7 Niche Vacation Rental Websites That Drive Bookings

It goes without saying that as a channel manager for vacation rentals, we know very well what websites drive bookings for our clients. Here are 7 of the niche vacation rental websites (in no particular order) that our clients had the most success with in 2018 – and you may not even have heard of them! If you don’t want to miss out on all the bookings that you could be getting, start advertising with them right now without having to update calendars or prices using your Rentals United account!

1. Misterb&b
2. TUI Villas
3. Despegar
4. CanadaStays
5. Flat4Day
6. Handiscover
7. TravelStaytion

1. Misterb&b

In which markets does misterb&b have a strong presence?
With 210,000 LGBTQ+ hosts in over 135 countries, misterb&b is the largest gay accommodation brand in the world. Their strongest markets are France and North America.

• Commission? 4%
• Do I need to create an account? No, Rentals United creates the account and the ads for you.
• Any restrictions? They only accept LGBTQ+ friendly accommodation.

2. TUI Villas

In which markets does TUI Villas have a strong presence?
The TUI Villas website is translated into 15 languages. Their strongest market is Germany or Germans travelling internationally, especially to seasonal destinations. Their listings also appear on Atraveo.

• Commission? 15%
• Do I need to create an account? No, Rentals United creates the account and the ads for you.
• Any restrictions? You need to have a minimum of 5 properties.

3. Despegar

In which markets does Despegar have a strong presence?
Despegar is the largest travel agency in Latin America. The company, based in Buenos Aires, is present in 21 countries. Next to accommodation, they also offer flights, tickets, cars and packages.

• Commission? from 15% to 20%
• Do I need to create an account? No, Rentals United creates the account and the ads for you.
• Any restrictions? No.

4. CanadaStays

In which markets does CanadaStays have a strong presence?
Founded in 2008 in Toronto, CanadaStays is Canada’s largest vacation rental marketplace, offering travellers a wide selection of unique vacation properties, including cottages, cabins, chalets, condos, lodges and B&B’s.

• Commission? 10%
• Do I need to create an account? No, Rentals United creates the account and the ads for you.
• Any restrictions? They only accept US, Canadian and Caribbean properties. Listings will be distributed to Extended Distribution Networks including HomeAway, VRBO, Vacatonrentals.com, Tripping, etc.

5. Flat4Day

In which markets does Flat4Day have a strong presence?
Flat4Day is a Turkish vacation rental site whose major investor is HomeAway. Their strongest market is Europe and their site is translated into multiple languages.

• Commission? Free, Flat4Day will add their commission on top of your rates.
• Do I need to create an account? No, Rentals United creates the account and the ads for you.
• Any restrictions? Extra fees need to be paid on arrival.

6. Handiscover

In which markets does Handiscover have a strong presence?
The leading accommodation booking website dedicated to people with disabilities and elders, Handiscover is a reliable partner for those guests looking for a nice calm holiday, typically families with 1 child with a disability or a grandparent limited mobility. The UK is their strongest market and European cities like Barcelona, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and holiday destinations such as Mallorca, Canaries, the south of France, Croatia, Florida and Thailand.

• Commission? 10%
• Do I need to create an account? Yes, create an account and Rentals United will insert the ads for you.
• Any restrictions? Only properties with a max. of 15 steps up the stairs (inside or outside)

7. TravelStaytion

In which markets does TravelStaytion have a strong presence?
TravelStaytion offers properties in over 300 destinations worldwide and they’re looking to expand in the following markets:
Big European cities : London, Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin, Greece, Madrid, Seville, Lisbon, Brussels and Dublin.
Other Europe destinations: Sicily, Sardinia and the Canary Islands.
More global destinations: San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, Chicago, Washington, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, Tokyo, Kyoto, Beijing and Shanghai.

• Commission? 15 %
• Do I need to create an account? No, Rentals United creates the account for you.
• Any restrictions? They hand-pick all their properties and only accept professionally managed vacation rentals.

Update: Thibault from the excellent Rentalpreneurs.com website wrote a very good article on how to find and successfully advertise on niche vacation rental websites. Definitely worth a read!