HomeAway acquires Glad To Have You app for undisclosed sum

HomeAway acquires Glad To Have You app for undisclosed sum

Mobile app Glad to Have You has been bought for an undisclosed cash sum by online holiday rental firm HomeAway.

Mobile app Glad to Have You has been bought for an undisclosed cash sum by online holiday rental firm HomeAway.

The mobile guest management solution, designed for property managers and homeowners, aims to improve the way they manage and communicate with guests during their stay.

HomeAway plans to make Glad mobile applications available to its property managers and owners, enabling travellers to have detailed property information at their fingertips.

The apps come in two versions, GladOwners and GladProfessionals, and provide travellers with mobile information about their holiday rental, its facilities and details about local restaurants and attractions.

GladProfessional is in use by more than 300 property management companies in the US, with travellers using the app more than 15 times during an average stay.

The business, formed just two years ago, will join HomeAway and be managed by HomeAway software vice president Bill Furlong. Co-founders Keith Landers and Jason Sprenkle will stay on as consultants during the transition.

Sprenkle said: “We’ve worked tirelessly to create and optimise the best mobile management system and experience for Glad to Have You users and we can’t be more thrilled to share our product with the rest of the vacation rental world through HomeAway’s leading distribution platform.”

HomeAway chief executive Brian Sharples said: “We believe the Glad solution is by far the best example we’ve seen of utilising mobile technology to significantly enhance the experience of staying in vacation rentals.

“The Glad team has created a hit product that has received rave reviews from both suppliers and travellers, and we expect it to have a meaningful impact on HomeAway’s customer experience by bringing an even higher level of hospitality and professionalism to our existing mobile product suite.”