HomeAway, the platform that lets you rent out your home (or other unused houses) as a vacation property, announced today that it has purchased enterprise-level rental management startup Glad to Have You (Glad).
Glad’s mobile apps give vacation rental companies, hotels, and resorts an easy way to communicate and keep track of guests during their stay. Glad also provides guests with all necessary information prior to checking in as well as a local venue recommendation service to enhance their experience. And it lets them leave feedback about rental properties. The acquisition makes a lot of sense for HomeAway as such a service would prove very useful to its many clients listing their own homes as vacation rentals.
HomeAway said it plans to make Glad’s GladOwners mobile app available free of charge to property managers and owners that use its platform to rent out their space. However, those who want access to the GladProfessional version of the app will need to pay $10 per month or $100 annually. For the extra fees, the pro app offers features like providing guests with push notifications and the ability to request maintenance. Property managers also gain guest analytics, integration with preexisting software systems, and the option to add custom branding to the app’s interface.
“The GLAD team has created a hit product that has received rave reviews from both suppliers and travelers, 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,” said HomeAway CEO and founder Brian Sharples in a statement.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Glad previously raised $855,000 of a $1 million round back in 2012. The Austin, Texas-based HomeAway said Glad will continue to operate as a separate service, while the startup’s founders will stay on as consultants to help with the transition.
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HomeAway acquires vacation rental management service ‘Glad to Have You’
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