Q&A: Smoobu's Ambassador of the Year, Annik Rauh

At this year's ITB Berlin, the world's leading travel trade show, Smoobu celebrated a major milestone. In partnership with the HomeToGo Awards, we crowned our first-ever Ambassador of the Year: Annik Rauh of Fewo Angels.

This award recognizes leaders in the short-term rental industry who prioritize education and community. In a market where many hosts react to rising competition by slashing prices, Annik provides the blueprint for staying profitable through operational excellence and high-value guest experiences.

We caught up with Annik to discuss her vacation rental management strategies, her secret for authentic community building, and what's exciting her about the industry.

What first drew you to Smoobu, and what keeps you passionate about helping others in the vacation rental community?

Smoobu was recommended to me because it's easy to set up and includes all the essential features I need. Inspiring others to explore new paths is my personal "why". No matter what I'm doing, I always have the same questions in mind: "Can this be done more simply? More easily? Faster? Better?" It makes me happy when hosts tell me, "Thanks to you, I finally dared to try Booking.com or dynamic pricing," or "I have higher returns now and simultaneously much less work with my rental."

What is the key principle to making a real impact in the host community?

I share an enormous amount of knowledge through my podcast and YouTube videos. I highlight connections and contexts that people rarely talk about. I am the only female podcaster in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) who has published an episode every single Wednesday for years. That builds trust.

You've built a strong community around you. What's been the secret to growing it authentically as a host and an Ambassador?

I'm not sure if you'd call four years "fast," but what helped me incredibly was collaborating with other partners. It's just like Jannik (Managing Director, Smoobu) said recently: If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. The authenticity likely comes from the fact that I share extensive experience involving literally millions of guests through my podcast and YouTube videos.

What has helped you refer Smoobu so successfully, and how do you connect hosts in a way that builds trust and long-term relationships?

It's relatively easy when you've used the product yourself for years, and it does exactly what it's supposed to do. My community trusts me because I am extremely selective about the affiliate links I use. In my podcast, 95% of recommendations are completely unsponsored. Instead, I ask interview partners to support me in their own way. The motto is: "Givers gain." I've had very good experiences with that approach. I also proactively reach out to interview partners myself, whereas I turn down the vast majority of unsolicited requests. Only recommendations I personally stand behind make it onto the podcast.

What new trends, tools, or opportunities in the vacation rental industry are you most excited about right now?

I was at ITB attending a lecture on AI in tourism. The speaker asked, "Who in this room has ever built an AI agent?" The hall was huge and packed. Despite that, only about 10 (!!!) hands went up, one of them was mine. That absolutely stunned me. I recommend that every host invest a Sunday afternoon to play around with ChatGPT or similar tools.

I do see some concern that as competition continues to grow and, large providers are driving prices down. At the same time, there is a massive opportunity here for small-scale hosts: with the help of AI, they can better understand what guests actually need and create unmistakable experiences. If you want to try it out: describe your guests and region to ChatGPT and ask what kind of welcome gift would be low-cost but create a real "wow" experience that shows you've put thought into it. For example, for hikers, I came up with the idea of providing a few granola bars, blister pads, and my personal hiking tips instead of a bottle of wine. It costs less, and the guests love it!

Become a Smoobu Ambassador

Do you have deep experience in the vacation rental industry? Do you enjoy sharing hosting tips and engaging with the short-term rental community? If you're helping others discover the power of Smoobu's management tools, you might be the perfect fit for our Ambassador Programme.

Stay Connected

Follow Annik: Connect with Fewo-Angels on Instagram and YouTube for expert insights (in German) on vacation rental success.

Join the Community: Follow Smoobu on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for the latest industry updates.