Integration with HomeToGo (and Free Bookings for 4 months!)

  • Posted on
  • By

We're happy to announce that we've partnered with HomeToGo!  We hinted that this integration was coming for awhile, and now it's live for everyone!

HomeToGo is a "first class channel" in the OwnerRez channel manager, meaning that OwnerRez will be the channel manager, end to end, for your listings and bookings on HomeToGo. You can sync all content (photos, amenities, descriptions), rates, rules and availability, and you can take live bookings using your own credit card processing.

Even better - HomeToGo is currently running a Bounce Back Program with zero fees on all bookings until the end of March.  Full syncing from OwnerRez, no fees, no commission, use your own credit card processing...  what is there to lose?

Update: Bounce Back Program is no longer available.

Who is HomeToGo and what do they do?

As the world's largest vacation rental search engine, HomeToGo compares over 18 million offers from more than 2,000 trusted partners. From apartments, cabins, boats, castles, hotels, hostels, and everything in between, HomeToGo combines price, destination, dates and amenities to find the perfect accommodation for any trip worldwide. They operate 43 websites, including brands such as Tripping.com and Wimdu, across Europe, North America, South America, Australia, and Asia-Pacific.

HomeToGo’s CEO Patrick Andrae said, “We are thrilled to announce this integration, increasing our network of properties within the United States. OwnerRez is a reputable, well-positioned property management software and HomeToGo users will benefit from more competitive pricing when planning their next vacation.”

Our CEO, Paul Waldschmidt agreed, "Partnering with the world largest vacation rental search engine is a no brainer. This will provide our users more exposure on a global scale."

Join now to expand your reach to millions of new customers. Fast payout, direct guest communication, tailored cancellation policies, and fast integration – that’s how HomeToGo helps property managers maximize bookings and diversify their revenue streams.

Ready To Connect?

Get started with HomeToGo by completing this connection form, or check out our HomeToGo setup and connecting guide.

13 Comments (add yours)

Le Touquet Holid
Dec 1, 2020 5:10 PM
Joined Nov, 2018 113 posts

I'm still


My properties seem to be already on home to go via vrbo and other sites. So will my properties be listed effectively as book direct at a lower price than the big otas? What are the charges for Home To Go after the offer expires?

Paul W
Dec 2, 2020 9:11 AM
OR Team Member Joined Jun, 2009 848 posts

Hi Le Touquet Holid!

HomeToGo has a brilliant model - they do have partnership with the OTAs where they pull in listings automatically but they're also working with PMS systems (like OwnerRez) to integrate property owners directly. In this way, the traveler can pick between going OTA and direct with the owner. It's an ambitious idea, but pretty cool.

After the No Fees program is over, their fee structure aligns similar to Vrbo's PPB and Booking.com commission rates. It's 14% so a tad lower than the others.

They also have pretty wide exposure, so consider that angle as well. When we started working with them, we noticed how far their reach is worldwide - lot of sister websites and international variants that they operate.

Michele W
Dec 2, 2020 9:21 AM
Joined Sep, 2018 48 posts

When the Free part is over, and a guest chooses our property, through HTG, listed on AirBnb, is there double commission? If not who gets paid what?

Paul W
Dec 2, 2020 9:50 AM
OR Team Member Joined Jun, 2009 848 posts

If the traveler does not book direct on HomeToGo, and chooses to redirect through to Vrbo/Booking/other OTA, than there is no cost to you for that other than on the OTA side. When they redirect through, they go to your OTA list, so they are essentially using your other listings.

Michele W
Dec 2, 2020 9:52 AM
Joined Sep, 2018 48 posts

Just checked out HTG website and did a few searches. It appears most of the listings are from VRBO, like 95%+ . Can you dwell on that since they advertise to search all sites. I did not see one AirBnb listing, only a couple of Expedia. I searched big and small markets.

Le Touquet Holid
Dec 2, 2020 10:38 AM
Joined Nov, 2018 113 posts

Agree mostly VRBO and Expedia. I did find my property pulled in from a local French site and Get a Room.
It would be useful to understand the business model of how HTG get paid if a guest clicks through a VRBO or other link? That could impact our pricing decisions for HTG and offer a few percent lower in order to get the guest booking direct. I'm still not clear on the cost for our direct listing. The sign up form suggest the offer is only until end Dec 2020. Its also states after the offer that its 2.5% for full integration and 14% for partial integration.
With the Owner Rez connection are we not fully integrated?

Paul W
Dec 2, 2020 11:22 AM
OR Team Member Joined Jun, 2009 848 posts

Sure, so HTG gets paid by its affiliation with those other sites - Vrbo pays them for those redirects. I believe that's how it works. I don't want to speak for HTG, but I know there are distribution agreements like that in place for others, so I assume it's the same for HTG.

In terms of why your Air or Booking.com listings aren't showing on there, you'd have to ask HTG. They may simply not have mapped that one in for your property. They have a pretty huge index of listings worldwide but I'm guessing that some of those haven't been fully mapped to every OTA. Or they simply may not want to show every OTA if the Expedia ones are more lucrative/easier to use.

Scott K
Dec 15, 2020 6:34 PM
Joined Jul, 2018 6 posts

Fees at 14% after the free period is not a viable option for those of us looking for ways to book with little or no fees. Vrbo has continued pushing higher fees, thus the need for direct options for customers with little or no fees. We need to continue to push direct partners that are more reasonable in pricing.

Le Touquet Holid
Dec 18, 2020 7:44 PM
Joined Nov, 2018 113 posts

Agree HTG have to offer OR clients a better rate. Airbnb are 14% and I don't have to pay any payment fees. So airbnb will always be cheaper than a HTG client. Its a similar scenario for other OTAs. If HTG are serious about getting clients to book direct then I would like to see a rate of around 10% or less.

Jom and Monica
Dec 29, 2020 5:18 PM
Joined Mar, 2018 11 posts

I agree. It would have to be a lot less than 14% for this to be attractive to me. I pay nothing to AirBNB, nothing to TripAdvisor and $500 a year to Vrbo. IMHO HTG can just send people to Vrbo.

GetStay
Dec 30, 2020 7:20 PM
Joined May, 2020 20 posts

A good thing about HTG would be IF they duplicate listings on the same channels while direct connection to channels still persists.

Can anyone confirm?

7BlackDuck
Feb 18, 2021 2:07 PM
Joined Apr, 2018 3 posts

Just got a message from HTG to begin my integration - I signed up after the initial announcement from ORez back in December. The contract says 2.5% commission after the 0% promo period for full integration and 14% for partial integration.

If we use the ORez API to push all info I assume this would be full integration - can you confirm this Paul W? You must have missed being asked this question above so I thought I'd ask again.

Scott J
Feb 26, 2021 2:01 AM
Joined Mar, 2019 196 posts

I just now signed up via OR, somehow missing that it was as easy as a few clicks in the API Integration, but it took 2 months for them to get you connected?