Benjamin Schaible, HomeToGo: In Croatia, the average length of stay is nine days - 31% more than the European average

Vacation Rental Management Days or VRM Days in its first edition last year, it justified the expectations and trust of both domestic and foreign partners and stakeholders.

This year, vacation rental industry experts, service providers and professional property managers are meeting at a new location, in Mozaik Event Center in Zagreb from October 21 to 22, 2024. The second edition of VRM Days was filled with more than 40 lectures and panels with only one idea – professionalization and improvement of private accommodation in every aspect, be it qualitative, marketing, sales and technological aspects.

He is one of the guests and panelists Benjamin Schaible, director of the company's global commercial partnerships Home Togo with whom I spoke about the development of the accommodation rental industry, transparent price display, the impact of artificial intelligence and global trends in an industry that is more than competent. 

Benjamin Schaible, HomeToGo: Instead of developing various services ourselves, we connect travelers with expert partners who enhance their journey, which sets us apart from others in the industry.

One of the most talked about trends in the industry is long-term rental. What is your opinion? Will the industry move in that direction?

"HomeToGo is seeing increasing interest in booking longer stays and we believe it will become an even bigger part of the future of the industry. More people are embracing flexible lifestyles and looking for places that feel like a real 'home away from home' – with office spaces to work on distance, kitchens for cooking, laundry rooms for practicality, etc." states Schaible and emphasizes that their data for Croatia in 2024 indicate that the average length of stay is nine days or 31% more than the European average.

This is HomeToGo's internal data for reservations made between January 01, 2024 and October 15, 2024 (data downloaded on October 16, 2024)

This includes not only tourists, but also remote workers or digital nomads who take advantage of Croatia's beautiful locations, Schaible points out and adds: "Vacation rental are a natural choice for longer stays, and HomeToGo already meets this demand. We encourage our partners to offer amenities that make extended stays more comfortable. For example, pet-friendly spaces and high-speed WiFi for smooth remote work. Our unrivaled range means guests can easily find their perfect place to travel, including those looking to stay longer."

If I remember correctly, HomeToGo was the first or among the first to start showing the "total price" for the stay, without hidden and additional costs before the final calculation. 

If price is the main motivation for renting accommodation, and the price is lower at the beginning with other OTAs (although it may end up being cheaper with HomeToGo), it is quite a risky move. Did travelers and the market understand this fair policy and approach, i.e. a transparent approach to displaying prices?

"Complete price transparency is an EU standard, and with our roots in Germany, we have always tried to ensure that our EU guests have a full overview of the total cost in our search results. However, we note that expectations vary by market: some markets want to see the full price, including fees and taxes up front, while others prefer to see the base price first.

In the US, for example, travelers are used to seeing a base price in search results, with taxes, service and fees added at the end of the booking process. That's why we adapt our pricing strategies to the expectations of our key markets, constantly testing different approaches to meet the unique preferences of travelers around the world.

In July 2023, we rolled out a pay-as-you-see pricing tool across all markets as part of our ongoing testing. This was particularly relevant in our US market, where price transparency for fees, services and taxes is not the norm. With this launch, we were ahead of many regulations, such as the recent regulations in California. We've learned that searching for and booking accommodation is a personal experience, and our pricing strategy continues to evolve to best meet our guests' preferences. As we move forward, our focus remains on providing the best possible guest experience, ensuring a seamless search and booking process for everyone."

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HomeToGo has joined forces with GetYourGuide to integrate traveler experiences, as well as Komoot to enable HomeToGo users to plan and navigate cycling and hiking routes as part of the accommodation booking experience. Is this how HomeToGo differentiates itself from the competition in the market? How do you differentiate yourself from Google or other companies that, from the guest's perspective, offer the "same" product?

"HomeToGo offers the largest selection of vacation rentals in the world, but we don't just stop at great places to stay. We're focused on making the entire travel experience quick, easy, and fun. That's why we partner with trusted names like Komoot, GetYourGuide, WeatherPromise and others to provide their services to our passengers as part of the booking process.

Rather than developing these services ourselves, we connect travelers with expert partners who enhance their journey, which sets us apart from others in the industry. This approach keeps us agile and focused on our core vision: making amazing homes easily accessible to everyone.

It also allows us to offer everything travelers need to create unforgettable vacation memories as part of their HomeToGo experience—whether they're discovering the perfect hiking trail, booking a one-of-a-kind excursion, or getting peace of mind with weather insurance."

