Media Room

About Occupancy.com

Overview

Occupancy.com is a group formed by the merger of takeabreak.com.au and rentahome.com.au, both specialists in online accommodation services in Australia. Occupancy.com group of websites together list over 20,000 holiday houses, apartments, hotels, B&Bs and guest houses, complete with in-depth information and independent guest reviews. Accommodation is easily searched via experience – pet, family, seniors, gay and lesbian-friendly and geography. The booking process is quick and simple with a rental guarantee to ensure guests peace of mind.

Together, takeabreak.com.au and rentahome.com.au generated over $300 million in accommodation enquiries in the 12 months to March 2010.

ntahome.com.au was established in mid 1999 and quickly became the leading online provider of furnished homes and apartments Australia-wide. It won the Real Estate Institute Award for Excellence for Best Website in 2002 and 2004 and was a finalist in 2003 and 2005.  In 2006, it won the prestigious National Telstra Business Award (Micro Category) and in 2009 was a finalist in the NSW Tourism Awards. Based in Sydney, rentahome.com.au is licensed and works with property managers right across Australia, including holiday rental property managers, owner managers, serviced apartments, cottages and real estate agents.

Takeabreak.com.au was established in 2003 to provide travellers with comprehensive information and a booking service that is especially useful for regional destinations and small or niche accommodation options. In fact more than 50% of accommodation that takeabreak.com.au lists is not found on popular last minute and hotel websites. The site averages 20,000 enquiries per month and has been in the Hitwise Top 10 consistently since 2005. Takeabreak.com.au is a nationally Accredited Tourism Business (ACT Tourism Industry Council), NSW Tourism Award Winner 2006 and 2007, Hitwise Top 10 website, and Finalists in the NSW Telstra Business Awards (2007) and the Australian Tourism Awards (2006 and 2007). In addition the company were winners of the National Work Life Balance Awards (2010) for the small business category. 

Who owns Occupancy.com?

Occupancy.com is owned and operated by the original founding members of takeabreak.com.au and rentahome.com.au. Pooling their talents, takeabreak.com.au and rentahome.com.au set out to expand and enhance the online facilities they provide to both visitors and operators. 

Occupancy.com employs 20 staff with offices in Canberra and Sydney.

How do the websites work for travellers ?

Both takeabreak.com.au and rentahome.com.au enable visitors to easily find and book the travel accommodation that suits them across 20,000 properties, 1,400 localities, 39 different accommodation types, prices and dates. Visitors can easily search by special interests using holiday themes such as pet-friendly, family-friendly, luxury or romantic, as well as by geography or specific facilities (e.g. spa, kitchen, pool, and playground).

Each operators is able to confirm their own availability and pricing before a quote is sent back to the potential guest.

In addition to accommodation websites, Occupancy.com inspires visitors to travel to new destinations through HolidayInspirations.com.au (established in 2006), which includes information and articles on events, activities, and things to do.

How do the sites work for operators?

Operators list their properties on the sites free of charge. The more information on the listing, the better the conversion, so operators are able to advertise detailed descriptions of their property, including local information, sleeping configuration, attractions, activities, facilities and pricing. The sites include an interactive availability calendar allowing visitors to easily view availability for their specific holiday dates.

Occupancy.com marketing costs are low, with a standard fee of 8.8% inc. GST payable for bookings received through takeabreak.com.au and rentahome.com.au sites. As a benefit to operators, Occupancy.com publishes monthly operator newsletters on how to make their businesses even more profitable and attractive to visitors. It provides tips on specialist subjects such as environmental initiatives they could be undertaking or how to get the best out of photography.

Occupancy.com has made a commitment to promoting professionalism in tourism by improving customer service at the small end of the tourism sector. They provide a dedicated telephone and online support team to assist operators with their listing and booking management processes, along with an online operator resource facility.

For guests, Rental Guarantees and price matching allows them to feel at ease and confident about booking through Occupancy.com sites. A 1300 number is provided for customer service.

Occupancy.com will continue the Best Places to Stay accommodation awards (launched by takeabreak.com.au in 2007) to recognise operators for high standards of service and property management. This will be an annual event for Occupancy.com.

Who owns Occupancy.com?

Occupancy.com is a wholly Australian company, owned and operated by the original founding members of TakeABreak.com.au and rentahome.com.au. Pooling their talents, TakeABreak.com.au and rentahome.com.au set out to expand and enhance the online facilities they provide to both visitors and operators. Occupancy.com employs 20 staff with offices in Canberra and Sydney.