The Check-In
The Playbook
Operator pro tips and Ohana SOPs we use to keep guests and team happy, and reviews high. From the people running properties across Hawai'i, Maine, Costa Rica, Vermont, and points in between.
May 21, 2026 · by María Eugenia Jacobsen
Rooted in the Heart
A 2026 read on where OTA fees actually land, and why we choose the inner ring.
Airbnb's 15.5%, Booking.com's onion, Vrbo's two paths, and TikTok GO at the door. A 2026 reading of the OTA fee landscape, and why Ohana sits in the inner ring of the tree.
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May 20, 2026 · by Billy O'
Bugs in paradise: handling them in Hawai'i and Costa Rica
How our teams respond, and what guests can do to help themselves.
Bugs in the tropics aren't a failure of housekeeping. Here's our Ohana playbook for the gecko on the wall, the ant trail on the counter, and the centipede that ruined someone's sandal.
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The regular newsletter
Looking to check out one of our normal issues of The Check-In?
Five headlines, one pro tip, dream-weaving, and a press-play pick. ~5-minute read.
Issue 010 · Saturday, October 17, 2026
Vrbo flattens its commission, Oregon writes a new line onto your receipt, and the rules database our industry still doesn't have.
Ten towns changed their STR rules in four days. We'd like to start fixing that — in the open.
Issue 009 · Saturday, August 15, 2026
Costa Rica's rainy season forgets to rain, Cambridge second-guesses its own cap, and Longmont gets its first boutique hotel.
Plus: why the driest Guanacaste in years might be your team's best excuse for an offsite.
Issue 008 · Friday, July 24, 2026
DC opens hosting to its renters, a billion dollars pours into hospitality tech, and the market quietly rewards whoever stayed put.
Plus: why your listing should speak to three guests, not one.