AI in Short-Term Rentals: Costs, Flops and Hits
At the Short Stay Summit in London, Casago CEO Steve Schwab and Forge Holiday Group CEO Graham Donoghue discussed the costs and value of AI in the short-term rental industry. Forge spends $30,000-$50,000 monthly on Anthropic tokens and is considering a token optimizer role. Schwab predicts a 'token economy' and warns of rising compute costs. Despite expenses, both see value: Forge's Vivid Stay tool converts static images to video in 25 minutes, previously costing $2,000-$3,000. They also shared failures, including conversational search not gaining traction and employee resistance to change.
Impact and considerations
AI costs are a growing concern in short-term rentals, with executives sharing real-world challenges and opportunities. Insights on token expenses and ROI are valuable for industry decision-makers.
Key points
- Forge spends $30,000-$50,000 monthly on Anthropic tokens and considers a token optimizer role.
- Schwab predicts a 'token economy' and warns of rising compute costs.
- Forge's Vivid Stay tool converts static images to video in 25 minutes, previously costing $2,000-$3,000.
- Conversational search hasn't gained traction, and employees resist AI changes.
Sources and time
- Primary source
- PhocusWire / Phocuswright
- Other sources
- 0
- First source publication
- 24 Apr 2026, 14:00
- Page published
- 13 Aug 2026, 08:19
- Last updated
- 24 Apr 2026, 14:00
- Original links
- PhocusWire All News：AI in short-term rentals: Costs, flops and hits (opens in a new tab)Primary source · en · Published 24 Apr 2026, 14:00