**The problem it solves** Hotels and vacation rental operators need broad distribution to fill rooms that would otherwise sit empty, but building direct demand at scale takes marketing budget most independents cannot sustain. **What Expedia does** Expedia Group is a major global online travel and accommodation distribution company operating a portfolio of booking platforms including Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, and Trivago. Founded in 1996 as a Microsoft division, it is headquartered in Seattle. **How it works** Property owners and managers list accommodation across the group's consumer sites, where Vrbo is the primary whole-home vacation rental channel. Lodging partners connect inventory through the Expedia Partner Solutions API or a self-serve extranet, reaching travellers across 200+ countries via the group's metasearch, apps, and direct-booking surfaces. Distribution is commission-based, with rates set per booking; the group also runs B2B distribution through the Expedia Partner Network and corporate tools through Expedia for Business. **Who it's for** Hotels, vacation rental operators, and alternative accommodation providers of all sizes seeking demand and incremental occupancy through OTA distribution; Vrbo specifically serves professional and independent whole-home hosts.
Listed on STR Market Map, the short-term-rental software marketplace.