November 1, 2009

Every Day with Rachael Ray

How We Travel Now

- Kolby Yarnell
"Plan Ahead. The best, most affordable houses— found on sites like homeaway.com — book fast. If you'll be doing an activity, like skiing, visit expos during the offseason and scoop up coupons."

November 6, 2009

SmarterTravel.com

Early Birds Will Get the Best Family Vacation Deals Next Year - Sarah Pascarella
"You may also be able to snag a good deal by getting a group of friends together and booking a vacation rental. You'll have extra space and can cook your own meals, and the per-night cost will be greatly reduced when divided among you and your travel companions. VacationRentals.com posts ongoing and last-minute deals for those looking to snag an even greater bargain.  At press time, properties in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Rico, Puerto Vallarta, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (among many other sunny locales) were on sale for fall and winter travel;"

November 2, 2009

Media Decoder blog (nytimes.com)

CBS Finds Some Super Bowl Sales Success - Stuart Elliott
"Some sponsors will even be first-time Super Bowl advertisers, among them a vacation rental service called HomeAway, based in Austin, Tex."

October 1, 2009

Budget Travel Magazine

America's Coolest Small Towns - Kathryn O'Shea-Evans
"As pleasant as a short visit can be, the real risk of visiting Rockland is that you'll...need to move here for good. It's worth testing the waters by renting a house, on vrbo.com, where you can find 19th-century Capes going for $125 a night."

October 29, 2009

TravelandLeisure.com

When in Rome (or Florence, Paris)... Rent an Apartment! - Sarah Khan
"We booked our apartment after scouring the Internet, but there are plenty of great resources out there to help you find a home away from home on any corner of the globe. Sites like homeaway.com, vrbo.com... specialize in legit—and in some cases vetted—properties listed by owners and managers. Often, they include reviews and photos to help guide you to your dream holiday home."

October 26, 2009

New York Times

Accounts, People & Miscellany

- Stuart Elliott
"CBS, New York, part of the CBS Corporation, signed another advertiser for Super Bowl XLIV, to be broadcast on Feb. 7. HomeAway, Austin, Tex., a vacation rental service, will run a commercial during the game to be created by Publicis in the West, Seattle, part of the Publicis Worldwide unit of the Publicis Groupe."

October 23, 2009

MercuryNews.com

Travel Q&A: Protect Yourself When Canceling Reservation - Ann Tatko-Peterson
"Q: We are interested in renting an apartment in Stockholm for one or two weeks next spring or summer. What is the best way to go about doing that? As a backup, do you know of good, moderately priced hotels there?

"A: You can find listings for vacation rentals at www.homeaway.com and www.vrbo.com. Both have good reputations."

October 22, 2009

Marketing Daily

HomeAway Books Super Bowl Slot - Tanya Irwin
"Online vacation rental marketplace HomeAway, Inc. will air its first national TV spot during the CBS television network broadcast of the Super Bowl on Feb. 7...

"The HomeAway Super Bowl ad kicks off the beginning of the company's first national broad-reach marketing effort."

October 21, 2009

Sports Business Daily

HomeAway Debuting National Campaign Effort with Super Bowl Ad - Erik Swanson
"HomeAway Founder & CEO Brian Sharples said the company is aiming to 'create something at the Super Bowl that engages people enough to want to see more....There will be a lot more online, and we're going to try to engage consumers to come to our Web site and see more of it,' he said. 'Hopefully in that process they can discover our products too, search around on the site and maybe come back when they're ready to take a vacation.'"

October 21, 2009

NYSportsJournalism.com

HomeAway Will Play with the Big Boys in Super Bowl XLIV Roster
"Unless you have dipped your toe into the vacation rental marketplace, the name HomeAway is an unknown anomaly in marketing. But that will change as the online vacation rental destination said it would break its first national ad during Super Bowl XLIV Feb. 7, 2010, on CBS.  Rookie NFL Super Bowl advertiser HomeAway joins a list of confirmed returning big game marketers that includes Anheuser-Busch, Bridgestone, Hyundai, CareerBuilder, Monster.com, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola."

