AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HomeAway, Inc. (NASDAQ: AWAY), the world’s leading online vacation rental marketplace, today introduced Luxury Rentals from HomeAway, a collection of high-end vacation rentals for travelers seeking the ultimate in luxury accommodations and the privacy, space and amenities of a home. Curated by the international luxury travel experts at Andrew Harper – best known for their luxury travel publication, Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report – the site will have one of the largest inventories of high-end properties available in one place, featuring more than 800 luxury vacation rental options in 40 countries, and growing.
The properties range from villas to estates with a spectrum of standout amenities such as gourmet kitchens, cinemas and wine cellars, as well as over-the-top features including a helicopter landing pad, access to a private yacht and an equestrian center. HomeAway® is celebrating the launch of its luxury site with a contest to win a stay at Quinta Clara in Playa Del Carmen, worth up to $18,000.
The new collection of vacation rentals comes at a time when spend on luxury travel continues to climb. According to Companies & Markets’ “2012 Luxury Travel Report,” the luxury travel market is the fastest-growing segment of the travel industry worldwide, producing nearly a trillion dollars in annual sales in North America alone. In addition to an increase in spend, the 2013 Andrew Harper Reader Survey predicts significant growth in luxury travel as well, with 33 percent of luxury vacationers planning to travel more next year than in 2013.
“We created Luxury Rentals from HomeAway as the ultimate resource for the growing number of travelers looking to stay in truly exceptional vacation accommodations,” says Brian Sharples, CEO of HomeAway. “Over time, we expect it to become the largest global resource for finding luxury rentals from both individual owners and high-end property managers.”
Before being selected for the site, properties from HomeAway.com are evaluated by the luxury travel experts at Andrew Harper using a proprietary rating system developed exclusively for HomeAway. The rating system is comprised of a 75-point screening process that evaluates attributes such as price, services, location, amenities and more.
For owners and property managers with exceptional vacation rental properties and services, Luxury Rentals from HomeAway provides a proven marketing channel to access HomeAway’s audience of highly targeted, experience-focused travelers. In addition to owner managed properties, the site also features inventory from some of the leading luxury vacation rental management companies including LaCure Villas, Luxury Retreats and Travel Keys.
Enter the Luxury “Pin to Win” Contest
In conjunction with the announcement, HomeAway partnered with Luxury Retreats to give one traveler the chance to win a seven-night stay at Quinta Clara in Playa del Carmen, a seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom villa available for rent on Luxury Rentals from HomeAway. To enter the luxury “Pin to Win” contest, participants will need to create a board on Pinterest inspired by their idea of a dream vacation. For more details, visit the contest page: https://a.pgtb.me/Jpn99l
About Andrew Harper
Free of advertising since its inception in June 1979, Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report is a private monthly publication for sophisticated travelers. The selection of hotels, resorts and restaurants for inclusion in this publication is made on a completely independent basis, with Andrew Harper, LLC paying full rate for all meals, lodging and related travel expenses. Andrew Harper and his editors travel incognito to write candid and unbiased travel reviews for a subscription service, which provides personalized travel-planning assistance, bespoke tours and valuable travel privileges to its subscribers. For more information about Andrew Harper, please visit AndrewHarperTravel.com.
About HomeAway, Inc.
HomeAway, Inc. based in Austin, Texas, the world's leading online marketplace for the vacation rental industry, with sites representing over 775,000 paid listings of vacation rental homes in 171 countries. Through HomeAway, owners and property managers offer an extensive selection of vacation homes that provide travelers with memorable experiences and benefits, including more room to relax and added privacy, for less than the cost of traditional hotel accommodations. The company also makes it easy for vacation rental owners and property managers to advertise their properties and manage bookings online. The HomeAway portfolio includes the leading vacation rental websites HomeAway.com, VRBO.com and VacationRentals.com in the United States; HomeAway.co.uk and OwnersDirect.co.uk in the United Kingdom; HomeAway.de in Germany; Abritel.fr and Homelidays.com in France; HomeAway.es and Toprural.es in Spain; AlugueTemporada.com.br in Brazil; and HomeAway.com.au in Australia. Asia Pacific short-term rental site, travelmob.com, is also owned by HomeAway.
HomeAway also operates BedandBreakfast.com, the most comprehensive global site for finding bed-and-breakfast properties, providing travelers with another source for unique lodging alternatives to chain hotels. For more information about HomeAway, please visit www.HomeAway.com.
