door code will work, that the place will be as advertised, etc.
In other words, you need social proof.
Reviews
Enter reviews. They are powerful - remember the booking we got today? That lady said she liked everything about our place, but the reviews sold her.
Ratings
Your ratings give guests an objective metric to see how you host - on a scale of 1 to 5, how was _________________________? Ratings also affect your search placement, and if you can't be found, you can't be booked.
Badges
Top 1% guest favorite, or the equivalent, loved by guests on VRBO and Traveler Review Award on Booking.com, factor into the booking decisions as well, and to a lesser extent, do Superhost, Premiere Host, and Premiere Partner Plus.
At the end of the day, you shouldn't chase any of these, but you'll see that if you run a guest-focused, hospitality-driven business, the reviews, rankings, and accolades will just show up. All of this plays a vital role in your short-term vacation rental business, long after the last World Cup match has been played.
Leverage your expertise and track record
Think like a guest again and identify their concerns when booking with you.
- Is this a real person or some scam artist?
We've been verified by Truvi, our guest verification partner, just as we expect our guests to be. - Will my reservation be canceled if the host gets a better offer?
Have clear house rules and agreements that define your responsibilities and your guests' responsibilities. - How do I know that this is a safe place for me to stay?
One of our passions in life is fighting human trafficking. We've been doing that since 2012. We're certified by an international organization that combats slavary and child exploitation. In fact, we had their training approved by the State of Florida. - Where can I see if this is a real business or a fly-by-night operation, and will I end up without a place to stay?
We're licensed by the State of Florida, which is a requirement for all short-term rental hosts; we comply with their rules and have our licenses posted online and in our listings.
Think through the specifics of a trip you've taken. Sometimes the uncomfortable experience you had can serve as a guidepost for doing a better job. The sky is the limit, and all this goes for every stay, all the time. So let's look at some ideas that are FIFA World Cup specific:
Because we know that even in the low season, listings get booked - and like we said before, some of those are the cheapest, but many are the top performers in the market, and that's where we choose to position ourselves.
The Associated Press wrote in an article on May 12th, that FIFA cities are "enjoying an uptick in short-term rental bookings compared with the same period last year."
You know what the article was titled?
US hotel operators say promised boon from hosting World Cup hasn’t materialized yet.
FIFA specific
OK, put yourself in the shoes of a FIFA fan guest. What are some of the unique problems they will face? Think through this for a second - you're new to town, probably from out-of-state, or you just flew in from another country to see your team play. Language barriers, cultural differences, and unfamiliarity with the city that you are an expert in.
That is your superpower.
- What's the best way to the stadium? You know the answer to that question.
- How long before the game should I arrive? That's easy for you to find out.
- What's the weather like on a typical summer day?
- Which items are prohibited in the stadium? You'd be surprised, but you can turn a security nightmare into a massive win.
#CaseStudy: The FIFA Stadium Kit
FIFA and stadiums in general have tightened security, and with it the rules on what you're allowed to bring into the stadium on match day. And those rules may be very different than what an out-of-town guest is used to, especially if they're coming from another country. And you now have the power to avert a disaster at the security gate and turn it into a massive win for you. We read through the stadium rules and there's a lot of stuff you can't bring into a World Cup match.
Some things are common sense, but others surprised me. We've chosen to provide a FIFA Stadium kit to each guest who books our listings on a match night.
It's designed to make fans' match day much more fun and relaxed by providing the right kind of bag and water bottle, as well as thoughtful items guests may not think to bring, like sunscreen or a poncho. And while we're not telling you to copy our FIFA stadium kit - since it's designed for a hot summer day in Miami, we would like to see you adapt it to some of the issues a soccer fan may face in your city. (Jacomina and I recently tested the FIFA Stadium kit at the Miami Air & Sea show - it got through security with flying colors and the cooling neck towels are awesome.)
AP News. (2026, May 12). US hotel operators say promised boon from hosting World Cup hasn’t materialized yet. https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-hotel-demand-airbnb-fifa-1698651dcf37cbba09f3183b218d54fb
Now take that same guest focus and walk through your guests' journey, beginning with booking your place. Review how arrival impacts them and what they are going to do on days when there is no match or when their team plays in a different city? Are you providing instructions on how to find the streaming services that show the matches? Or, better yet, have you subscribed to an English- and Spanish-language service that does? You already have?
Gooooooaaaaaaaaaalllllllll! (I can hear the Spanish announcer already.)
Other ideas to get you going:
- Create a FIFA guest guide on your website that walks them through Critical Logistics & Timing, Transportation Guide, Stadium Entry & Security, and On-Site Amenities & Experience. Here's our FIFA guest guide page for inspiration.
- Offer FIFA guests a discount on a non-match night to encourage longer stays.
- Review your amenities and have potential headaches (like an AC dying in July) serviced now.
- Download our FIFA optimization checklist here (the game data is for Miami, but you can create your own for your city.)