October 20, 2009

Media Daily News

CBS Attracts New Super Bowl Advertisers - Wayne Friedman
"The travel-service company prides itself on getting its customers vacation lodging at typically half the price of hotels, and says it is the fastest-growing segment of the online travel business...

"Brian Sharples, founder and CEO of HomeAway, stated: 'We're going to use the Super Bowl broadcast to launch an exciting campaign highlighting the benefits of vacation rentals to reach more than 100 million people'...

"HomeAway says the Super Bowl commercial will start a whole-year campaign, its first national marketing effort."

October 20, 2009

Austin American Statesman

HomeAway Signs on as Super Bowl Advertiser - Lori Hawkins
"HomeAway Inc., which operates the largest network of Web sites for people who want to rent vacation homes, will kick off its first national advertising campaign with a Super Bowl ad on Feb. 7...

"CEO Brian Sharples said the ad is part of the company’s effort to raise consumer awareness of vacation rentals."

October 20, 2009

Austin Business Journal

HomeAway to Make National Ad Debut During 2010 Super Bowl
"Fresh off the much-touted relocation of its corporate headquarters downtown, Austin-based HomeAway Inc. said Tuesday that it will air its first ever national advertisement during next year's Super Bowl...

"Through its various Web sites, HomeAway features more than 425,000 vacation rental listings."

October 18, 2009

Austin American Statesman

Small and Sweet - Lilly Rockwell
"Some residents have plans to use their condo as a weekend getaway or as a vacation rental property, a market that has taken off in recent years with the popularity of Web sites such as Austin-based HomeAway.com."

October 9, 2009

Taking the Kids

Owners Making Vacation Rentals Even Easier - Eileen Ogintz
"Not only is renting a vacation house or condo easier and roomier when traveling with the kids, but it often is cheaper—especially when so many homeowners (61 percent) are planning to or are already offering deals to travelers this fall and winter, according to www.homeaway.com."

October 8, 2009

More.ca

Cheap Sleeps: Live Like the Locals - K. Jill Rigby
"Some of the biggest discounts involve renting other people's condos or apartments in the most perfect of locations - from the bustling centre of a city to a remote beach. I spotted...offerings at vacationrentals.com...
"If you want to do a little more digging, check out other home rental companies such as vrbo.com, ownerdirect.com..."

October 5, 2009

The Washington Post

Travel Talk - Carol Sottili
"You could stay in Santa Monica or Venice near the beach - hotels are expensive, but try renting a condo or apartment through www.vrbo.com or www.cyberrentals.com."

October 2, 2009

Austin Business Journal

Austin Office Vacancy Steady at 21%
"New projects that will see tenants move in soon include University Park’s office building, Capstar at Compass Plaza and Schlosser Development Corp.’s building at the intersection of Fifth Street and Lamar Avenue where HomeAway is establishing its headquarters."

October 23, 2009

Houston Chronicle

A&M Football a Hard Sell for TV: NFL Updates - David Barron
"HomeAway, a vacation rental service with headquarters in Austin, has signed on as a Super Bowl advertiser for next year’s game on CBS."

September 1, 2009

Family Circle

45 Ways to Save Right Now
"Consider renting a house or condo if you need more than one room, are traveling with a group or are staying for longer than a few days.  You'll also have a kitchen, which means paying for fewer restaurant meals.  Try... HomeAway.com..."

September 1, 2009

Austin Monthly

Vacation in Someone Else's House

"Vacation homes are a much more comfortable way to travel than the impersonal anonymity of a hotel room, but how do you find these gems? In an effort to consolidate the online search for vacation rentals, Brian Sharples and Carl Shepherd created HomeAway.com...Since [launching the site], HomeAway.com has becomes one of the fastest-growing companies in Austin and now serves more than 425,000 vacation rentals around the world."

September 29, 2009

Venture Capital Dispatch (Wall Street Journal blog)

Where Twitter Ranks In Venture Funding History - Scott Austin
"Twitter, in just two years of raising capital, ranks No. 3 in history behind HomeAway and online payments company PayPal...
 
