US: Fare aggregator and travel metasearch engine, Kayak, is launching its Premium product for American users next week, which will promote professionally managed short-term rentals and boutique hotels in its search results.
CEO Steve Hafner announced the news at the Skift Short-Term Rental Summit in New York City this week.
As well as launching on mobile starting next week, Kayak Premium will soon start to let registered users check in and check out via a mobile app. The brand syncs with property management companies and hotel property systems, while also recommending a select number of places to stay on a short-term basis.
Hafner said: “It’s about making sure that we properly badge and promote inventory that we think is a great fit for our users. We’ll be promoting select inventory recommending those travel options to our audience when we think it makes sense.”
Firstly, Kayak, which is part of Booking Holdings, is partnering with apartment provider Lyric, which raised $160 million in a Series B round with Airbnb in April.
The criteria for becoming approved Kayak Premium accommodations include:
• Being professionally managed
• Being positively reviewed
• Offering hotel-standard amenities to cater to tourists and business travellers alike
For more information, visit the Kayak website here.
