HomeAway, a dominant player in the business of vacation home rental has a new competitor in Jetsetter, a site associated with the Gilt Groupe.
New York-based Jetsetter will target the high-end, offering properties ranging from a $310-a-night five bedroom house in Crete to a $53,000-a-night 14 bedroom mansion on a private island in the Caribbean.
The company’s focus up until now, has been selling discounted hotel rooms and other accommodations in exotic places around the world. Its latest venture, the “Homes” section on its site is similar to HomeAway, focusing on renting out vacation homes owned by individuals.
Jetsetter adds its own twist by selecting five to 10 homes each week to feature and discount by 20 to 50 percent off. In addition, Jetsetter will act as an intermediary, taking responsibility for photographs and unbiased write-ups of the properties, so renters will know what they’ll be getting into.
The company will also track the availability of homes and process payments.
This is in contrast to other rental sites, which only connect renters to property owners, many of whom may not be mindful about responding to inquiries and keeping their calendar up to date. Payments are usually made by sending cheques.
