:
UK: Entrepreneur Kieron Donoghue has launched VillaLaunch, a new web platform for short-term rental and holiday home owners.
The service provides custom-built websites that allow property owners to accept direct bookings without paying commission fees to platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo.
VillaLaunch allows owners to build individual websites tailored to each property and its location, rather than using standard templates. The sites are designed for mobile use.
Each website includes a photo gallery, booking calendar, pricing table, guest reviews, FAQ section, location information with a map, contact options including WhatsApp, and a blog. Legal pages, including privacy policies and rental terms, are also provided.
The platform also includes calendar synchronisation with Airbnb and Vrbo using the iCal standard. This allows bookings and availability to update automatically across platforms, reducing the risk of double bookings.
VillaLaunch currently offers free setup during its launch period. Ongoing subscription fees are £22 per month in the UK and $29 per month in the US, covering hosting, maintenance, updates, and support. There are no long-term contracts.
“Most individual villa owners are brilliant at hosting but do not have a professional online presence of their own,” said Kieron Donoghue, VillaLaunch founder. “They are completely dependent on Airbnb or VRBO, giving away a significant slice of every booking with no direct relationship with their guests and no brand to call their own. VillaLaunch changes that. We build something genuinely beautiful and functional for them, and we make it simple enough that they can run it themselves from day one.”
- VillaLaunch is currently focused on property owners in the UK and Florida, with plans to expand to other markets.
- Property owners can accept bookings without paying commission to platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.
- Each site is tailored to a specific property rather than using templates, with a mobile-first design.
- Two-way iCal synchronisation keeps availability consistent across multiple platforms.
- Sites include booking tools, guest communication options, content features, and legal pages.
- Free setup with ongoing monthly fees and no long-term commitment.
