Let’s be honest for a second. We have all been there. You find the perfect vacation rental online—it’s got the pool, the view, and the vibe. You see the nightly rate and think, “Okay, I can swing this.” You click “Book,” and suddenly that reasonable number explodes.

Cleaning fees? Service fees? Administrative fees? By the time you get to the checkout page, you’re practically paying for a second vacation just to book the first one. It’s enough to make you want to close the laptop and stay home.

Travel used to be about hospitality. Now? It feels a lot like a transaction where you’re getting nickel-and-dimed by a faceless algorithm.

But what if I told you there’s a guy who has been in the game for 30 years—before Airbnb was even a twinkle in Brian Chesky’s eye—who is on a mission to fix this? Enter Eric Goldreyer. If you don’t know his name, you definitely know the companies he’s built. He’s the hospitality veteran who practically invented the online bed and breakfast industry, and now he’s back with a new venture, Savvy.com, to save you an average of $400 per stay.

I recently had the chance to chat with Eric about his wild journey from B&Bs to mega-yachts, and why he believes it’s time to cut out the middleman and put the “human” back in hospitality. Grab a drink, because this is a story you’re going to want to hear.

The OG of Online Stays

To understand where we’re going with Savvy, you have to look at where Eric started. We’re talking about the early days of the internet, folks.

Eric launched BedandBreakfast.com years ago. And just to be clear, this wasn’t the “rent a spare room in a stranger’s apartment” model. This was for true bed and breakfasts. He built the largest site in the world for B&Bs, created the first central reservation system that allowed innkeepers to distribute to big players like Travelocity and Expedia, and basically modernized a very traditional industry.

It was a massive success. In 2010, he sold the company to HomeAway (which is based in Austin, Texas, just like Eric).

But Eric isn’t the type to just sit on a beach and retire. (Well, maybe he sits on a beach, but he’s definitely plotting his next business move while he’s there). He loves hospitality because, at its core, it’s about relationships.

“I like hospitality,” Eric told me. “It’s relationships and that’s, to me, that’s what life’s about.”

So, naturally, he bought a boutique hotel. He started with a 12-key property with a business partner, and 13 years later, they still own it (now expanded to 20 keys). But that was just the appetizer.

From Mega Yachts to Tech Giants

If you thought running a hotel and selling a tech company was enough, hold my beer.

In 2013, Eric started a company called Fun Air. If you’ve ever been to Key West, the Mediterranean, or just scrolled through wealthy people’s Instagrams, you’ve probably seen massive inflatable slides hanging off the sides of mega-yachts.

Yep, that’s Eric. Fun Air is the leading manufacturer of inflatables for mega-yachts. So if you see a billionaire sliding into the ocean from the top deck, there’s a good chance Eric’s team made that happen.

At the exact same time (because apparently, sleep is optional), he co-founded Turnkey Vacation Rentals.

Here’s the thing about property management back then: it was very “mom and pop.” You had people who maybe didn’t have a hotel background, but they had a vacation home, and then they started watching their neighbor’s home, and suddenly they were managing 20 properties with a spreadsheet and a prayer.

Eric and his team decided to professionalize it. They built Turnkey into the second-largest property management company in North America by leveraging technology to ensure consistency and quality. In 2021, they sold it to Vacasa.

He had won the game. Again. But then, he tried to book a family vacation to Florida, and everything changed.

The $400 Problem (And the “Savvy” Solution)

Eric was planning a trip to Florida with his wife, daughter, and some friends. He found a place on Airbnb listed at $400 a night for four nights. He did the mental math: $1,600, plus some taxes… maybe it comes out to $2,000?

Nope. The total came to $2,700.

“I thought, okay, this is ridiculous,” Eric said. “I had been dealing with it as a hotel owner… but then to see it as a traveler?”

That sticker shock was the catalyst for Savvy.com.

Eric realized that platforms like Airbnb and VRBO had become bloated. They charge massive service fees to travelers—usually between 15% and 20%—just for the privilege of using their website. On top of that, they act like a fortress, blocking communication between the guest and the host.

Why? Because if the guest and the host talk directly, they might realize they don’t need the platform at all.

“They’re doing all they can to prevent the host from getting the traveler’s contact information,” Eric explained. “You’ll notice that you can only communicate in-app… Hospitality is communication between people. So if you want to reach out to your host, please, do it.”

Disrupting the Model

So, Eric launched Savvy.com about a year ago with a simple premise: No platform fees for travelers.

That’s right. Zero. Zilch.

By eliminating that middleman tax, Savvy saves travelers an average of $400 per stay.

Think about what you could do with an extra $400 on your vacation.

• Upgrade your stay: Get the house with the better pool.
• Extend your trip: Stay an extra night.
• Experience more: Hire a private chef for a night, book a snorkeling excursion, or go hit Duval Street hard.

