Catalonia issues pro-home-sharing decree
Spain: The provincial government of Catalonia has approved a tourism decree legally recognising home-sharing and a wide variety of other short-term rental activity. Airbnb praised the decision in a statement, calling it welcome news for Catalan hosts who currently use the platform to supplement their incomes. The status of short-term rentals in Spain has been […]
Pent-up demand “through the roof”: Ben Harper, Beach Retreats
UK: ShortTermRentalz speaks to Ben Harper, group managing director of the Watergate Bay Hotel, Another Place and Beach Retreats, to discuss the interest surrounding staycations and domestic travel this summer, as well as the surge in popularity for booking holiday cottages and aparthotels next to the seaside, as families seek to get away for a […]
Airbnb names most popular UK seaside hotspots this summer
UK: Airbnb has revealed the top ten seaside destinations in the United Kingdom which have seen the highest surge in bookings this summer, as holidaymakers flock away from cities to enjoy staycations in the absence of international travel. According to the platform, the domestic seaside hotspot which has seen the largest increase in bookings this […]
Top Trip Rentals rebrands to Lodgewell
US: Austin based boutique rental company Top Trip Rentals has announced a rebranding, changing its name to Lodgewell. The company will continue offering boutique curated vacation rentals in the Austin area and beyond. Lodgewell has noted that demand for its fully managed whole-home accommodations has grown significantly due to the global pandemic. The company emphasises […]
Vacation rental marketplace KOALA officially goes live
US: Vacation rental marketplace KOALA has officially launched this week, as it seeks to reshape the global $30 billion timeshare industry. Co-founded by CEO Mike Kennedy and COO James Burbridge, KOALA has already raised $3.4 million in Series A capital led by investment specialists Ira Lubert and Dean Adler. The platform aims to enable timeshare owners to easily rent their properties to anyone in the […]
OYO valuation reportedly drops to $8 billion
India: Hospitality unicorn OYO has reportedly seen its value drop from $10 billion [at the time of its last known valuation in November 2019] to $8 billion, as reported by The Hurun Global Unicorn Report 2020. The chain’s valuation had shot up to $10 billion in November as a result of CEO and founder, Ritesh […]