Scott Wolkens' passion for mid-century modern architecture drew him to the desert where he purchased his first vacation rental in 2009. Just two years after gutting and restoring his first rental home in the Little Beverly Hills neighborhood, an unexpected opportunity to purchase a second vacation rental in Racquet Club Estates materialized. With two successful homes renting out year-round, Scott set out to learn every facet of this rapidly changing industry.
When he was faced with the risk of potentially losing his vacation rentals due to the Measure C ballot to ban vacation rentals, Scott became energized to participate in the Measure C campaign. After Measure C was defeated, Scott continued to be a tireless advocate for the value that vacation rentals bring to the City of Palm Springs. Scott is continuously seeking out further opportunities to engage with other owners and share his experience. His efforts to bring visibility to the industry were noticed by Airbnb and Vrbo, where he served on the companies' respective Customer Advisory Boards to influence the future direction and vision of the booking platforms and boost their government relations outreach.
Scott also appeared on an episode of A&E Network’s Vacation Rental Potential series, where he provided guidance to viewers for how to run a successful vacation rental business.
With neighboring desert cities rushing to ban vacation rentals, Scott feels strongly that Palm Springs owners should never be complacent. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to join VRON as a volunteer board member and help to further advance the organization's positive advocacy for vacation rentals in Palm Springs.