Ocean Beds Expands Villa Booking Technology to Meet Soaring Demand

Part of the Ocean Holidays Group, Ocean Beds, the largest wholesaler of vacation homes in Florida aims to grow its villa portfolio tenfold and open up new global markets.

Villa holidays have become one of the fastest-growing segments in travel, with more holidaymakers opting for vacation homes over traditional hotels. But while demand is booming, the way villas are booked and distributed has not always kept pace with modern expectations.

Ocean Beds the villa wholesale division of Ocean Holidays and the largest supplier of vacation homes in Florida to the global travel trade is changing that. Unlike consumer platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO, Ocean Beds doesn’t sell directly to holidaymakers. Instead, it works exclusively with the travel industry, providing agents and tour operators with instant access to villa inventory that can be packaged seamlessly with flights, car hire and other essentials.

Following the successful launch of its new booking platform last year and the addition of 6,000 hotels to its portfolio, Ocean Beds is now rolling out Phase 2 of its technology and product overhaul. The upgrade includes a rebuilt API and significant investment in increasing inventory. By January peaks inventory will increase by 50% to just under 5,000 homes.

This latest step marks Phase Two of the brand’s wider global growth strategy, having already completed Phase One with the launch of their new and streamlined website in 2024. Phase Two looks to:

Offer more choice | Expanding beyond Florida into new destinations across North America, Canada, UAE the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean with an additional 4,000 new hotels set to be added to the portfolio.

Reach more travellers worldwide | Building on its UK base and partnerships in more than 25 countries by opening up to new trade markets including Latin America and Europe.

Looking ahead to Phase Three, Ocean Beds will become the first villa bed bank to offer ancillary extras such as car hire, theme park tickets and guest experiences within the next two years.

“Villa holidays are no longer niche; they’re at the heart of how people want to travel. Our mission is to make them as easy to book as a hotel room. With Phase 2 of our technology upgrade, we’re giving the travel trade the tools to offer customers unrivalled choice and seamless access to villa stays worldwide,” said Anna-Maria Janssen, Group Product & Commercial Director and Managing Director of Ocean Beds.

Ocean Beds is also integrating with all major back-office systems used by the industry, meaning new properties can go live for travellers almost instantly once they’re onboarded.

Backed by Ocean Holidays, Ocean Beds is redefining how villas are booked and distributed worldwide.