Company also leads Series-C round of multi-million dollar investment in Gogobot.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – HomeAway, Inc. announced plans to integrate three disruptive, market-leading San Francisco-based companies: Uber, Instacart and Gogobot. Once on HomeAway’s platform and industry-leading app, each will simplify the vacation rental experience by making it easy to find transportation, stock up on groceries, plan local activities and choose restaurants based on recommendations from both HomeAway owners and Gogobot’s database of travelers.
“Our integrations with Uber, Instacart and Gogobot represent the first of many services we plan to make available on our platform and the HomeAway app, with a focus on ensuring that our travelers better enjoy their time together,” says Brian Sharples, HomeAway CEO. “We’re also excited about our investment in Gogobot, as we believe it represents the next-generation review platform for the travel industry.”
With the Uber integration into the HomeAway app, travelers can easily book transportation from the airport or while staying in their rental property. The integration rolls out initially in the U.S., with plans to ultimately include the over 200 destinations where Uber operates around the world.
Similarly, Instacart’s integration into the HomeAway app will give families the option to get fresh, local food delivered to their vacation rental in cities such as Austin, Denver and Portland – in as little as one hour. Instead of trying to find a grocery store in an unfamiliar destination, shopping and waiting in line, travelers can simply order meals and snacks from large national chains like Whole Foods Market and Costco, as well as local, artisan stores.
HomeAway’s multi-million dollar, minority-stake investment with social review engine Gogobot will accelerate Gogobot’s growth and expand its reach to more travelers. The integration, on the other hand, will drive recommendations from local experts, such as HomeAway owners, and help vacation rental guests discover the best places to stay, eat or play. Using Gogobot, travelers can access reviews and recommendations from like-minded people who are either Facebook friends or members of Gogobot travel communities, known as ‘Tribes’, such as Family Travelers, Foodies and Outdoor Enthusiasts.
HomeAway plans to integrate Gogobot’s reviews and Guides of more than 60,000 destinations into its app and websites. In addition, Insider Guides – custom online guidebooks powered by Gogobot and created by HomeAway’s vacation rental owners – will become more widely available on Gogobot’s site and within its app.
“Nearly ten years ago when HomeAway was founded, our mission was to make the process of finding and renting a vacation home as easy as a hotel,” adds Sharples. “Our new mission is to make the entire rental experience even better than staying in a hotel by leveraging the power of mobile and the exploding industry for local services that are capitalizing on the power of this platform.”
Using HomeAway’s app, owners can currently supply guests with content about the vacation rental home such as directions to the property, Wi-Fi passwords and curated guidebooks that highlight the owner’s favorite local attractions, restaurants and activities. The service has been available to property managers since HomeAway acquired Glad to Have You in March and HomeAway began marketing the app in August to individual U.S. owners.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
