Last-Minute Short-Term Rentals Could Help in Soft Markets
Skift Take
Discount travel sites tend to do well during times when vacation rentals and hotels aren't selling well on more traditional travel sites. Expedia/Vrbo's deal with Whimstay may reflect those market dynamics.
Last-minute travel sites have traditionally gained ground during challenging economic times.
Priceline's now-defunct Name Your Own Price feature, which enabled travelers to place a bid on a hotel, flight or car rental, gained ground during the Great Recession of 2007-2009. So did Expedia's Hotwire, which offered discounted rates on hotels and cars, and only revealed the identity of the supplier post-booking.
In the current economy, property managers, including Vacasa, Sonder, Evolve, and AvantStay, have announced layoffs because of soft demand and excess supply. And last-minute vacation rental site Whimstay has announced discounted inventory deals with Booking.com, Wyndham and Expedia/Vrbo in 2024.
