Blog

How to Avoid Surprises When Booking a Vacation Rental: A Friendly Guide for Guests

Thu, 05/08/2025 - 7:22pm by StellarStay Team

Travel is good for the soul

Booking a vacation rental on platforms like Airbnb or VRBO can be exciting—you’re one step closer to your getaway! But we’ve seen time and time again how a little oversight at the booking stage can lead to big frustration later. Whether it’s confusion over the cancellation policy, surprise fees, or unexpected house rules, these issues often stem from skipping the fine print.

At StellarStay™, we want your travel experience to be smooth from start to finish. So here’s a friendly guide to help you avoid common pitfalls and book with confidence:

Airbnb
Community
Short-term rentals
VRBO

How to Fairly Rate Location on Airbnb: A Friendly Guide for Thoughtful Guests

Mon, 05/05/2025 - 1:18am by StellarStay Team

When it comes to leaving a review after your Airbnb stay, every star counts. Your feedback not only helps future travelers, but also directly affects the host’s standing on the platform. While most of the rating categories are pretty straightforward, one often causes confusion: Location.

Airbnb
Community
Short-term rentals

Exciting News: HomieBees is Now StellarStay™!

Sun, 04/27/2025 - 5:53am by StellarStay Team

HomieBees is now StellarStay

Big news, big dreams, and a bold new chapter — we’re thrilled to announce that HomieBees is now officially StellarStay™!

Since launching our website in September 2021, HomieBees has been on an incredible journey — built on heart, hustle, and a passion for delivering unforgettable stays. From day one, we set out to create something special, and thanks to our amazing guests, homeowners, and team, HomieBees quickly grew into a name people could trust and celebrate.

Community
Company News

The Importance of Following House Rules, Local Laws, and Community Standards: A Cautionary Tale

Fri, 11/29/2024 - 9:04pm by StellarStay Team

We take great pride in providing our guests with luxurious and comfortable retreats across various locations in multiple states, all while maintaining respectful relationships with the local communities. Unfortunately, a recent experience at one of these properties, The Stilt House, has underscored the vital importance of adhering to house rules, local laws, and rental platform policies.

Community
Company News
Regulation and compliance
Safety
Short-term rentals

What to Do if You Can't Make It to Your Airbnb or VRBO Reservation

Fri, 11/29/2024 - 8:28pm by StellarStay Team

Recently, one of our guests, Stephen, faced a challenging situation. Due to severe weather, his flight was canceled, preventing him from reaching The Park House. Unfortunately, Airbnb determined that Stephen’s situation did not qualify for their Major Disruptive Events policy, which can sometimes provide compensation for extraordinary circumstances. Stephen also didn’t have travel insurance to cover his unexpected expenses and, despite our offer to cancel his reservation as soon as possible so we could try to rebook the dates, he chose to keep the booking active. Since his reservation wasn’t canceled, it was considered a standard booking, and we received the full payment as usual, even though Stephen never made it to the property.

Airbnb
Community
Industry news and trends
Regulation and compliance
Short-term rentals

Why We Value Quality Over Quantity at StellarStay

Fri, 11/29/2024 - 8:25pm by StellarStay Team

Here at StellarStay, we’re passionate about creating truly special stays for our guests, but every now and then, we have to make tough decisions to protect the quality experience we promise. Recently, a guest named Roy booked with us, requested an early check-in, questioned the cleaning fee, and asked for further discounts on what was already a great rate. When we politely declined and chose to cancel his reservation, he seemed surprised and even apologized, hoping to rebook. While we’re grateful for his interest, we ultimately decided it was best to stand by our decision.

Community
Company News
Industry news and trends
Regulation and compliance
Safety

Exciting News: The Stilt House Is Now Listed on PlumGuide!

Fri, 11/29/2024 - 8:22pm by StellarStay Team

We are thrilled to announce that The Stilt House, one of our most unique properties, has been officially listed on PlumGuide! Known for its rigorous vetting process and commitment to high-quality stays, PlumGuide is a prestigious platform that only accepts a small fraction of homes. After careful consideration, The Stilt House has been recognized for its exceptional character and amenities, and we couldn't be more excited to share this accomplishment with you.

Colorado
Industry news and trends
Short-term rentals

🌟 The Park House Hits 100 Five-Star Reviews: A Heartfelt Thank You! 🌟

Mon, 08/05/2024 - 10:27pm by StellarStay Team

We are ecstatic to announce that the Park House in beautiful Colorado has reached a significant milestone: 100 five-star reviews on Airbnb! This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and passion that goes into making every guest's stay special. We at Homie Bees want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this possible.

Airbnb
Colorado
Community
Company News
VRBO

Celebrating Independence Day with Exciting News!

Wed, 07/03/2024 - 10:05pm by StellarStay Team

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July from HomieBees!

We hope everyone is having a fantastic Independence Day!

We have some exciting news to share: HomieBees has been named Airbnb SuperHosts once again! We're thrilled and grateful for this recognition.

HomieBees has been in the short-term rental management business for six years, proudly serving as both Airbnb SuperHosts and VRBO Premier Hosts. Our goal is simple: make every guest's stay amazing so they leave us 5-star reviews.

Airbnb
Community
Company News
VRBO

🎉 Celebrating Our Success: Highlands Haven, Cozy Retreat in Historical Center Enters Airbnb's Top 5% 🏡

Sun, 06/09/2024 - 6:41pm by StellarStay Team

We are thrilled to share some exciting news with our readers! Our beloved property, "Highlands Haven, Cozy Retreat in Historical Center," has been recognized by Airbnb's algorithm as one of the most loved homes on the platform. This prestigious recognition places us in the top 5% of homes highly ranked based on ratings, reviews, and reliability. We are incredibly proud of this achievement and grateful to all our wonderful guests who have made this possible.

🌟 Discover Highlands Haven

Colorado
Community
Company News

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