Articles tagged “property management companies”

VTrips all but outright says that it's more profitable than its larger rival Vacasa. But we'll only know for sure if they both file to go public.

It's a U.S. bias to assume that the answer to every hotel or vacation rental problem is to have a nationally branded management company take over operations. But in Japan and elsewhere, many owners of travel accommodation prefer an unbranded, behind-the-scenes management partner.

Awaze is arguably Europe's largest vacation-rentals business for managed properties. While its acquisitions this week are eye-catching, the bigger news is that it's spending roughly $40 million this year on a tech push. That will help it make better use of its assets.

This deal cements Vacasa status as the largest full-service property manager for whole-home vacation rentals in the U.S. That makes it a rare pure-play bet on alternative accommodations for its private equity backers, which have prompted Vacasa to consolidate more of the sector.

Today's low-interest rates make it a fine time to buy and rent out second homes in many markets. No wonder Vacasa has hired a new CFO and began acquiring properties again.

The startup Life House has a new white-labeled full management service that doesn't require a costly rebrand or renovation. We expect only a few dozen hotels will sign up this year for it. But the new offering underscores the bigger picture, stark choices facing the owners of tens of thousands of independent hotels now.

In a growing sector like this where there is a race to scale up, casualties will always exist. Houst will be hoping to capitalize on Hostmaker's misfortune.

The online juggernaut isn't satisfied with dominating urban markets. Airbnb wants to take the beaches and the mountains, too, in the battle for short-term rental bookings. So the company is becoming savvier in how it approaches local property managers.

As external capital pours into the vacation rental sector, it makes sense that some property management companies believe they need to merge to thrive. It's also notable that Marriott has already begun working with some of Altido's properties for its new homesharing effort.

Vacasa, Evolve, and other startups have stormed the U.S. vacation rental market by offering tech-savvy property management services. The business model is now about to sweep Europe, too.