US: Online travel siteย Whimstay, which helps travellers to find the best deals on last-minute vacation rentals, has added more than 30,000 resort rentals to its platform after partnering with global resort and timeshare firm, Wyndham.
The listings represent a new portfolio of premier vacation rental properties managed by renowned brands such as Club Wyndham, WorldMark, Margaritaville Vacation Club, Rentyl Resorts, Stein Erickson, and The Gant.
At the same time, Whimstay has also reported booking growth of over 350 per cent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
According to Whimstay, resort partners first took an interest in the startup shortly after its founding in 2020 as they searched for solutions to help increase bookings. In 2023, several resort companies approached Whimstay to integrate with its property management system to set the stage, and properties began going live at the beginning of 2024.
Whimstay claims that this gives it a unique position in the marketplace as other vacation rental startups do not offer resorts.
Whimstay CEO David Weiss said: “Whimstay was built for this. Since the beginning, our mission has been to scratch a much-needed itch in the hospitality industry by helping property managers fill last-minute and off-peak vacancies and giving travellers the best deals they can find in a 30-day booking window.
“These partnerships with resorts and timeshares, along with our continued meteoric growth in overall bookings, prove that we have been successful in that mission,” he added.
Featuring a diverse portfolio of vacation rental homes, condos, cabins, villas and resorts across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, Whimstay partners with professional property managers to offer exclusive discounts on properties that might otherwise remain unrented. The startup claims that, on average, guests save nearly 25 per cent – and over $200 per booking – via its platform.
Last April, the marketplace secured $10 million in equity financing to fund new hires and the development of new products and features focused on everything fromย search experience to guest engagement, more integrated dynamic pricing, flexibility for guests, loyalty and rewards programmes,ย ancillary fintech products, and conversion initiatives.
