Germany: Vacation rental portal Holidu has acquired Spanish counterpart Clubrural, a leading portal for rural vacation rentals in Spain and Portugal.
Based in Madrid, Clubrural was founded in 1997 and was one of the pioneers in the booking of vacation rentals in the Iberian Peninsula, with a particular focus on rural tourism. Since then, the platform has grown to a portfolio of 28,000 vacation homes and apartments in Spain and Portugal and attracts more than 15 million website visitors every year.
Over 15,000 hosts now rent out their accommodation via the portal.
With the takeover by Holidu, hosts will benefit from a wider reach of their properties on the Holidu portal, enabling them to reach more international customers and benefit from a more personalised local service.
For guests, the integration with Holidu means an expanded range of high-quality accommodations, as the complete Holidu inventory can now be searched and booked on the www.clubrural.com website. Guests can also book Clubrural’s portfolio, which specialises in rural areas, on the Holidu website.
Johannes Siebers, co-founder and CEO of Holidu, said: “With this collaboration, we are actively supporting homeowners in simplifying operations and expanding their business in the European tourism sector. We offer hosts advanced technology that optimises their services, from calendar management to payment administration, and we ensure guests receive an immediate booking confirmation, meeting current market demands.
“At the same time, we seek to strengthen long-term relationships and highlight the importance of vacation rentals in rural areas, which have become a growing market and increasingly sought after by travellers,” he added.
Javier De La Cruz, founder of Clubrural, said: “The incorporation of Clubrural into the Holidu family not only marks a step forward for homeowners and travellers who will experience notable improvements in their bookings and services. It also reinforces our market position and promises a future full of opportunities for growth and development.
“This alliance emphasises our ongoing commitment to enhancing the rural vacation rental market, driven by our desire to enrich the experience for those seeking to reconnect and enjoy quality time,” he added.
Gaining more than 100 million users every year, Holidu also offers a software and service solution that helps hosts generate more bookings with less effort. Landlords have access to easy-to-use software, as well as receiving personal support from local travel experts.
The company has 25 European branches and already manages over 37,000 properties. Meanwhile, the Clubrural Madrid office will continue its operations and become the sixth branch of Holidu in Spain, thus integrating into a company with over 500 employees across Europe.
Siebers continued: “Such strategic acquisitions are a strong growth driver for us on the host and guest side, which gives us a strong growth spurt in directly managed accommodation.
“We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues and are eager to collaborate together on our mission to make the hosting and booking of vacation rentals free of doubt and full of joy,” he added.
The purchase marks Holidu’s second acquisition of the year already, having bought German holiday accommodation booking portal Ferienwohnungen.de in February. The company previously acquired holiday rental platform Spain-Holiday in 2021.
