Last-Minute Short-Term Rentals Could Help in Soft Markets
Photo Credit: A vacation home that was listed on AvantStay. Some property managers are using discount sites like WhimStay to get bookings on last-minute inventory. AvantStay
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.
