February 2026 Newsletter

Welcome! 

Welcome to our February update. As winter settles into northern New Mexico and recent severe storms have moved through the Taos area, we’re especially grateful for the trust you place in High Desert Co-Hosting and for the opportunity to care for your homes and your guests. This month’s newsletter shares VRBO and social media updates, a snapshot of January and February performance, and a new property spotlight, amongst other items. 

VRBO Platform Updates Coming in 2026

The following is based on an article authored by HostCamp, the mentoring group we participate in. The original article can be found here.

Overview

VRBO is introducing significant platform changes in 2026 that will affect how listings earn recognition, visibility, and support. These updates are designed to reward consistent, high-quality performance at the individual property level.

While VRBO booking only account for 8.6% of all bookings across our properties, with variable activity between homes, these changes are important for us to be aware of and proactively engage with.

Premier Host Program Updates

The Premier Host designation, which we have, will now be evaluated on a listing-by-listing basis rather than across an entire portfolio. Each property must independently meet performance criteria to earn and maintain Premier Host status. Requirements include high booking acceptance rates, no host-initiated cancellations, minimum booking and review thresholds, and strong guest ratings.

New Performance Milestones Framework

VRBO is replacing previous recognition programs with a tiered Performance Milestones system that directly impacts search visibility and platform benefits. We expect to continue to meet criteria for milestones 2 or 3.

• Milestone 1 recognizes solid performance and includes basic badges and modest visibility improvements.
• Milestone 2 aligns with Premier Host standards and provides increased exposure, access to marketing opportunities, and priority support.
• Milestone 3 represents top-tier performance and introduces a new Top 1 Percent designation for the highest-performing listings.

AI and Platform Enhancements

VRBO is also rolling out new AI-powered features to improve the guest experience and help listings stand out. These include automated summaries of guest reviews, AI-generated answers to common guest questions, and dynamically highlighted property features based on guest behavior and feedback. VRBO is also expanding distribution across Expedia Group channels and enabling more promotional tools through connected property management systems.

What This Means for Property Owners

These changes place greater emphasis on consistent operational excellence at the individual property level. Strong guest communication, reliable operations, positive reviews, and proactive management will play an even larger role in maintaining visibility and competitiveness on the VRBO platform.

Follow High Desert Co-Hosting on Social Media

We’re slowly and intentionally building a social media presence for High Desert Co-Hosting, and we’d love for you to be part of it. You can now find us on both Instagram and Facebook where we’re sharing highlights from our homes, the landscapes that make northern New Mexico special, and the kinds of content we hope Taos travelers want to see.

As a small point of pride, Taos Ski Valley is already following us. If they can do it, we’re pretty sure you can too! We promise we’re aiming for an audience that’s a little broader than just our moms.

Our goal with social media is simple. Engagement drives visibility, and visibility helps funnel prospective travelers toward our direct booking website over time. The more people interact with our posts, the more exposure those homes get.

We also plan to regularly feature the homes of our property owners. That means you may see your own property show up in our feed from time to time, giving you something you can easily share with friends and family. Those shares matter more than you might think and help extend our reach organically.

If you’re on Instagram or Facebook, give us a follow, like a post when you see one, or share when your home pops up. Every bit of engagement helps build momentum.

January Portfolio Performance

2026 started with performance well above the market average. 

• Occupancy: Our homes achieved 61% occupancy, compared to the Taos market average of 45% (+16%).
• According to Airbnb insights, our listing are on the first page of search results 59.4% of the time, with 13% of visitors selecting one of our listings to view. Our conversion rate is higher than similar listings. 
• Nightly Rates: Average nightly rate increased to $242.
• Cancellation rate is up to 10.9%, reflecting Airbnb’s change in cancellation policy. Average Taos market cancellation rate amongst similar listings is 18.5% (+7.6%).

Looking ahead, February is looking amazing. Occupancy is excellent with many last minute travelers remaining to fill in our booking holes. 

A Personal Approach to Guest Cancellations

Airbnb updated its cancellation policies in October 2025. At that time, we selected the “Firm” cancellation policy for all properties, including our own. This policy allows free cancellation within 48 hours of booking, which is required by Airbnb and applied across all cancellation options. It also provides a full refund if a reservation is canceled at least 30 days before check-in, and a partial refund for cancellations made 7 to 30 days prior to check-in.

We chose the Firm policy to strike a balance between protecting calendar occupancy and supporting engagement within Airbnb’s algorithm. More restrictive options are labeled “Super Strict,” while Airbnb generally promotes the opposite end of the spectrum through its “Flexible” policy.

In addition to the formal cancellation policy, we will intermittently work with guests when serious or unexpected circumstances arise, such as a medical emergency or an injury that prevents travel. In these situations, we may allow guests to cancel their bookings outright even if outside the terms of the cancellation policy. They are appreciative, we feel like good humans, and we are strong believers in good karma.  

Additionally, we allow guests to cancel their own reservation without a reimbursement with the understanding that we will reimburse them if the canceled nights are rebooked. While this approach requires additional effort, we believe it is the right thing to do and aligns with our goal of delivering a positive guest experience, even when plans change.

As a recent example, a guest canceled their reservation just prior to the weekend of the severe storm due to concerns about safe driving conditions. We informed the guest that we would reimburse them up to the lesser of their original accommodation cost or the accommodation revenue from any new bookings for the same dates, plus the cleaning fee, and excluding taxes and Airbnb fees, if the nights were rebooked. This created a win-win. Please know that because Airbnb requires that payments come from the listing owner, we may intermittently reach out and have you all help with this process.

We believe that this approach, both flexible and guest-focused, not only helps build trust and positive reviews but also supports the long-term success of our properties. By prioritizing a fair and thoughtful process, we ensure that both owners and guests have a smooth, predictable experience even when unexpected situations arise.

New Property Alerts!

We’re excited to welcome 163 State Highway 230 to the High Desert Stays portfolio! Click here.

This is a lovely 2 bed 2 bath home in Arroyo Seco. The owner/host has been managing the property for many years, with a spectacular track record, including 272 reviews and a 4.96 star average. We’d love for you to take a look at the listings, and if you’re on Airbnb, please consider saving it to your wishlist to help boost early visibility.

Owner Statements 

Owners will receive a monthly statement summarizing their property’s performance and financials from the prior month from Hospitable. These statements are designed to increase transparency, provide clear insights into performance, and streamline VRBO invoicing. This is a new process, and while we will double check them before they are sent out, we appreciate any and all feedback on how to make them better moving forward. 

Referrals Appreciated

As we grow, we want to ensure that we only take on good properties and great owners. We greatly appreciate the trust you have placed in us. If you refer a neighbor, you’ll receive $250 upon listing activation. Thanks for considering!