Teletext acquires online villa firm

Villa rental specialist www.villarenters.com has been acquired by Teletext for an undisclosed sum to strengthen its online travel portfolio.

Villarenters markets more than 10,000 overseas rental properties including private holiday villas, apartments and houses.

Teletext Holidays managing director Ray Mason said:  “Villarenters.com is a very exciting and rapidly growing business with a radically different approach to online villa rentals. By providing simple online booking and payment tools directly to private villa owners, Villarenters.com offers a wide selection of rental properties which would not otherwise be available to consumers.

“With over 300 new owners signing up to the site every month and commissions at half those demanded by most agencies, bookings are doubling year on year in what is traditionally, a tough marketplace.  For Teletext Holidays, Villarenters.com is a perfect addition to our portfolio, allowing us to offer our customers the widest choice of holiday accommodation online.”

Villarenters.com managing director Tim Coulton said: “We started this business because, as villa owners, we found it impossible to rent our properties efficiently online. We wanted an alternative to simply handing over the keys to a major operator – so we created one.

“Owners and renters like our site because it’s just so simple to use.  Our e-Bay style property rating system, together with our extensive property and resort reviews by genuine holidaymakers, means our customers don’t have to rely on brochure or owner recommendations. The amount of rental business the site generates for property owners is reflected in its rapid growth and popularity.

“We are really excited by the prospect of working with Teletext, as we can reach even more owners and customers, and maintain the high levels of service we currently provide.”

Using the free online rental software provided by Villarenters.com, property owners gain a range of features including a free website for each property and a fully customisable online booking system suitable for one property or thousands. It is a commission based system so there are no joining fees and low rates of commission paid per booking.

Owners can take control of rentals online enabling them to track the status of bookings and all details. Customer information and communications are stored centrally in the Villarenters.com booking system.

Report by Phil Davies

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