Germany / US: Software-as-a-service-enabled [SaaS] vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo has announced a partnership with WeatherPromise, an insurance product that aims to enable its guests to take trips with the confidence of knowing their dream travel experiences are protected from bad weather.
The partnership is set to offer travellers an insurance solution that refunds them if bad weather negatively impacts their travel experience, “guaranteeing great weather for vacations and leisure activities around the world”.
HomeToGo is the first vacation rental marketplace to partner with WeatherPromise as it seeks to empower travellers with the option to protect their travel experiences against poor weather conditions.
When a HomeToGo traveller purchases a WeatherPromise and experiences rain for a specific duration of their trip, they will receive a full refund for the entire cost of their HomeToGo vacation rental and stay for free.
Each WeatherPromise is unique and tailored to a particular trip. The company collects weather data from leading global networks such as German Weather Service, NOAA, and NASA- to personalise a WeatherPromise for each personal HomeToGo trip.
WeatherPromise then monitors the weather during a trip via satellites, weather stations and radar. If the weather does not align with the provided insurance policy, the company will automatically refund the entire cost of the vacation rental.
The partnership amplifies HomeToGo’s bid to be the go-to destination for comprehensive travel planning, and is in line with its vision to build a fully artificial-intelligence-powered [AI] marketplace – with WeatherPromise leveraging AI to help shape its weather insurance policies
For hosts, the partnership will help expand their seasons and occupancy, as guests can have more confidence in booking in shoulder and off seasons when weather conditions may be more unpredictable. HomeToGo is currently testing the product as a direct integration into its booking flow, while a limited number of the company’s guests can already purchase the WeatherPromise product as an insurance add-on via the checkout page.
The insurance product is currently available in HomeToGo’s German market to German travellers taking trips anywhere in the world, with the potential to roll out in additional markets in the future.
Grace Mann, senior product manager at HomeToGo, said: “HomeToGo believes in creating unforgettable travel experiences for our guests and that includes empowering them to protect their dream trips from bad weather. We’re so excited to be the first vacation rental marketplace to partner with WeatherPromise to offer our guests unprecedented weather guarantees in our industry.
“No one can control the weather, but with this new collaboration, HomeToGo guests can rest assured that their vacation rental stays will be fully refunded if their trip is negatively impacted by rain. It’s another example of how we’re leading the market as the go-to destination for savvy travellers,” added Mann.
David Klemm, co-founder at WeatherPromise, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with a preeminent leader in the short-term rental space, and launching the first ever weather insurance for vacation rentals. HomeToGo guests can now visit more places in more seasons with confidence.
“We are excited to see all of the new places that HomeToGo guests will visit and be a part of making great vacation memories,” he added.
Founded in 2014, HomeToGo operates localised apps and websites in 25 countries across Europe, North America, South America, Australia and Asia-Pacific [APAC]. The company also operates brands such as Agriturismo.it, AMIVAC, atraveo, Casamundo, CaseVacanza.it, e-domizil, EscapadaRural, Kurzurlaub, Kurz Mal Weg, Tripping.com and Wimdu.
WeatherPromise currently has offices in Germany and the United States.
