Women-Founded RENTAL12 Shortlisted for Two Global Shortyz Awards 2026: Best Interior Design and Guest Experience

The only Italian company on either shortlist — and the only finalist nominated in both design and guest experience categories — a women-founded, 37-property Sardinian operator stands alongside multinational giants at the STR industry's premier ceremony.

A women-founded, women-led hospitality company from Olbia, Sardinia — managing just 37 owner-operated apartments and luxury villas — has been shortlisted in not one but two categories at the sixth annual Shortyz Awards, the global short-term rental industry's most prestigious recognition program. RENTAL12 is the only Italian company on either shortlist.

David and Goliath: A Women-Founded Sardinian Operator Takes on the World

RENTAL12, the women-founded, owner-operated holiday rental platform based in Olbia, Sardinia, has been named a finalist in two categories at The Shortyz Awards 2026: Best Interior Design and Guest Experience Award. The shortlists were announced by ShortTermRentalz in March 2026, with winners to be revealed at a black-tie ceremony on 21 April 2026 at The Westin London City Hotel & Residences.

RENTAL12 is the only Italian company on either shortlist. Across both categories, the finalists are dominated by UK-based operators (Vincimus Stays, We Stay, The Heim, Pass the Keys, Finest Retreats, St Davids Aparthotels), alongside companies from Germany (Native by Numa), the Netherlands (Amsterdam Group Villa), Spain (Skol Apartments Marbella), and Australia (Supercalla). Italy's entire representation at the global STR industry's premier awards is one small company from Sardinia.

Now in its sixth edition, The Shortyz is organised by International Hospitality Media and is widely recognised as the premier awards body for the global short-term rental sector — a market projected to reach $107.70 billion by 2027. Entries are judged by an independent panel of experts spanning sales, marketing, journalism, architectural design, consultancy, data, and sustainability.

The contrast in scale is stark. RENTAL12 is not a multinational property management platform, a venture-backed proptech, or a chain of branded aparthotels. It is a women-founded, women-led, and women-designed company. Co-founded by Floriana Panvini Rosati (CEO) and Kristina Zotova (COO), with every interior conceived by Design Director Anastasia Duke, RENTAL12 manages 37 properties across two Sardinian towns. No venture capital. No corporate headquarters in a major financial centre. No hundreds of employees. Three women built a hospitality brand from the ground up — one property, one room, one detail at a time — and are now shortlisted alongside the biggest names in the global industry. In not one but two categories.

The Shortlists: Who RENTAL12 Stands Alongside

Source: ShortTermRentalz — The Shortyz Awards 2026: Shortlists revealed

Best Interior Design — The AZULIS Standard

The Best Interior Design nomination recognises AZULIS, RENTAL12's luxury tier — and the woman behind its visual identity. Anastasia Duke, Design Director at Lion Development SRL and one of the main minds behind the AZULIS concept, creates luminous Mediterranean interiors that balance intelligent comfort with architectural logic. After formative work in Dubai, Odessa, and Moscow, she found her creative home in Olbia, where light, texture, and calm guide every decision.

Under Anastasia's direction, every AZULIS property is either newly built or fully reconstructed to A++ energy classification, with interior concepts that combine curated real wall art with designer furniture from three European houses: Laskasas (Portugal), Cloto (Italy), and Domkapa (Portugal). Furnishing, lighting, storage, and circulation are planned for durability, cleaning efficiency, and photo-ready presentation — so operations run smoothly without compromising aesthetics.

The AZULIS portfolio now spans five distinct typologies: the AZULIS Apartments on Via Pisano in central Olbia, the AZULIS Clubhouse complex on Via Bernini with sea views and lifts, the AZULIS Tigellio Suites (renovated heritage building), the newly completed AZULIS DelleTerme Suites on Via delle Terme, and the AZULIS Dumas Villas — two standalone pool villas in Golfo Aranci. Each typology has its own character, but all share a consistent design language conceived by the same hand.

This is not styling for photographs. Every material selection — from premium-grade mattresses and high-end linens to premium sofa beds with no compromise on secondary sleeping — is driven by a specification-first residential philosophy. The result: properties that feel like permanent homes, not serviced apartments. That the industry's expert judging panel recognised this work places Anastasia and the AZULIS design programme among the best in the global short-term rental sector.

