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Listen "Short-Term Rentals at Scale: Luiz Batalha on Upstay’s $1B Hospitality Engine"
Episode Synopsis
In Episode 16 hosts Robert De La Rosa and Mitchell Newberger sit down with Luiz Batalha, co-founder of Upstay, to explore how a small experiment in short-term rentals evolved into 450+ properties, 8 markets, and $1.1B in managed assets.Luiz shares the origin story—pivoting from Turo’s car-sharing model to vacation homes—and how Upstay scaled through AI-enhanced operations, remote-first culture, and a hospitality mindset built on data and guest experience. The conversation digs into:How Upstay optimized P&Ls with AI and sentiment analysisDirect-booking strategies and capturing 15% repeat guests via Wi-Fi marketingBalancing automation and human service in hospitalityExpansion plans across Hawaii, Canada, and DubaiWhat Orlando’s STR ecosystem teaches about scale and regulationWhether you’re building in real estate, travel tech, or AI-driven operations, this episode reveals how to turn short-term rentals into a long-term business.🎧 Insert Coin, Unlock Conversation.
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