Alternative Accommodation

PhocusWire's in-depth coverage of the alternative accommodation sector, featuring news, analysis, interviews, research and more on home-sharing, short-term rentals, timeshare, homestays and other property types.

Opinion / Online

Four online travel agency myths to stop believing now

By Peter O’Connor - Essec Business School | August 8, 2019

OTAs suffer from some image problems amongst many hoteliers, often due to misconceptions or misinformation about how they work. So, let's bust some myths. Read More

News / Online

Booking Holdings integrates brands, develops payment capabilities in quest for “connected trip”

By Mitra Sorrells | August 7, 2019

Booking Holdings reports positive financial results as it works toward what CEO Glenn Fogel called the "connected trip." Read More

News / Online

Airbnb pads out corporate offering with Urbandoor acquisition

By Linda Fox | August 5, 2019

Airbnb has announced the acquisition of Urbandoor, a marketplace for furnished and serviced apartments. Read More

News / Online

What owning the end-to-end traveler experience means for Airbnb for Work

By Jill Menze | August 2, 2019

As Airbnb endeavors to own the end-to-end experience for corporate travelers, is transforming into a full-fledged travel management company in the cards? Read More

News / Online

Vacasa buys remaining Wyndham Vacation Rentals unit for $162M

By Kevin May | July 30, 2019

The sale comes 18 months after Wyndham Worldwide sold its European vacation rental business to Platinum Equity for $1.3 billion. Read More

News / Online

Vrbo ticks revenue growth as Expedia Group gets brand "back on track"

By Jill Menze | July 25, 2019

For the quarter ending June 30, revenue for Vrbo was up 17% compared to the second quarter of 2018, while gross bookings were up 2% compared to the same period. Read More

TravelPerk FlexiPerk business travel refund

News / Startups

TravelPerk shakes up business travel with new refund option for cancelled bookings

By Mitra Sorrells | July 24, 2019

TravelPerk's new FlexiPerk option gives companies a 90% refund on cancelled bookings. Read More

News / Online

Trivago returns to referral revenue growth, ticks four consecutive quarters of profitability

By Mitra Sorrells | July 24, 2019

Trivago is on the upswing in the first half of 2019, with increased profitability and a return to positive referral revenue growth. Read More

News / Technology

Q&A: Vered Schwarz on how women in hospitality can break gender barriers in tech

By Jill Menze | July 24, 2019

Short-term rental software provider Guesty's chief operating officer believes women are uniquely positioned to break down the gender imbalance in travel technology. Read More

News / Online

TurnKey Vacation Rentals raises $48M, courts millionth guest to the platform

By Mitra Sorrells | July 23, 2019

TurnKey Vacation Rentals has raised $48 million in new funding to develop its technology, add new markets and grow its partnerships. Read More

News / Startups

Sam Shank's advice for startups after HotelTonight's "f*cking crazy" ride

By Jill Menze | July 23, 2019

Speaking during Phocuswright’s Battleground event, the CEO shared how HotelTonight fought through its toughest times as well as gave advice for startup founders currently navigating similar waters. Read More

Amadeus TravelClick alternative accommodation data

News / Technology

TravelClick claims first-of-its-kind alternative accommodations tool

By Mitra Sorrells | July 22, 2019

TravelClick, an Amadeus company, has created a data tool providing supply, demand and rate information for 27 million alternative accommodations worldwide. Read More

News / Online

Booking.com relaxes keyword bidding clause with hotels

By Kevin May | July 22, 2019

Previously, hotels were restricted via their General Delivery Terms with the online travel agency on bidding on certain keywords, such as "booking.com" and other copyright terms on Google AdWords. Read More

From Our Partners / Technology

REPORT: Can AI help OTAs earn customer loyalty?

By Marisa Garcia | July 22, 2019

In this report, we’ll explore how using advanced technology and artificial intelligence can help OTAs and metasearch companies gain a competitive edge on bookings. Read More