New York Times: How to Find the Best Travel Deals Over Labor Day and Beyond
The New York Times highlights Savvy in its guide to traveling smart over Labor Day, naming it among the platforms worth booking direct through to skip administration and service fees. The piece points out that Savvy works like Airbnb but sends travelers straight to the owner, cutting out the OTA markup entirely. That's consistent with what Savvy has seen since launch: travelers save more than 16 percent on average by booking direct, often close to $500 per stay.
NerdWallet: 8 Best Airbnb Alternatives: Book Better Vacation Rentals
NerdWallet names Savvy the best Airbnb alternative for transparent pricing, one of seven options the site reviewed. Unlike Airbnb, Savvy works only with professionally managed properties and charges no service fees — pricing NerdWallet notes comes from skipping the markup and the middleman. With 150,000 properties across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, it's a smaller footprint than Airbnb or Vrbo, but a straightforward pick for travelers who want direct dealings with their host and predictable costs.
Runaway Traveller taps Savvy founder Eric Goldreyer for its guide to real alternatives to Booking.com and Airbnb, naming Savvy the pick for cutting out the OTA fee entirely. The numbers make the case: "Since launching Savvy in early 2025 and processing thousands of bookings, we've found travelers save more than 16% on average by booking direct, often close to $500 per stay," Goldreyer says. Savvy is U.S.-only for now, but not for long — Goldreyer says international expansion is planned to begin in 2027
Runaway Traveller taps Savvy founder Eric Goldreyer for its guide to real alternatives to Booking.com and Airbnb, naming Savvy the pick for cutting out the OTA fee entirely. The numbers make the case: "Since launching Savvy in early 2025 and processing thousands of bookings, we've found travelers save more than 16% on average by booking direct, often close to $500 per stay," Goldreyer says. Savvy is U.S.-only for now, but not for long — Goldreyer says international expansion is planned to begin in 2027
Business Insider covered Savvy's bold response to the Airbnb vs. VRBO billboard rivalry, reporting that the Austin-based startup placed its own billboard near VRBO's headquarters to drive home one simple message: no fees. Founder Eric Goldreyer was direct about the strategy. "What customers really care about is saving money on their stay." Savvy lists only professional property managers with five or more properties, so travelers get a consistent, accountable experience every time. "We want to know if our guest gets there at 11 p.m. and the Bluetooth lock goes out, there's a professional they can call."
Event Marketer covered Savvy's unforgettable SXSW activation: a full funeral procession through Austin's South Congress Avenue, complete with a hearse, police escort, jazz marching band, and pallbearers, all in honor of T.H.E. (Thomas Henry Edward) Middleman. The two-day spectacle put platform fees on notice. No middleman. No service fees. Just a very public burial.
Skift spotlights Savvy (formerly bnbfinder) and its real-time price comparison tool, showing savings of hundreds — sometimes thousands — of dollars on the same property versus Airbnb. The difference comes down to one thing: direct booking. Because Savvy connects travelers directly with professional property managers, guests skip the Airbnb service charge entirely. In one example, a six-night stay at the W South Beach came in $2,397 lower than the same property on Airbnb.
USA Today identifies platform markup as one of the biggest gotchas in vacation rental booking. Savvy CEO Eric Goldreyer explains why: "Hosts often raise their rates to cover service fees they too are being hit with from sites." Savvy (formerly bnbfinder) is built around the alternative. Direct booking, professional property managers, and no platform markup added at checkout.
Authority Magazine calls Savvy CEO Eric Goldreyer "a business leader shaking things up in his industry." The reason is simple. Goldreyer built Bedandbreakfast.com into the world's largest B&B directory, co-founded TurnKey Vacation Rentals before its acquisition by Vacasa, and now leads Savvy (formerly bnbfinder) with the same conviction: travelers deserve professional hosts and transparent pricing. "People are sick of being gouged by fees and disappointing hospitality experiences," he says. "My goal is to show both hosts and guests that there's a better way."
Daily Beast featured Savvy (formerly bnbfinder) in its roundup of the best waterfront vacation rentals, highlighting a standout Folly Beach, South Carolina property available on the platform. The reason it made the cut: direct booking, professional property managers, and savings of up to 20% compared to traditional platforms.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spotlights bnbfinder (now Savvy) as the transparent booking platform for travelers tired of service fees. By connecting guests directly with professional property managers, Savvy eliminates platform markup so travelers pay less and hosts keep more.
Forbes called it "a direct challenger to the status quo." bnbfinder (now Savvy) eliminates the platform markup that inflates prices on Airbnb and VRBO, delivering savings of 15-20% on professionally managed properties. Carl Shepherd, co-founder of HomeAway, put it plainly: vacation rental marketplaces shifted from connecting travelers with great properties to "charging travelers big percentages on the properties that pay them the most." Savvy is shifting that advantage back.
