This Dog-Friendly Airbnb Strategy Gets 95% Direct Bookings

In this Host Planet Playbook feature – powered by property management software, Hospitable – Sara Sokol shares how she built a unique short-term rental business in Maine, achieving 95% direct bookings while creating an exceptional experience for guests and their dogs.

You’ll learn:

- How to stand out with a dog-friendly rental

- Why most hosts treat pets as an afterthought (and how to fix it)

- How Sara built a loyal audience and direct booking strategy

- Tips to deliver a standout guest experience

- Lessons from running a niche STR brand

If you want to reduce OTA reliance and build a memorable short-term rental business, this episode is packed with practical insights.

1:37 Managing a dog-friendly rental in Maine

2:17 Sara’s journey into short-term rentals

3:47 A positive reinforcement dog trainer and vacation rental host

6:49 Catering to guests who bring their dogs – and making them feel welcome (rather than an afterthought)

8:50 A unique brand in the local area

10:04 Achieving 95% direct bookings – partly thanks to a new Facebook Group

11:46 Complementing Sara’s dog training business

13:03 Challenges and opportunities in Maine

14:28 Top tips to deliver a great guest experience

16:25 Sara’s biggest lesson learned – she’s a superhero!

17:55 What Sara loves most about hosting

18:46 Quickfire questions

Download a free copy of the Host Planet Playbook: https://www.hostplanet.club/host-planet-playbook

The Host Planet Playbook was created in collaboration with property management software, Hospitable. Interested in using a PMS which will help you manage your rentals on autopilot? Get 25% off Hospitable for the first three months: https://hospitable.com/partners/hostplanet

Sara Sokol / Little White Dog Properties: https://littlewhitedogproperties.com/

The Host Planet Playbook series is presented by James Varley, Founder and CEO of Host Planet. Connect with James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Host Planet: https://www.hostplanet.club/

The Host Planet Podcast is where Airbnb hosts, Booking.com hosts, Vrbo hosts, and short-term rental operators come to learn what actually works. Each episode features expert insights from people actively building, managing, and scaling short-term rentals, covering everything from Airbnb hosting fundamentals to advanced rental strategies. Whether you’re focused on guest satisfaction, rental management, or smarter automation tips, the show delivers practical advice you can apply immediately to improve performance and increase Airbnb bookings.

Across the series, we explore Airbnb host tips, listing optimization, price optimization, and Airbnb listing optimization – alongside real-world investing insights and behind-the-scenes Airbnb secrets you won’t hear elsewhere. From hosted conversations with industry leaders and Airbnb ambassadors to actionable guidance on bookings and short-term rental growth, Host Planet helps hosts navigate short term rentals with confidence and clarity.

The show is presented by James Varley, a holiday let investor and property manager who is also the Founder of Host Planet. Before founding Host Planet, James spent 20 years in the media, including a decade leading corporate communications for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Contact the show: [e-mail]

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