Frontdesk Plays Its Own Cards in the Shadow of Vacasa and Sonder
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Dennis' Online Travel Briefing
Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, Executive Editor and online travel rockstar Dennis Schaal will bring readers exclusive reporting and insight into the business of online travel and digital booking, and how this sector has an impact across the travel industry.Frontdesk, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based property manager that’s a fraction of the size of larger rivals Vacasa and Sonder, talks a big game as it labors in their shadows.
“We’re hoping to be a Vacasa, and not a TurnKey,” said Frontdesk co-founder and Chief Product Officer Jesse DePinto earlier this week, referencing the fact that Vacasa acquired rival Turnkey in 2021. In other words, Frontdesk, which has raised $22 million in total funding, has aspirations of being an acquirer.
But DePinto isn't finished boasting.
“We’re a financially prudent Sonder,” he added, referring to the struggling public company.
Both Sonder and Vacasa have been losing lots of money, and vow to start turning red ink into greenbacks, as soon as next year.
Like Avantstay, Sonder, and Vacasa, to name a few, Frontdesk “restructured” a few months ago, DePinto confirmed, and layed off 3.5 percent of its workforce, about 13 employees or so, as a concession to what might unfold in terms of macroeconomic conditions.
You may never have heard of Frontdesk until now. So why is it worth a column? Because it sheds some light on the challenges of the multitudes of regional property managers who operate out of the spotlight, and sometimes become th
