Who are we?
Holiday Homes Online is an internet-based, accommodation advertising, search and booking service dedicated to holiday homes and other self-contained, short-stay accommodation in Australia.
Holiday Homes Online is a privately owned, Australian business based in Queenscliff - Victoria and operates as part of the Reed HHP Trust - ABN 62 763 265 253.
The business was founded by Bernard Reed who, along with his wife Sueanne, sons Tim, James and William and daughter Tessa, has lived in Queenscliff since 1980.
Holiday Homes Online is an accommodation advertising and referral business - not an accommodation agency.
Why are we in this business?
We believe home owners should be deriving optimum enjoyment and value from their holiday homes, for the benefit of their families and the community.
We believe one of the best ways to achieve this aim is to provide a dedicated website to assist owners, their property managers or real estate agents to advertise and let their homes to holiday makers and tourists and thereby generate income to offset the costs of maintaining and/or improving their homes.
Our story - a case in point.
Between 2002 and 2004, while we were temporarily living in Melbourne, we decided to make our home in Queenscliff available for holiday rental.
For the first 12 months we engaged a local real estate agent to manage the rental process, but were dissappointed when we only managed to achieve $7,000 in rental income for a whole year.
The following year we used the internet to advertise our home, managed the enquiry and booking process ourselves and achieved $13,000 in rental income. Most of the extra income we earned came as a direct result of the real-time and flexible nature of internet based advertising and booking, which allowed us to secure lots of extra bookings for weekends and one night stays.
Encouraged by our success, we decided to set up Holiday Homes Online and a related property services business - Holiday Home Partners - to encourage and support other home owners in their endeavours to earn income by renting their homes for holiday accommodation using the internet.
How will we operate?
To owners, property managers and real estate agents we will offer free property listings supported by a comprehensive, online booking management system and a dedicated email messaging system to help keep track of enquiries, bookings and communications with tenants.
To tenants and prospective tenants we will offer a free accommodation search and booking service including, a booking history/favorites facility and a dedicated email messaging facility.
We will encourage owners, managers and agents to list their holiday homes, holiday apartments, farmhouses and guesthouses on Holiday Homes Online.
While we will consider each case on its merits, we will generally not accept listings of hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts or similar hosted accommodation.
We will generally be paid on a results basis. When a Holiday Homes Online listing results in successful bookings and actual stays a fee will be payable by the owner of the listed property. If a listing does not contribute to bookings and actual stays, the owner will pay us nothing.
Our pay by results fee wiil be a fixed dollar amount (currently $11) for each night of a stay that originated from an enquiry and/or booking request on Holiday Homes Online.
Owners will also be able opt to pay a fixed listing fee for date to date listings of properties.
Unless and until a pay up front arrangement is agreed between an owner and us, all listings will operate on a pay by results basis.
What are our aims?
To increase awareness about holiday home accommodation in Australia
To inform travellers and tourists about Australia's top holiday destinations
To build and maintain exceptional client relationships with owners
To provide a world class accommodation advertising, search and booking service for owners and tenants
To empower owners to retain effective control of their holiday rental property
To inform owners about products and services that may assist them to enhance their homes and lifestyles
