For HGTV’s latest travel series, Wild Vacation Rentals, the network isn’t chasing postcard beauty or endless drone shots. Instead, the show treats viral, headline-grabbing vacation homes like real consumer decisions, putting them through an honest test to answer the only question that matters: Is this place actually worth your time and money, or does the gimmick wear off the moment you check in?

Led by comedians Sherry Cola and D’Arcy Carden, each episode stress-tests three wildly unconventional rentals — from a bird’s nest to a grain silo to a literal potato-shaped house — and forces a clear verdict. Rather than selling viewers on vibes, Wild Vacation Rentals compares, critiques, and ultimately crowns one true “must stay,” turning travel TV into something far more useful: a watchable test drive with a takeaway you can actually use.

‘Wild Vacation Rentals’ Is Travel TV With a Verdict, Not a Montage

For each episode of the new series, Cola and Carden will embark on a three-property tour, where they’ll hear about the properties directly from the owners. From incredible designs and unique quirks, each home will be given the spotlight with care. Like other travel shows, it’s not a one-and-done experience. They’re not just touring one property and calling it a day. The format forces comparison by pitting three rentals in a head-to-head battle. The structure gives a clear winner, but like other reality television competition shows, their opinion isn’t set in stone. Like Retta‘s Ugliest House in America and Scariest House in America, she’ll make a decision based on her experience, but that doesn’t mean we must agree. No matter the result, viewers receive a tangible takeaway they can use when planning their dream getaway. Wild Vacation Rentals isn’t a glorified advertisement—it’s a practical competition to boost enticement.

As someone who used to live and breathe the Travel Channel and every show Samantha Brown hosted, Wild Vacation Rentals is a far departure from the old format. In those types of shows, it was a celebration of a dream destination, with montages, B-roll, and put-on reactions aplenty. Here, it’s a tour with a mission. Rather than ending on a content note, you leave Wild Vacation Rentals pondering, “When can I book that?”

Comedy Leads To Honesty for a Consumer-Led Test Drive

As the hosts said of the show, “We’re exploring every corner of the map to figure out where you can get the most bang for your buck.” With two trusted hosts, rather than an expert you’re getting to know, Wild Vacation Rentals provides a result in which you believe the thesis, “Is it worth it?” The beloved experts on the network certainly know the ins and outs of what makes a rental special, but they’re not experiencing it as a consumer. Wild Vacation Rentals‘ judging is a far cry from what you hear on Rock the Block. Practicality is in the driver’s seat through Cola and Carden’s test drive. With a mission to treat outrageous stays as real options, their reactions will be our reactions if we were in their position. They’ll spotlight quirks, surprises, and what’s genuinely worth it. With so many options out there, this is the best of the best.

In an age when we often get travel advice from social media influencers who may have an affiliation with their stays, this series serves as an antidote to that. Hilariously honest reviews are more practical than disingenuous reactions that seek likes and shares. They’re there to have fun, not make a buck; thus, the trusted reaction. Audiences are tired of the staged, “perfect stay content” they’re fed. Yes, we might seek it out for our feed, but it seems just to be part of our daily scroll. HGTV is testing out a new way to travel through truth. When the series begins, Wild Vacation Rentals starts in the Central United States, where we’ll immediately see whether these rentals can withstand the gimmick and its 15 minutes of fame.

Wild Vacation Rentals premieres on Monday, March 2, at 10 p.m. ET/PT and will be available to stream the next day on HBO Max and Discovery+ beginning March 3.