I didn't start with a playbook. I started with a rural property, a steep learning curve, and a lot of trial and error. Internet that dropped out mid-booking season. Guests who expected city amenities in the middle of the woods. Vendors who wouldn't drive 45 minutes for a maintenance call.
I figured it out — through systems, smart pricing, the right tech stack, and an obsessive focus on the guest experience. Then I did it again on another property. And another.
"The advice that helped me most wasn't from STR gurus — it was from other operators who'd solved the exact same problem on the exact same kind of property."
That's the gap CabinHost Consulting fills. Rural-specific, operator-tested guidance — not recycled content built for downtown Airbnb apartments.
My assistant Marianne handles guest coordination at Red Oak Retreats, and her fingerprints are all over the guest communication systems we teach. Between the two of us, we've handled just about every situation a rural host will ever face.
Whether you're launching your first cabin or troubleshooting a property that isn't performing, I'll tell you exactly what I'd do — and why.
CabinHost Consulting was born out of necessity — not a business school plan. I bought my first rural cabin, ran into every problem rural hosts face, and solved them one by one.
After building a portfolio of successful properties in Hocking Hills, Ohio, I started helping other rural hosts do the same. Everything I teach comes directly from properties I own and operate today.
This isn't a side hustle in consulting. It's what I do, and I'm good at it because I've lived it.
Every strategy is built for remote and rural properties. We never recycle urban STR playbooks. If it doesn't apply to cabins, we don't teach it.
I run properties right now. Advice comes from what's working today — seasonal pricing, turnover systems, vendor management — not what worked in a case study years ago.
No fluff, no upsells, no "it depends" non-answers. You'll get a direct opinion on what to change and exactly how to do it.
Every conversation ends with a prioritized action list you can execute immediately — not a vague strategy deck to sit on for six months.
Every strategy we share has been tested on properties we actually own and operate. These aren't hypotheticals — this is our livelihood.
Want to stay at one of our properties?
Book direct for the best rates — no platform fees, personal host experience.
Start with a free intro call — no pressure, no commitment. You'll walk away with clarity on what would actually move the needle for your property.