"HomeAway has raised nearly $400 million in mostly equity since 2005, including a $250 million round in November that was the largest venture capital infusion for a technology company since 2000...And it appears to be doing well financially, telling VentureWire in November that it would post a profit for 2008 on revenue just shy of $100 million."

September 29, 2009

Austin American Statesman

HomeAway, on a Growth Streak, Moves to New Headquarters - Lori Hawkins
"HomeAway Inc., one of Austin's fastest-growing Web companies, is throwing a housewarming party for itself today as it becomes the anchor tenant of a new office and retail development at West Fifth Street and Lamar Boulevard.

"The company, which operates the largest network of Web sites for people who want to rent vacation homes, will spend the weekend moving into the top three floors of the four-story, 86,000-square-foot project by Schlosser Development Corp...

'We did a survey of employees, and they were adamant about being downtown,' Sharples said. 'We've got a young, healthy group of people, and this couldn't be a more perfect place for us.'"

September 23, 2009

The Wall Street Journal

Off the Beaten Track- Taos, New Mexico - Neil King Jr.
"Where to stay:...check out the many listings at www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/new-mexico/taos."

September 17, 2009

Austin American Statesman

Rockin' and Rentin' - Helen Anders
"This year, [Rusty Irons is] trusting her own home to music fans, listing it, along with its neighbor, on HomeAway.com...

"Austin-based HomeAway.com has 112 listed properties here, and 96 of those are already booked for ACL...

"People who list their homes with HomeAway pay $329 a year for the listing. HomeAway also provides online guidance on how to market a home, what to charge and how to prepare the home for rental. It offers downloadable rental agreements and tips on how to spot a scam."

September 10, 2009

NewJerseyNewsroom.com

Exploring the Finger Lakes Region a Powerful Way to Discover History

- Suzanne Cloud
"After a grueling six months of collecting unemployment, I was ready for an inexpensive vacation to Cayuga Lake, the longest lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. I hemmed and hawed about whether I should go after the anvil fell on my professional head, but then decided that the lake house rental had already been paid, so what the heck. I found the house via VacationRentals.com, which I had used before with wonderful results, and I drooled daily over the photo of a dock silhouetted against a setting sun that I had bookmarked on my computer."

September 10, 2009

Chicago Tribune

Taking the Kids -- When Everyone Else is Back in School - Eileen Ogintz
"Relax -- and save even more -- if you opt for a place with a kitchen. (Look at the deals from www.homeaway.com where you'll find Orlando condos and Cape Cod digs starting at under $100 a night. You can find city apartments too everywhere from New York to Paris."

September 9, 2009

TheStreet.com

Rent High Life in Plush Homes: Unreal Estate - Jason Notte
"While most vacation rental sites are still sheltered by investors, with HomeAway pulling in $250 million in venture capital in November alone, they afford clients something their competitors at Orbitz Worldwide(OWW Quote), Priceline.com(PCLN Quote), Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (HOT Quote) and Marriott International(MAR Quote) can't: personality."

September 6, 2009

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Getting Out of Town During the G-20 - Gretchen McKay
"Deals also abound with vacation home rentals. A 1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom bayside condo with a private boat slip can be had for as little as $200 a night at www.homeaway.com while a 2,050-square-foot, four-bedroom town home directly on the beach is discounted to $360 a night and sleeps 10."

September 6, 2009

HeraldNet.com

You Don’t Need a Second Home to Earn a Little Rental Income - Tom Kelly
“'With an increased demand for accommodations and limited hotel rooms during major events, HomeAway is seeing more homeowners renting their primary homes to travelers to make a little extra money,' said Brian Sharples, HomeAway’s chief executive officer."

September 5, 2009

Canada.com

Generational Journey - Mary Ellen and Robert Gillan
"Rather than staying in hotels or bed and breakfasts, we found reasonably priced lodging through Vacation Rental By Owner (www.vrbo.com). We were able to find a minimum of two bathrooms and three bedrooms in both London and Paris. We cooked breakfasts daily and also many suppers, and prepared our own snacks."