What differentiates good Park City vacation rentals from great ones? That is the question Avari is successfully answering. The newly relaunched holiday rental platform is the brainchild of Seth Williams and Brandon Labrum, Park City residents and co-CEOs.
The entrepreneurs independently fell in love with Park City after many years vacationing in the area, ultimately deciding to move their families to Utah full time. Having stayed in local rentals on family ski trips and summers in the mountains, they quickly recognized the difference between a property that merely checked the boxes and one that genuinely improved their experience. That standard became the foundation for their business.
“Avari property owners and travelers are the people we run into at our local coffee shops or on the mountain,” says Williams. “It’s important to us to build a brand we’re proud of in the community we call home.”
Local Insights
Today, Avari represents roughly 300 properties in Park City alone and has a portfolio that stretches from mountain destinations like Lake Tahoe, California, and Bend, Oregon, to coastal spots along Seaside, Florida, and Gulf Shores, Alabama. The vacation rental industry has long sold the idea of a home away from home, integrating the ease of a hotel with the privacy of a single-family property. However, this expectation often falls short when vacationers arrive at their destination. Avari’s answer to that gap is its people.
For its Park City division, the company employs 35 staff on the ground: locals who live in the community they are representing and bring the kind of knowledge no conglomerate can replicate. Staff offer thoughtful recommendations built on a history of living in and loving Park City and are nearby to help answer questions when they arise.
“Park City is a small town at its core,” says Tom Armstrong, Avari’s regional director in Park City. “To create lasting memories for the people who visit, you must have intimate knowledge of this place. That’s not something you can fake, and it’s not something you can manage from a call center. It comes from actually living here.”
Thoughtful Approach
Avari’s revenue management approach brings hotel-level pricing sophistication to individually owned homes, with dynamic rates, top-tier booking window strategies and marketing reach to put a property in front of the right guests at the right time. The result for owners is simple: more revenue with less stress.
“If you own a home in Park City that you’re willing to rent out, it is an asset and it should be treated as such,” says Labrum. “Avari prides itself on curating an experience that gives the respect and tender loving care that an owner would if they were managing the property themselves.”
Notably, that doesn’t mean surrendering control.
Avari builds each homeowner’s unique program around their specific goals, allowing customizable options such as blocking out personal dates and setting availability around their own use of the property. Whether an owner is renting out a primary residence over the holidays or managing a full-time investment property, the program is flexible enough to make sure it works for their priorities.
For guests, the range of rental options sets Avari apart. The company’s many Park City properties span from well-priced, in-town condos to high-end ski-in, ski-out homes for those looking to spend a week on-piste. With Park City attracting travelers year-round, Avari is hard at work in all four seasons linking one client to a slopeside chalet in February and another to a Cottonwood Canyon rental in July.
In addition to building a robust inventory, Avari has invested in providing a straightforward booking process on its website, giving guests an intuitive alternative to third-party platforms and a clearer sense of who they’re booking with. “Booking directly with Avari means we’re with you from the moment you start planning,” Armstrong says. “We can shape that experience in ways that aren’t possible on a large third-party platform, from the content you see to the local knowledge we put in front of you before you ever arrive.”
Hands-On Attention
As Avari continues to evolve, the company is working toward a more fully realized hospitality model that includes ski rentals arranged with a local shop before guests arrive, groceries already stocked in the kitchen, and concierge-style guidance built into the process from the start. Working closely with local restaurants, outfitters, guides and service providers is a driving principle so guests feel like a local.
“One year there was a massive late-season snow,” Labrum recalls. “I took my kids to Snowbird in July. We skied down the back side, played a round of golf and then ate dinner on a patio outside.” It’s the kind of day that’s only possible in a place like Park City, and Labrum and Williams want guests to be free to plug into all there is to enjoy in an area they adore.
For homeowners looking for a smarter way to manage rentals and travelers seeking a seamless experience during a Park City visit, find out more at stayavari.com.
