United States
Vrbo’s positive Recommend score rose 9.2 percentage points, from 69.2% to 78.4% — the largest year-over-year gain of any brand YouGov measured in the U.S.
The ranking is powered by YouGov BrandIndex, based on data from current customers between July 2025 and June 2026.
Vrbo posted the largest year-over-year jump in positive sentiment of any brand in YouGov’s 2026 U.S. Most Recommended Brands ranking. Vrbo’s Recommend score rose from 69.2% in 2025 to 78.4% in 2026, driven by a growing share of current customers who say they’d recommend the brand to a friend or colleague. Simply put, more of the Vrbo customers surveyed by YouGov said they would recommend Vrbo than in the previous year, with the share increasing from about seven in 10 customers to nearly eight in 10.
According to the report, “The increase coincided with the October 2025 launch of VrboCare, which strengthened host standards and guest protections, alongside new promotions offering targeted discounts.”
Why U.S. customers are recommending Vrbo
YouGov’s analysis identifies several topics associated with positive customer sentiment, including:
- Home amenities and comfort – 9/10 sentiment
- Property selection and variety – 8/10 sentiment
- Pricing and value – 8/10 sentiment
- Group travel suitability – 9/10 sentiment
One respondent said, “I have always had a great experience with Vrbo. Owners always describe their accommodations clearly and accurately. There are so many choices that meet my needs no matter where I’m traveling, and I can always find the right accommodation at the right price.”
Helping travelers book with confidence
The YouGov result comes as Vrbo continues to strengthen the booking experience through traveler protections, tools that help people identify highly regarded properties and hosts, and more ways to find value.
- Traveler support: Vrbo expanded VrboCare’s rebooking assistance from a 30-day to a 90-day window, and eligible bookings made through Vrbo checkout are automatically covered for internet fraud, denied entry, material misrepresentation, and wrongful refusal to return deposits or payments.*
- Listing quality: Features such as the Loved by Guests and Premier Host filters help travelers find highly rated properties and trusted hosts. Loved by Guests recognizes the top 10% of properties in a destination, based on verified guest reviews. Premier Host recognizes hosts with a proven track record of reliability and great hospitality, including a 99% booking acceptance rate and 0% host-initiated cancellation rate.
- Value and savings: Vrbo’s deal filters help travelers find savings and choose a vacation rental that fits their budget, including discounts for weekly and monthly stays, last-minute bookings, and new listings.
Read the report here: YouGov “Most Recommended Brands 2026 (United States) – full report
*Subject to program terms.
FAQs:
What does YouGov’s Recommend score measure?
YouGov’s Most Recommended Brands rankings are powered by its BrandIndex and track “positive Recommend scores”. These scores are made up of the share of a brand’s current customers who say they’d recommend it to a friend or colleague. The 2026 U.S. ranking reflects data from July 1st 2025 through June 30th 2026. The most-improved comparison, which is the distinction Vrbo received, compares that period with the prior 12 months and requires at least 18 months of BrandIndex data.
What does YouGov’s Most Improved Brands ranking mean for Vrbo?
The increase indicates that a larger share of Vrbo’s current customers included in YouGov’s measurement said they would recommend the brand than in the prior 12-month period. The result; however, does not establish that a specific Vrbo initiative caused the change.
What did Vrbo achieve in YouGov’s 2026 U.S. ranking?
Vrbo recorded the largest year-over-year increase in positive Recommend score among brands included in YouGov’s 2026 U.S. Most Recommended Brands ranking. Its score rose from 69.2% to 78.4%, an increase of 9.2 percentage points among current customers included in YouGov BrandIndex.
What does the score measure?
The positive Recommend score is the share of a brand’s current customers who say they would recommend it to a friend or colleague. For Vrbo, the result reflects current customers included in YouGov BrandIndex—not all travelers, all Vrbo users or the general U.S. population.
Was Vrbo ranked No. 1 overall?
No. Zara led the overall ranking with a 90.5% positive Recommend score. Vrbo’s distinction was the increase in its year-over-year Recommend score, not the highest overall score.
Does this prove that a specific Vrbo initiative caused the increase?
The ranking shows a change in reported recommendation intent among the measured customers. It does not attribute the change to any specific Vrbo initiative, but the analysis does mention the correlation to the October 2026 launch of VrboCare.
Learn more:
- How Vrbo supports guests with booking questions and issues through Vrbo Customer Support.
