Annie Holcombe has 30 years of experience in hospitality and tourism, holding positions such as front desk, sales and marketing, and owner relations. She has worked for leading online travel agency Expedia, where she oversaw one of the largest vacation rental markets — the Florida Panhandle — leading to a position as senior key account manager specializing in vacation and non-traditional lodging accounts.

She also worked on the channel management side with Lexicon Travel helping managers optimize and grow reach and revenues. She is currently director of business development in the U.S. and Canada for Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. She also is co-host of the vacation rental podcast “Alex & Annie the Real Women of Vacation Rentals.”  She is also a member of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality! In this spotlight, we asked her a series of questions about her work, travel, goals, leadership philosophies and more so you can get to know her better.

  1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
    “Get out of My Head” by Andrew McConnel.
  2. What do you love most about the industry?
    Knowing that I am part of people’s great experiences and lasting memories.
  3. What is something the community may be surprised to learn about you?
    I hate peanut butter. I’m not sure why people find this shocking.
  4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
    Delivering bad news or hard truths.
  5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
    I try to take individual goals and make them team goals so we are all supporting each other. Celebrate the little wins and be there to support and thank everyone individually for their contributions to the team. If we are all rowing in the same direction the momentum naturally builds and self-motivation kicks in.
  6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
    Simone Biles. She is a young woman who was not afraid to speak up (USA gymnastics scandal), not afraid to let her dreams fall to the wayside for her team (2020 Olympics), gives back to her community for others that have been in foster care (https://friendsofthechildren.org), and has proven time and time again that age (in a sport where youth is the norm) is just a number. She also has not shied away from talking about mental health, which my generation and prior ones would never have been so open about. She’s changing the narrative for women around mental health and foster care.
  7. Where do you believe the future of the industry is headed?
     People will always want to travel so I am confident the industry will continue to grow. I am on the vacation rental/short-term rental side of hospitality, and I see this segment continuing to grow and become more intertwined with the traditional hotel sector. Rentals will adopt more standards and compete at a higher level than in past years. Hotel companies will continue to diversify their inventory to accommodate the guest desires of more homey accommodations that rentals offer, and the lodging segments will come closer together as it relates to regulations, guest safety and guest experiences.
  8. What is one thing you look for when interviewing a potential candidate?
    There is a saying I love, that you can’t teach will, but you can teach skill. I look for passion, self-motivation, and positivity. People who show creativity when solutioning a challenge and a desire to look on the bright side of life are my people.
  9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year?
    It’s OK to say no to an invite. Protecting my time protects my mental health which makes me a better wife, mother, friend, boss and coworker.
  10. What’s your favorite podcast?
    I am a bit partial as I have a podcast “Alex & Annie; The Real Women of Vacation Rentals” but for pure enjoyment and entertainment its “Smartless”.
  11. What values are most important to you as a leader?
    Empathy, kindness, compassion and grace.
  12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?
    I will always err on the side of being kind. It doesn’t cost anything.
  13. Do you prefer to work in the office, at home, or hybrid?
    Home, but I do love to travel for work.
  14. Where is your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
    Monterey and Carmel California.
  15. What is a top item on your bucket list?
    Christmas Eve mass at the Vatican.
  16. What do you do to recharge?
    Yoga.
  17. What is your biggest accomplishment?
    So far, other than my family it’s the podcast with my co-host Alex Husner.
  18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
    Get a mentor. Ask questions. Be who you are, not who you think others want you to be. BE AUTHENTIC and most of all, show yourself grace.
  19. What gets you up in the morning?
    Knowing that every day I will get a new challenge, get to meet a new person and connect with people from around the globe.
  20. What do you like most about being a member of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality?
    Learning more about the incredible women that power our industry.

If you would like to become a Women Leading Travel & Hospitality member or need additional information about our organization, click here.