032: How HomeToGo Shifted Beyond Its Marketplace | Dr. Patrick Andrae
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Why did Patrick Andrae start HomeToGo and what problem was he trying to solve?
We started home to go because we saw that the vacation rental market to a certain extent was broken. Very fragmented, to a certain extent also unprofessional.
Does AI reinforce the large platforms or does it create opportunities for the operators to regain control?
Potentially in a world where all like mid-layers of marketplaces or OTAs wouldn't exist anymore. That would be like something where you need someone that has the direct access or the last mile.
Why has a direct booking remained so difficult to achieve?
Problem is simply a front end is not a front end. You can build a copy of a front end of Home2Go. You won't have the same conversion because you don't know the underlying topics that we tested now over more than 12 years and on scale. For instance in the German market where you look, we probably are after booking number two, because we're definitely sometimes bigger than Airbn and also then verbal.
You are listening to STR Global Unlocked, brought to you by AGL Atelier, the show where I speak with the leaders shaping short-term rentals worldwide. I am Simon Lehman and after two decades buying, selling, advising and investing, I've built a network that spans continents and categories. This podcast brings that network to you. Real conversations, global insight, no PR fluff. Let's get started. The strategy is evolving because this is no longer just about being a marketplace. With the integration of Intrahome, home to go is moving deeper into supply. Операціонс анакономікс. And that raises a bigger question. Are we entering a phase where distribution platforms start to own more of the value chain again?
Or is it simply the next step in making fragmented supply more controllable? Today I'm joined by Patrick Andre, co-founder and CEO of Home2Go. Home2Go has built one of the leading global marketplaces for vacation rentals, aggregating millions of listings across platforms and property managers. But more recently, the company has taken a strategic step deeper into the value chain with the acquisition and integration of Interhome, one of the former European Most established rental operators. That shift makes this a particular interesting moment to talk not just about marketplaces but about where the industry is heading next. Patrick, it's fantastic to have you on the show.
Thank you for having me, Simon.
It's a great pleasure and congratulations on your numbers. Before we dive into those and many other topics, I would like our to start our conversation with a quick rapid fire of all the topics that we are thinking about within the short term rental industry across the globe, because STR Global Unlocked is um The listening base is international and we have people from Australia, South East Asia, Europe The US and Latin America and they would love to hear your thoughts on our rapid fire today. Before we dive in, so let's do this short answers, whatever comes to mind, Patrick.
Вс ⁇ .
Marketplaces scale game or margin game.
Toss.
Direct booking opportunity or distraction.
Opportunity.
AI and travel overhyped or underestimated?
Both.
Owning supply strategic advantage or operational burden? Strategic advantage. And one prediction, what changes most in travel distribution over the next five years?
I think the influence of AI, although it's uncertain, but we will probably touch on that. So not not a short answer possible.
Absolutely. And we'll definitely get onto that. Thank you for uh for jumping in on those. So you've released your results from the outside. What's interesting It's not just the growth, but it's the direction that you're making very clear. So maybe starting there, what are the key takeaways from the latest numbers from your perspective?
We published our financial year number for last year for 2025. And as you might have seen, we basically reported on two ways, right? One was this what we call statutory numbers and the other is Proforma. Why is that? Because uh as you mentioned in your introduction, we acquired Interhome Europe's second largest vacation rental management company.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why did Patrick Andrae start HomeToGo and what problem was he trying to solve?
0:00–6:33
2
How did the acquisition of Interhome shift HomeToGo from a pure marketplace to a B2B‑focused group?
6:33–14:51
3
What does the new Home2Go Pro product suite (software, API, white‑label) offer to property managers and travel partners?
14:51–21:33
4
Why is direct booking still difficult for operators and how does HomeToGo’s conversion infrastructure address it?
21:33–28:04
5
How is AI changing travel discovery and what impact does it have on vacation‑rental bookings?
28:04–34:03
6
What are the financial results and margin implications of moving deeper into supply and services?
34:03–40:58
7
How does HomeToGo’s hybrid model give it a competitive edge over pure‑play marketplaces like Airbnb and Booking.com?
40:58–48:03
8
What does the future look like for hospitality companies – hybrid integration or a return to fragmented layers?
48:03–52:13
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