“That’s money that the traveler can use to… create better memories with friends and family,” Eric noted.

And it’s not just about the money. It’s about the connection. Savvy operates as a “book direct” marketplace. When you book on Savvy, you aren’t booking with Savvy; you are booking directly with the property management company. Savvy just makes the introduction.

No More “Surfing Safaris”

One of the biggest fears people have when booking outside the “Big Two” (Airbnb/VRBO) is safety. How do you know the house actually exists? How do you know the host isn’t a scammer?

This is where Eric’s background with Turnkey comes into play. Savvy isn’t a free-for-all. They don’t allow “Rent by Owner” listings (sorry, side-hustlers).

“When you book with us, you’re booking with a professional,” Eric said. “We don’t allow for rent by owner properties.”

Why does this matter? Let’s paint a picture.

You fly into Miami, rent a car, and drive four hours down to Key West. You arrive at your rental at 11:00 PM, exhausted, kids crying in the back seat. You punch in the code for the Bluetooth lock… and it doesn’t work.

If you rented from a random individual owner, good luck.

“We don’t want you trying to reach some bro that’s, you know, on a surfing safari down in South America,” Eric joked (but he’s serious). “We want you to be able to reach a professional that’s on the island and is gonna let you into your place and will be there in five minutes.”

Savvy vets their hosts. They currently have an 8-to-9 step internal vetting process to ensure every property manager is legit. They are also integrating a third-party trust and ID verification system soon. It’s about peace of mind—knowing that if the A/C breaks or the toilet overflows, there is a business on the other end of the line, not just a guy named Chad who ghosted you.

The Return of Hospitality

The biggest takeaway from my chat with Eric is that the “commoditization” of travel has gone too far. The big corporate platforms have tried to turn staying in a home into a cold transaction. They hide phone numbers. They create generic email addresses. They actively prevent you from building a relationship with the person hosting you.

“They’ve tried to remove the hospitality piece from the equation and make it a transaction piece,” Eric observed.

Savvy is flipping that script. They provide the property manager’s website link, phone number, and email right there on the listing.

If you are planning a complex trip—like a bachelorette party or a multi-generational family reunion—you need to talk to a human. You need to ask, “Hey, is this house toddler-proof?” or “Can you recommend a chef who handles gluten allergies?”

An app can’t answer that with the nuance of a local. A professional host who has lived in Key West for 20 years? They can tell you exactly which chef to hire and which snorkeling boat avoids the crowds.

Eric’s Key West Favorites (A Celiac’s Guide)

Since we were on the topic of Key West (my absolute favorite place), I had to ask Eric for his go-to spots. Eric is a Parrothead and a Hemingway fan, so he fits right in.

But here’s a fun fact: Eric has Celiac disease. So finding good food isn’t just about taste; it’s about safety.

He admits it’s been a minute since his last visit, but he loves finding those “hole in the wall” coffee spots that unexpectedly nail the gluten-free baked goods.

For the record, if you are visiting Key West and have dietary restrictions, Moon Dog Cafe is the spot. It’s right next to the Hemingway House and they have incredible gluten-free options.

Eric’s vibe for Key West? Rent a scooter. Watch the sunset at Mallory Square (yes, it’s touristy, but you have to do it). Wander down Duval Street and bounce between venues.

The Future of Travel is Direct

We are currently seeing a massive shift in the travel industry. People are tired of the fees. They are tired of the lack of support. They are tired of being treated like a metric rather than a guest.

Savvy.com is betting big that travelers are smart enough to realize there is a better way. They already have over 150,000 properties in North America from over 2,500 property management companies. And they are adding thousands more every month.

By the end of the year, they plan to expand internationally.

So, the next time you are planning a trip, do yourself a favor. Check the big sites if you want to browse, but when you are ready to book? Be savvy. (See what I did there?).

Key Takeaways from Eric:

• Stop paying platform fees: You could save enough money to upgrade your entire vacation.
• Book with professionals: Avoid the “surfing safari bro” scenario. Rent from companies that have 24/7 support.
• Communication is key: If a platform won’t let you talk to your host, ask yourself why.
• Support the locals: Booking direct puts more money in the pockets of the local property managers and homeowners, rather than Silicon Valley tech giants.

Travel should be fun. It should be memorable. And it definitely shouldn’t bankrupt you with “administrative fees” before you’ve even packed your bags.

Ready to save on your next getaway?

If you want to see what all the hype is about (and seriously, who doesn’t want an extra $400 in their pocket?), head over to Savvy.com.

Browse the listings, compare the prices (they literally show you the Airbnb price right next to theirs so you can see the savings), and book direct with a professional who actually cares about your stay.

You can also find Eric on LinkedIn if you want to say thanks for the tip.

Happy travels!