Online holiday rental company, HomeAway, has purchased Paris-based Homelidays SAS for an undisclosed sum.
Homelidays operates Homelidays.com, the largest pan-European self-catering site, featuring more than 40,000 listings.
HomeAway, the parent company of Holiday-Rentals and Owners Direct in the UK, has made 12 acquisitions since its inception in February 2005.
This latest purchase came after the company raised $250 million in equity capital in November.
Following the deal, HomeAway now features more than 360,000 worldwide properties.
It claims it is currently in an “excellent position†to continue to fund strategic growth initiatives and marketing investments to increase the awareness of holiday rentals.
“Homelidays is a significant acquisition for HomeAway given its broad inventory and its brand recognition among European travellers,†says HomeAway CEO Brian Sharples.
“For all HomeAway owners and advertisers, it means an opportunity for greater exposure of their properties in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.â€
Homelidays will continue to operate as an independent brand from its office in Paris and its founder, Florent Mamelle, will continue to oversee operations.
By Bev Fearis
