FabStayz and Drag Queen take over Portland!
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
Release Date: 03/03/2020
Synta Keeling (under-represented host series)
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
Debi Hertert of Hosting Your Home podcast interviews Synta Keeling, Washington DC superhost. Synta deals with issues of racial bias as part of her hosting and shares her insights with Debi. This interview took place two days after the Capitol building insurrection. Synta has previously been interviewed by the NPR Hidden Brain podcast discussing bias as it exists within Airbnb travel, for guests and hosts.
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At Ease Rentals with Anthony Gantt (under-represented hosts series)
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
Anthony Gantt, US Marine Corps officer, created At Ease Rentals, a rental platform for Short Term Rentals accessible by government travelers. He was inspired by an experience of not being reimbursed for housing after a military chang in station and staying at an Airbnb. At Ease Rentals hopes to be the go-to platform for military and government workers who opt not to use hotels.
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C L Reed (under-represented hosts series)
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
Debi interviews C L Reed, a black host who explains some of the issues we can learn from, having to do with discrimination, fear, and lack of knowledge.
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Kevin Rhea (under-represented hosts series)
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
Debi interviews Kevin Rhea, a black host who explains some of the issues we can learn from, having to do with discrimination, fear, and lack of knowledge.
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Debi and Rob vs the Pandemic
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
Debi and Rob talk about the pandemic and how it has affected their lives.
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FabStayz and Drag Queen take over Portland!
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
We had an AWESOME photo shoot in Portland, Oregon directed by FabStayz founder Robert Geller, featuring airline flight attendant Danny Lee Cabrero as drag queen “Liquor Mini”, named after the little booze bottles on planes. It could not have been more fun! Robert was working on a publicity campaign for FabStayz and wanted it to be fun and attention getting. It worked! Danny visited 10 locations dressed in flight attendant drag, and photographer Carlos Camarena caught it all. The greater Portland area, with its supportive trade organization Host2Host, is the principal launch city for...
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HYH-52 “The Airbnb Way” with author Joseph Michelli
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
What company comes to an author’s mind after writing bestsellers about Starbucks, Zappos, Mercedes and Ritz-Carlton? Airbnb! Joseph Michelli became highly interested in the company and authored a book "The Airbnb Way". Joseph identifies the ways in which Airbnb engages with customers and builds brand loyalty. He includes both the view from inside the company and the view from the individual hosts who provide hospitality to millions of travelers each year. “The Airbnb Way” is a unique publication that is overdue - few businesses have been as disruptive as Airbnb and much...
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STR Advocacy Done Well - with Mark Rockwell
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
STR (Short Term Rental) Advocacy interview.
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FabStayz LGBTQ listing site, with Robert Geller
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
Debi Hertert of the Hosting Your Home podcast talks with FabStayz LGBTQ Listing Site founder Robert Geller, about his exciting, new STR platform. Robert has 10 years of experience with his gay travel company "Outings and Adventures". Through his personal Airbnb hosting experience and Airbnb travel, he saw a real need for a travel platform that would be respectful and safe specifically for LGBTQ travelers. He's inviting hosts to register, with the agreement that those hosts will be allies of LGBTQ travelers and make them feel welcome. Robert listed some impressive statistics...
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HYH-49 Meet Tyann Marcink!
Hosting Your Home - Airbnb host stories
Debi Hertert talks with her friend and colleague Tyann Marcink about how Tyann got started in the vacation rental hospitality business, and the many hats that Tyann wears. The two spoke in October, 2018 when Tyann participated in the . So listeners will find a wealth of information about vacation rentals, coming from a person who has now spent 10 years in the business and who teaches it in bootcamp workshops. Tyann is also the Community Ambassador for the TouchStay Digital Guidebook product for short-term rentals. Right after this interview, Tyann...
info_outlineWe had an AWESOME photo shoot in Portland, Oregon directed by FabStayz founder Robert Geller, featuring airline flight attendant Danny Lee Cabrero as drag queen “Liquor Mini”, named after the little booze bottles on planes.
It could not have been more fun! Robert was working on a publicity campaign for FabStayz and wanted it to be fun and attention getting. It worked! Danny visited 10 locations dressed in flight attendant drag, and photographer Carlos Camarena caught it all. The greater Portland area, with its supportive trade organization Host2Host, is the principal launch city for FabStayz. The PR campaign is soon to be released!
Some highlights of the day:
Michelle Boyle’s Tiny House Village in Sherwood, where Danny was definitely larger than life.
Nectar, a friendly marijuana dispensary
Blue Star Donut shop in Multnomah Village, where Danny’s blue dress was a color match and the donuts were delicious
Danny doesn’t drink but still made a splash at the Sasquatch Brew Pub in Hillsdale
Olympia Provisions Melty & Meaty food truck at Pioneer Courthouse Square
Travel Portland’s Visitors Center
Powell’s City of Books - the largest independent bookstore in the World!
Sunset was at the eTukride at the end of the Tillikum bridge
FabStayz’ mission is serving LGBTQ travelers by connecting them with hosts whom Robert terms “Fab Allies”
All hosts list on his platform with the specific understanding of acceptance for all and fostering welcoming inclusive accommodations. FabStayz travelers know ahead of time that they do not need to explain or justify or do anything but enjoy being on vacation. When Debi asked Robert and Danny if they’ve ever been discriminated against during travels, Robert gave a nuanced answer that is helpful to understanding the issue. He also mentioned the site “Destination Pride” that gives travelers an acceptance measure of a city they are considering visiting.
As FabStayz continues to evolve
Watch for the addition of bed & breakfasts, inns and properties such amenities of spas and wedding facilities. Poised for continued growth FabStayz has been featured in over 40 articles, blog posts, tv podcast appearance.
Not to be missed is the FabStayz demo video starring drag flight attendants Danny aka Liquor Mini and Esme Russell filmed on location at Tampa International Airport. Totally campy and so much fun! The demo video features launch destination: greater Portland, Oregon. You can also read about FabStayz press coverage.
Making your listing more inclusive:
Robert invites listeners to look at his listing and consider “stealing” his first few lines that include his pronouns (just tells prospective guests that you are aware of pronouns as an important issue) and include an image of a poster or welcome mat with accepting language. He correctly notes that most guests don’t read everything in our listings, so put it in as a picture!
Robert and Danny met each other through a “chance” discussion that Robert had with his hairdresser, and everything just clicked. In addition to Danny’s work as a flight attendant, in his fun but important side gig as “Liquor Mini”, he has helped raise over $500,000 for the Wings Foundation to support flight attendants in need. He is now also the Resort Director for Vacaya, an international LGBTQ travel agency that leases entire cruise ships and resorts. In that job Danny gets to show the world the charismatic leader he really is!
List of all links mentioned in the podcast:
FabStayz LGBTQ listing site
FabStayz 2019 podcast episode with Hosting Your Home
Host2Host, the Portland-centric STR non-profit trade association
Danny Lee Cabrero’s FaceBook page
Portland Photographer Carlos Camarena’s podcast episode with Hosting Your Home
Tiny House Village
Nectar dispensary
Blue Star Donuts in Multnomah Village
Sasquatch Brew Pub in Hillsdale
Olympia Provisions food truck
Travel Portland visitors center
Powell’s City of Books
Robert’s personal listing showing example of inclusive language
eTuk Tours
Destination Pride, the LGTBQ international rating guide
Wings Foundation
Vacaya, the LGTBQ travel extravaganza provider