Na Vacation Rental Management Days ( VRM days ) which is held in Zagreb from 21 to 22 October 2024., you will be on a panel on the topic: The future of the industry?

Everything in the industry revolves around technology and data. From channel management, direct booking, reviews, automated AI messages, review tracking, connecting all smart devices in the accommodation, dynamic pricing, revenue management... The question is how to make a breakthrough or what is the next big thing in the rental industry? What is the future of the rental industry? The main goal is to find your unique story and strong differentiation in the market?

"The vacation rental market is huge and still very fragmented—which means there's so much untapped potential in our industry. According to Google Market Trend data from 2023, up to 37% of guests are staying in a vacation rental for the first time. That means millions new passengers on the market and ready to conquer.

How to achieve this? The answer is simple: technology. As Millennials and Generation Z become the dominant travel demographic, technology will play an even bigger role in shaping the future of travel.

For rental property owners, now is the time to connect with the right demand, technology and data to stay ahead of the competition.

HomeToGo does exactly that: we provide our partners with access to highly attractive domestic and international travelers, with long booking periods and larger baskets. Our partners also benefit from our superior infrastructure – from seamless mobile experiences to a smooth payment process. In 2023, we announced HomeToGo_PRO, our B2B segment designed to provide our partners with advanced solutions, ensuring they have everything they need to succeed in an increasingly technology-driven industry—while focusing on what really matters: their guests.

In addition, we offer solutions for every type of partner in the vacation accommodation industry. Thanks to our strategic approach to mergers and acquisitions and our talented team, we've built and improved tools to suit everyone—from individual hosts to software partners, asset managers and more. This has fully integrated us into the holiday accommodation market, enabling us to create the right solutions for both partners and travellers. That's one of the things that sets us apart from others in the industry."

The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on industry is enormous. We are only at the beginning of development and the influence of AI will only increase in the future. How did HomeToGo implement AI and what are the future plans? 

"We are proud to be a leader in implementing AI in the accommodation rental industry, launching the segment's first AI travel planner in May 2023: AI Mode. AI Mode acts as a travel planner, offering personalized rental and destination recommendations through a simple, conversational interface— like talking to a friend who knows all the best locations.

Since then, we have expanded our AI portfolio with AI Sunny, a travel assistant that provides instant support to guests. AI Sunny has already reduced the need for human intervention in customer support cases by 40%, while maintaining a high level of service quality.

We have also introduced AI tools that enable our partners to achieve the best results while helping travelers make quick and informed booking decisions. For example, HomeToGo Smart AI Reviews and Smart AI Summaries use AI to highlight key details of accommodations, presenting them to travelers in a clear and concise manner. Partners get a display of their best features, and travelers quickly find what's most important to them without the need for lengthy searches.

In addition, we use AI for image enhancement, natural language processing and more to enhance our partner listings. The best part? These AI solutions are seamlessly integrated into our platform, enhancing the experience without interruption. In fact, travelers may not even realize they're interacting with AI because it's so naturally woven into the very core of our platform.

The next step in our plan is to develop an AI travel assistant that covers the entire journey: Super AI Sunny. This revolutionary feature, Super AI Sunny, will go beyond search and booking and enhance the entire passenger experience. Think personalized packing lists, curated local recommendations and more!""

And finally, what direction is HomeToGo going in the future? Are new acquisitions planned, specialization in one segment as an added value?

HomeToGo was founded as a metasearch in 2014, and over the past decade we have experienced incredible growth, including our IPO in 2021. Today we have evolved into a SaaS-platform with a dual focus: our B2C Marketplace and HomeToGo_PRO, our B2B segment. HomeToGo_PRO offers innovative software and service solutions, including subscriptions, with a particular focus on SaaS for vacation rental offerings.

Looking ahead, we also predict that artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to drive transformations in our industry, becoming a key tool in travel planning. AI has unlimited potential, and players in the vacation rental market who can quickly test, learn and drive AI-based solutions for their guests and partners will be at an advantage.

This is HomeToGo's approach: it's all about staying one step ahead of travelers' needs and building solutions that will make the traveler experience even better in the future. It's a way to stand out." he concluded Schaible, Director of Global Commercial Partnerships at HomeToGo

/ / / read the interview in English

Vacation Rental Management Days it is intended primarily for agencies and professionals engaged in mediating the rental of private accommodation.

Location: Zagreb, Mozaik Event Center

Kadfa: October 21 and 22, 2024.

Program: See the full two-day program in more detail on the website VRM Days.