Specialized Channel Manager for Holidu

The Origins: Holidu’s Founding Story

The roots of Holidu are traced back to the entrepreneurial spirit of brothers Johannes and Michael Siebers. Having a background in international business and technical expertise, respectively, the duo shared a vision of creating a seamless and convenient way for travelers to discover and book a perfect vacation rental.

Recognizing the fragmentation and complexity of the vacation rental market, the Siebers brothers saw an opportunity to leverage technology to simplify the search process for users. In 2014, Siebers leaped and established Holidu.

The Munich-based startup Holidu has quickly become a leading vacation rental search and booking platform. Holidu attracts millions of travelers worldwide by combining advanced technology, strategic partnerships, and a customer-centric philosophy. Holidu has secured over $120 million in funding and positioned the company for continued success in the dynamic vacation rental market.

The Core Product: Holidu’s Meta-Search Engine

Holidu’s meta-search engine scours over 1,000 travel sites and property managers to provide users with a view of more than 15 million vacation rental properties worldwide. The company’s innovative approach eliminates the need to switch from multiple platforms, saving time and effort while securing the best available deals for travelers.

What sets Holidu apart is the platform’s proprietary image recognition technology. The technology analyzes listing images and property details, boasts an impressive 95% accuracy rate in identifying and de-duplicating listings, and ensures customers see the lowest available prices without duplicates cluttering the search results.

Expanding Horizons: The Bookiply Subsidiary

Holidu’s meta-search engine caters to travelers, but the company recognized the need to support vacation rental property owners and managers too. In 2016, Holidu launched the subsidiary Bookiply, a software-and-service solution designed to help property owners maximize bookings and streamline operations.

Through Bookiply, Holidu has become the largest supplier of vacation rentals in popular European leisure destinations, like the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and Sardinia, underscoring the company’s commitment to serving travelers and property owners alike.

Agility and Innovation

As travel restrictions and lockdowns around COVID-19 impacted the broader market, Holidu saw an initial decline in bookings. The company quickly responded to shifting traveler behavior by introducing flexible cancellation policies and tailoring offerings to accommodate the booming demand for domestic and rural getaways.

Holidu’s nimble approach paid off, as the platform’s search engine business became operationally profitable during the pandemic. In July 2020 alone, the platform saw over 27 million travelers, resulting in a staggering 2.6x year-over-year growth in bookings and generating over €130 million in new bookings.

Fueling Growth: Investment and Expansion

In 2019, Holidu secured a €40 million Series C funding round, led by Prime Ventures and other prominent investors.

The funding was further bolstered in 2020 with a €5 million extension, including a €4 million private investment from Kees Koolen, the former CEO of Booking.com. As a result, Holidu has accelerated product development, expanded teams, and solidified partnerships with online travel agencies and property managers.

One of Holidu’s key growth strategies is expansion into the United States market. With the appointment of Stephen Thresh, a seasoned industry veteran with over 18 years of experience at Booking.com, Holidu is poised to replicate the company’s European success in the lucrative American vacation rental market.

Commitment to Sustainability and Customer Satisfaction

Growth and profitability are essential for businesses, but Holidu’s CEO, Johannes Siebers, emphasizes the company’s commitment to building a sustainable and customer-centric organization. The approach permeates every aspect of Holidu’s operations, from providing exceptional service and value to travelers, to supporting and empowering property owners through Bookiply.

By fostering a strong team culture and maintaining a laser focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences, Holidu has achieved financial success and earned customer trust and loyalty.

Partnerships and Strategic Alliances

Holidu’s success is also attributable to the company’s strong partnerships with leading online travel agencies (OTAs) and property managers. Holidu collaborates with industry giants, such as Booking.com, Vrbo, and HomeAway, to expand inventory and reach and provide access to an unparalleled selection of vacation rentals.

The Future of Vacation Rentals: Holidu’s Vision

Holidu focuses on sustainability, user-friendly technologies, and personalized service. The company plans to continue leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize search results and explore new business models and partnerships, Holidu remains committed to innovation and customer satisfaction, guaranteeing that the company prevails to be a driving force in the industry.