Holidu, a fast-growing vacation rental company with a presence across Europe and five branches in Spain (Mallorca, Barcelona, Tenerife, Alicante, and Malaga), has acquired Clubrural, a leading portal for rural vacation rentals in Spain and Portugal.
Based in Madrid, Clubrural was founded in 1997 and was one of the pioneers in the booking of vacation rentals in the Iberian Peninsula, with a particular focus on rural tourism. Since then, the platform has grown to a portfolio of 28,000 vacation homes and apartments in Spain and Portugal and attracts more than 15 million website visitors every year. Over 15,000 hosts rent out their accommodation via the portal.
With the takeover by Holidu, hosts benefit from a wider reach of their properties on the Holidu portal, enabling them to reach more international customers. They also benefit from Holidu’s modern software solution and personalized local service. For guests, the integration with Holidu means an expanded range of high-quality accommodations, as the complete Holidu inventory can now be searched and booked on the www.clubrural.com website. Guests can also book Clubrural’s portfolio, which specializes in rural areas, on the Holidu website.
“With this collaboration, we are actively supporting home owners in simplifying operations and expanding their business in the European tourism sector. We offer hosts advanced technology that optimizes their services, from calendar management to payment administration, and we ensure guests receive an immediate booking confirmation, meeting current market demands,” explained Johannes Siebers, CEO and co-founder of Holidu. “At the same time, we seek to strengthen long-term relationships and highlight the importance of vacation rentals in rural areas, which have become a growing market and increasingly sought after by travelers”.
“The incorporation of Clubrural into the Holidu family not only marks a step forward for home owners and travelers, who will experience notable improvements in their bookings and services. It also reinforces our market position and promises a future full of opportunities for growth and development. This alliance emphasizes our ongoing commitment to enhancing the rural vacation rental market, driven by our desire to enrich the experience for those seeking to reconnect and enjoy quality time,” said Javier De La Cruz, founder of Clubrural.
Holidu is one of the leading vacation rental companies in Europe, gaining more than 100 million users every year. The company also offers a software and service solution that helps hosts generate more bookings with less effort. Not only do landlords have access to easy-to-use software, but they also receive personal support from local travel experts. The company has 25 European branches and already manages over 37,000 properties.
“Such strategic acquisitions are a strong growth driver for us on the host and guest side, which gives us a growth spurt in directly managed accommodation,” added Siebers.
The Clubrural Madrid office will continue its operations and become the sixth branch of Holidu in Spain, thus integrating into a company with over 500 employees across Europe. Johannes Siebers, CEO of Holidu, is looking forward to the new collaboration: “We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues and are eager to collaborate together on our mission to make the hosting and booking of vacation rentals free of doubt and full of joy.”
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2024/05/munich-based-holidu-acquires-the-spanish-vacation-rental-portal-clubrural-to-expand-in-the-tourism-sector/