Trivago completes integration of HomeAway vacation rental inventory

The technical integration of HomeAway’s vacation rental inventory into the Trivago hotel search platform has been completed. The listings in five key markets are being tested ahead of the company gradually adding more inventory during 2018. Trivago, which compares offers … Continue reading →

The technical integration of HomeAway’s vacation rental inventory into the Trivago hotel search platform has been completed.

The listings in five key markets are being tested ahead of the company gradually adding more inventory during 2018.

Trivago, which compares offers from more than 400 booking sites, is running tests in Germany, Italy, Canada, the UK and the US with more than 150,000 holiday rental properties already available to users.

The inventory is to be displayed as part of its universal search offering, complementing its current hotel availability.

At the same time, a ‘vacation rental’ filter is being tested to enable users to make a deliberate decision during their search.

Managing director and chief revenue officer Johannes Thomas said: “The proportion of travellers who are considering vacation rentals is growing, and we see this as a strategic opportunity to expand our offering.”

He added: “Presenting both hotels and alternative accommodations in one search is challenging from a user experience perspective.

“We don’t want to confuse hotel bookers who use trivago, and that is why personalisation will play an important role here.

“We want to only display vacation rentals when they are relevant to our users. That is why we are thrilled to have HomeAway on board, as this allows us to expand testing on how we can build a more tailored user experience.”

HomeAway chief executive John Kim added: “We believe it is a huge marketing opportunity for HomeAway.

“Trivago’s personalised approach in displaying vacation rentals helps us target a highly relevant set of travellers, and that is why we are bullish on the conversion on our site.”