John Andrew Entwistle, the CEO of Wander, an emerging leader in the luxury vacation home industry, shares how the demand for unique travel experiences is shaking up the short-term rental market.
How have you seen demand for unique and authentic travel experiences shape the luxury vacation home market over the past few years?
We started Wander in 2021 when travelers had incredible pent-up demand for travel in the post-pandemic era. The concept of combining the quality of luxury hotel with the comfort of a private vacation home resonated instantly with our initial target audience and has expanded dramatically since. We pioneered the “hotelification” of vacation rentals and have scaled to 700+ locations. Our prediction is this category of branded short-term rentals will continue to grow in 2025 and beyond, pulling guests from both the vacation rental and hotel side of the $1.3T lodging industry.
What are the hallmarks of a “luxury” vacation home?
From locations with stunning views to super comfy bed setups and modern desk setups, to hotel-grade amenities like pools, spa and saunas, top-tier cleaning and 24/7 concierge, every Wander delivers the consistency and quality that guests want. Even little things like Wander robes and slippers and bathroom kits and little Ghirardelli chocolates on the bedside table add up to create an experience that is unlike anything else in the vacation home space. Wander only had the top 1% of homes on our platform, so you don’t need to worry about having a bad vacation home experience again.
How do you think travelers’ increasing desire for personalized and immersive experiences is influencing the design and offerings of luxury vacation homes?
This trend toward unique experience is having an impact on the amenities owners are putting in their vacation homes. Pools and hot tubs have always done well but we’re seeing other amenities like modern desk setups and saunas and gyms and sports amenities help transform the homes themselves into destinations. Our guests also care about what they’re going to do outside the four walls of the home, which is why we invest heavily in creating content about where to go and what to do while you’re exploring a new destination.
How do you differentiate your properties to cater to this new demand for authenticity, and what does that mean for Wander’s marketing strategy?
We like to think that we “overinvest” in content that empowers guests to book with complete confidence. Photo content is table stakes, but we produce long home tour and activity video covering every detail, floor plans for logistical planning, full amenity lists, activity blogs, home guides and more.
What role does technology play in the guest experience?
The technology we’ve built to power the Wander experience is what has enabled us to scale our industry-leading CSAT (in the mid 90s) and NPS (in the mid 80s) at the speed and correctness of software. Our belief is that the complexity of property management is a problem solved by putting great software in the hands of humans so they can make guests feel special and taken care of.
Can you share any insights on how consumer expectations in the short-term rental market are evolving as more travelers seek non-traditional experiences?
A branded hotel like a Four Seasons will outperform an unbranded hotel (even in the same building) because guests know what to expect and are willing to pay more for a better and more consistent experience. With Wander, we’re seeing that same dynamic play out in the short-term rental space, which we think will be a catalyst for growing this category at an accelerated rate.
