THE CHALLENGE
For years, the Crystal Coast ran on one playbook: no refunds. Spectrum's business was built on repeat guests and firm peak-season terms — which worked because nearly every manager in the market operated the same way. Then travelers started prioritizing flexibility, and OTAs began rewarding it with visibility and conversion. Demand moved; the market hadn't.
Spectrum couldn't simply relax its policy: on a coast of large weekly summer rentals, a single high-value cancellation inside the 60-day window could cost an owner tens of thousands overnight. The question was never whether to offer flexibility — it was how to do it without handing owners the downside.
THE SOLUTION
Same risk-shift mechanism, generalized: Spectrum keeps the risk pre-60 days (rebooking likely, manager keeps upside); Roam's coverage responds in the 60→7 day window (highest risk, coverage responds to lost income when a stay doesn't rebook); guest reservations become non-refundable within 7 days (eliminating last-minute vacancies). Spectrum's day-to-day cancellation workflow didn't change — Roam sits behind it, invisible to guests.
Booking
60 days
7 days
Arrival
Manager holds risk
61+ days out — rebooking opportunity is highest, and the manager keeps the upside.
Roam coverage responds
60 → 7 days out — the highest-risk window; coverage responds to eligible lost income when a stay doesn’t rebook.
Locked
Non-cancellable within 7 days.
RESULTS & IMPACT
Lift landed across every channel and in the months that matter most.
More bookings YoY
Dec '25–Mar '26 — the window that fills an NC summer.
Airbnb, YoY
Flexibility rewarded with visibility and conversion.
Vrbo, YoY
Gains across the board, not one channel.
August arrivals
Peak demand pulled forward; July up +24%.
Dec pace
Jan pace
Greg Welch — Spectrum Properties