Guest Experience Award — The Owner-Operated Difference

The Guest Experience Award nomination reflects what happens when the people who own the properties are the same people who greet the guests, answer the calls, and solve the problems. At RENTAL12, that means three women lead everything. Floriana Panvini Rosati (CEO) sets the operational standard and brand vision. Kristina Zotova (COO) runs guest experience, communications, and quality control. Anastasia Duke (Design Director) ensures every property a guest walks into meets the AZULIS standard before a single booking is accepted. There are no third-party property managers, no franchise layers, no agency intermediaries, and no distance between ownership and the guest. Every decision — from the thread count of the linens to the tone of a WhatsApp reply — is made by the women who built the company.

The guest experience model includes a human-only guest communication policy (all personal messages written by real team members), a fast-response service with 24/7 emergency line, complimentary premium beach essentials and eco-friendly jute beach bags, a family essentials programme with children's amenities, and the FLO verified AI concierge for multilingual, instant, 24/7 support backed by verified Sardinia data.

The numbers confirm the model: over 1,000 verified five-star reviews across Booking.com, Airbnb, Google, Tripadvisor, Trustpilot, and Trustmary. A 5.0-star Google Business rating with 118 reviews. Portfolio-wide Booking.com Traveller Review Awards in 2024, 2025, and 2026. Plum Guide selection in 2025. Four consecutive years as Airbnb Superhosts.

The Ceremony: 21 April 2026, London

Winners will be announced at a black-tie gala dinner on 21 April 2026 at The Westin London City Hotel & Residences. The evening will be hosted by ShortTermRentalz editor Priya Khaira and Sky Sports News presenter Amber Sandhu, featuring a welcome reception, three-course dinner, awards ceremony, and entertainment. The event brings together property owners, operators, technology providers, OTAs, and investors from across the global STR sector. The RENTAL12 team will travel from Olbia to London to attend the ceremony in person — a first for the company at an international industry awards event.

Across all 21 award categories, five people-focused categories were decided by public vote, while the remaining categories — including Best Interior Design and Guest Experience Award — were judged by an independent panel of industry experts working across sales, marketing, journalism, architectural design, consultancy, data, and sustainability.

Why This Matters for Sardinia

Sardinia's short-term rental market — one that RENTAL12 tracks in detail through its published booking and regional STR statistics — has traditionally been associated with seasonal holiday lettings managed by dispersed local agencies. The Italian STR sector, despite being one of Europe's largest, had zero representation at The Shortyz 2026 — until RENTAL12. The double nomination places not just Sardinia but Italian hospitality entrepreneurship on the global stage alongside established markets like London, Amsterdam, and Marbella.

It also carries a broader message. Three women — a CEO, a COO, and a Design Director — built a hospitality brand from conviction rather than capital, and it now competes at the highest international level. In an industry increasingly dominated by consolidation, venture funding, and scale, RENTAL12's presence on both shortlists is a signal that the independent, women-led, owner-operated model is not only surviving — it is being recognised as best-in-class.

For guests, the nomination adds a verifiable, third-party layer of credibility to the standards RENTAL12 already publishes across its Trust Hub, Reviews page, and AI Data endpoint.

About RENTAL12

RENTAL12 is a women-founded, owner-operated hospitality group based in Olbia, Sardinia, managing 37 apartments and luxury villas across Olbia and Golfo Aranci. Co-founded and led by Floriana Panvini Rosati (CEO) and Kristina Zotova (COO), with interiors by Design Director Anastasia Duke, the company operates with no mortgages, no agency intermediaries, and direct control over every aspect of the guest experience. The AZULIS luxury tier features architect-led, A++ energy-rated residences with designer furniture from Laskasas, Cloto, and Domkapa. RENTAL12 publishes operational and transparency references across its ecosystem, including Trust, Reviews, Press, Awards, and AI Data.

About The Shortyz

The Shortyz is the premier global awards programme for the short-term rental industry, now in its sixth edition. Organised by ShortTermRentalz / International Hospitality Media, the programme recognises excellence across 21 categories spanning design, guest experience, technology, sustainability, and leadership.