If you’ve ever booked a vacation rental online, there’s no doubt that the experience can feel like a gamble. You scroll through photos, scan a few reviews, and hope for the best. Sometimes, the reality matches the listing. Sometimes, it doesn’t.
Travis Wilburn knows this all too well. A hospitality veteran with deep roots in the vacation rental industry, he still remembers the moment his mother—on a rare family vacation—peeled back the sheets of a supposedly five-star home and uncovered what he described as “a scene that looked like three people had died there.” That trip, in Vancouver, was meant to be a long-overdue celebration. Instead, it became a cautionary tale. “I realized very quickly that we needed to do better as an industry,” says Wilburn.
That moment would eventually lead Wilburn to create The 100 Collection, a curated portfolio of vacation homes that aims to set a higher benchmark for short-term rentals. But rather than disrupting the travel industry with another tech platform, Wilburn and his team are taking a quieter approach—one rooted in trust, community, and the idea that quality hospitality still matters.
This Collection is Different
Launched in 2022, The 100 Collection isn’t a booking site, nor is it a marketplace that opens its doors to anyone with a spare room. It’s less a platform and more a filter—a way to identify vacation homes that meet a certain standard, managed by people who are deeply embedded in the places they serve. Homes are selected through a vetting process that draws on guest reviews, safety protocols, hospitality standards, and how well each property reflects the character of its location. Every detail, from modern conveniences to the availability of local recommendations, is considered.
The reach extends across North America and the Caribbean, but the premise remains simple: every property in the collection is locally managed by professionals who know their markets, their homes, and their guests. “These managers inspect the properties on a regular basis to make sure they meet their standards,” says Wilburn. “But more importantly, they’re tuned in to the local market. They can guide guests to the best restaurants, bring in private chefs, help you get from the airport, introduce you to their favorite fishing guide or hiking trail.”
In this way, The 100 Collection serves less as a brand and more as an assurance that a particular home has been tested not just for comfort, but for care.
Local Expertise
One of the more interesting things about The 100 Collection is what it doesn’t do. It doesn’t charge consumers to book. It doesn’t host transactions. And it doesn’t rely on anonymous listings that blur the line between amateur and professional. Instead, guests book directly with the local property managers who maintain the homes—an approach that often saves money and provides a more personalized experience.
In Wilburn’s view, this is where much of the confusion in the vacation rental space lies. “People think Airbnb is the vacation rental,” he says. “But Airbnb is just a platform, like Kayak. That doesn’t make everything on it equal.” He compares it to lumping Ritz-Carlton and roadside motels into the same category simply because both can be booked online.
What The 100 Collection offers is a kind of genre clarification: not every short-term rental is alike, and not every host is a professional. By working exclusively with local property managers—many of whom are recognized community leaders—the company puts the human element back at the center of the guest experience.
Trust
While the homes in The 100 Collection range in style and location—from rustic mountain lodges to sleek beachside villas—there’s a consistency in how they’re cared for. The property managers, most of whom run long-standing businesses in their towns, conduct regular inspections and maintain high hospitality standards. It’s a contrast to the hands-off hosting model that’s become common in recent years.
But perhaps the bigger difference is what these local managers do outside of their work. Many are known for organizing relief efforts after wildfires or hurricanes. They donate supplies, fundraise for local causes, and act as stewards of their communities. In places increasingly shaped by tourism, that kind of presence matters.
“The managers we work with aren’t just invested in the guest experience—they’re invested in the towns themselves,” says Wilburn.
A Future That Resembles the Past
While The 100 Collection is still relatively new, Wilburn has a clear vision for where it’s headed. “I hope it becomes synonymous with something like Michelin stars,” he says. “A trusted marker. Something that tells people: this is a place worth staying, and these are people worth knowing.”
It’s an ambition that’s less about expansion and more about intention. In an industry flooded with options—and confusion—The 100 Collection is betting on curation over scale, and relationships over algorithms. It’s not trying to replace Airbnb or VRBO, but rather to give travelers an alternative: a way to book a home without gambling on quality, and to connect with a place beyond the front door.
As travel continues to evolve, so too does the definition of what makes a stay memorable. For some, it’s high thread-count sheets and an HVAC system that doesn’t require an engineering degree. For others, it’s being greeted by someone who knows where to get a reservation at the place that doesn’t take reservations. Ideally, it’s both.
And for those who want more than just a place to stay, that’s where The 100 Collection quietly makes its case—with people who live where they host, and care as much about the stay as the guests who book it.
Photos courtesy of The 100 Collection
Main image: Hawaiian Elegance, Big Island Hawaii