Extended-Stay Rental Platform Homelike Launches in U.S.

Germany-based Homelike, an online marketplace for furnished apartment rentals of at least 30 days, for the first time has expanded its inventory into the U.S., starting in New York City, the company announced.

Homelike provides a platform that allows travelers to search and book long-term rentals, according to the company. Homelike said average stays last 90 days.

Homelike currently hosts on its platform more than 100,000 furnished apartments across more than 500 European cities, and CEO Dustin Figge in a statement said the U.S. “has become one of our most requested new markets.”

Homelike said it plans to expand its U.S. business to other cities in 2022.

The company said it has seen a “significant increase” in demand for its services since the start of the pandemic, which it attributed to such factors as an increase in travel flexibility due to remote work and a growing shift towards the digitization of real estate operations at large.

So far in 2021, Homelike has generated steady month-over-month growth in revenue, reaching twice the level seen before the pandemic, according to the company.

Homelike is extending an existing supply partnership with furnished apartment specialist Blueground to cover the United States. Blueground co-founder and director of channel marketing and photography Andreas Nezeritis in a statement said that Homelike “consistently sends us high-quality mid-term stay demand for our apartments, making this a solid relationship for us in four of our global markets.”

Molly Dyson www.businesstravelnews.com