10 accommodation agencies that host bloggers

Steve Keenan

October 26, 2012

Photo: Roomorama, Holly’s Haven apartment, Paris

By Steve Keenan

Travel bloggers have to travel, by definition. So they need somewhere to stay, preferably for free.

And in the past year, I’ve noticed several travel companies looking to cater for them, new internet-based companies not historically used to working with newspapers but eager to work with their digital counterparts.

I’m not thinking about Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) such as laterooms.com, hotels.com or lowcostbeds.com.

While they are keen to work with bloggers, these are successful hotel room wholesalers who largely preceded bloggers. I’m talking about the wave of self-catering companies, flexible in adding rooms in houses, small flats and occasional accommodation to their databases. Which suits bloggers.

Freelance and staff journalists accepting a free hotel room always did it, adding credits in the fact boxes at the end of copy. Bloggers do the same, adding credits on a post - but also overtly using social media.

One of the biggest blogger suppliers is Wimdu. One blogger, EuroTopTrips, tweeted yesterday: “Just checked into my @wimdu flat - the area isn’t super, but the flat is stylish, modern & clean!”

At last year’s Social Travel Market, one speaker - Rich Whitaker - tweeted of another supplier: “Just arrived at the Brick Lane apartment… Very cool! A big thank you to @roomorama.”

It’s a pretty basic pay-off. But the wave of new suppliers is clearly meeting increased demand. This year, we’ve put two speakers in touch with other non-hotel suppliers - 9Flats.com and Housetrip.com, both of whom expressed interest in helping bloggers visiting London - the latter promoted by writer Gordon Lethbridge: “For an alternative to hotels when visiting #Vienna’s Christmas markets try an apartment from @HouseTrip.”

It’s up to the blogger and supplier to decide the level of coverage in return for a room. But the trade-off is established, and as more rooms come online, then the companies need more exposure.

So, in the spirit of helping both sides meet each other, here are six more online accommodation providers who could be approached by bloggers for help…

1. Trustedhousesitters.com - Specialises in finding people to house sit the property and its pets - wildly recommended by by Hecktic Travel in a blog post a year ago.

2. ViveUnique.com - home rentals in 19 cities plus Bali and Barbados, as enthused by blogger @Nancydbrown “Headed to Seville in spring. Might need to make Barcelona our home base via @ViveUnique.”

3. OneFineStay has made a lot of noise in 2012 with the simple premise of being stay in someone’s (usually upmarket) home in New York or London while they’re away. Not sure if @NevEndingVoyage has been or wants to - “Love the look of @onefinestay - you stay in people’s homes while they are away. Gorgeous places in London and New York.”

4. More prosaic, Loving Apartments offers, ahem, apartments in 13 cities across Europe and pitches for families. They even made a Role Play account on Twitter yesterday: “*Shrieks,* Honey, look at the terrace.

5. Another fast-emerging apartment firm is WaytoStay, with places in 17 European cities. Blogger Kash Bhattacharya is a fan: “Just downloaded your app @PartywithaLocal Now to find some party people in Rome for this weekend :).”

6. New York Habitat also has apartments in Paris, south of France and London. Not sure if they’ve worked with bloggers yet. But a well-constructed pitch and…

Who am I missing? Which self-catering place have you been a guest of?