Got2Go, The Latest Feeless OTA Platform | How It Works For Vacation Rental Hosts

What is Got2Go?

Got2Go is a startup Online Travel Agency (OTA) that combines vacation rental booking with event booking across U.S. destinations. It is founded on the premise of eliminating and minimizing fees for both hosts and guests, respectively, and aims to provide a first-class customer experience that cannot be found at large OTAs like Airbnb and Vrbo.

Currently, property managers who want to join have to sign up to a waitlist. However, Hostaway customers can join without any restrictions.

What are Got2Go’s Target Markets?

Got2Go caters to the general traveler. However, it is also focusing on particular target markets for greater growth. These include:

1. Event-based Travelers

Travelers whose primary purpose for travel is attending an event such as those attending a sports event, concert, or business conference.

2. Long Term Guests

Travelers looking to stay for an extended period of time like a month, like digital nomads.

3. Regional Travelers

Travelers looking to visit regional and unique destinations like national parks.

How Does Got2Go Work for Guests?

Guests can search for vacation rentals based on destination or the event they are planning to attend.

Got2Go offers guests 2 models for booking vacation rentals.

1. Pay-as-you-go

Guests pay a service fee to Got2Go for their vacation rental booking. The platform claims that its fee is low in comparison to the rest of the OTA industry.

2. Membership

In this scenario, guests subscribe to a Go+ membership for one year, allowing them to book vacation rentals through the platform without paying the service fee. Members are also entitled to discounted booking charges and 15% off event tickets.

How Does Got2Go Work for Hosts?

Speaking on the Alex and Annie podcast, the founders of Got2Go stated that their primary focus is to help hosts. As such, their operating model for hosts has many differences when compared to other OTAs.

Property managers are not charged a fee or commission for listing or per booking and receive payment as soon as the guest books; Got2Go uses virtual cards.

Got2Go does not impose exclusivity of listing claims on property managers and hosts can list an unlimited number of properties. Hosts can also use and display their own cancellation policies and are not blocked from communicating with guests and can have direct contact with them. Customer support for hosts is also available at all times.

How to Integrate Got2Go into Your Hostaway System

1. Create a new API key in your Hostaway dashboard

• Search for “Got2Go” in the Hostaway Marketplace
• Click Connect
• Click Create (to create the API key)
• Save the Account ID and API key. Copy the API key as it will only appear once. Alternatively, you can create a new API key on the Hostaway “Settings” screen.

2. Fill out the Got2Go signup form

Fill out this simple 1-page signup form. Copy and paste your Account ID and API key into the form.

3. Your properties go live on Got2Go

Got2Go’s partnership team will receive a notification automatically and will email confirmation and list your properties on the Got2Go website.

Conclusion

An OTA that doesn’t charge hosts fees, pays them as soon as the reservation is confirmed, and allows them to have their own cancellation policies, Got2Go is creating a new way of an OTA doing business. With no fee to list as well, it is certainly worth considering in any host’s multichannel distribution policy.