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{{Short description|French website}}{{Primary sources|date=July 2024}}{{Infobox website
{{Infobox website
| name = HomeExchange
| name = HomeExchange
| logo = HomeExchange logo.png
| logo = HomeExchange logo.png
| location_city = [[Paris]], [[France]]
| location_city = [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], [[United States of America|USA]]<br />[[Paris]], [[France]]<ref>[https://www.homeexchange.com/p/press homeexchange.com] press release</ref>
| area_served = Global
| area_served = Global
| founder = Emmanuel Arnaud
| founder = Ed Kushins
| key_people = Emmanuel Arnaud, [[CEO]]<BR>Charles-Edouard Girard, [[Chairman]]
| key_people = Emmanuel Arnaud, [[CEO]]<BR>Charles-Edouard Girard, [[Chairman]]
| products = [[Homestay]]
| products = [[Homestay]]
| services = [[Home exchange]]
| services = [[Home exchange]]
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.homeexchange.com/}}
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.homeexchange.com/}}
⚫
| launch_date = {{start date and age|1996}}
| alexa = 48,854 ({{as of|2020|01|18}})<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/homeexchange.com | title=Alexa Internet: HomeExchange.com | publisher=[[Alexa Internet]]}}</ref>
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| launch_date = {{start date and age|2011|05|04}}
}}
}}
{{Homestay service}}
'''HomeExchange.com''' is the world's leading network for home-exchanging, with more than 400,000 homes in 187 countries.<ref>[https://www.homeexchange.com/p/how-it-works-en home exchange.com]</ref>
'''HomeExchange.com''' is a network that facilitates [[home exchange]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.homeexchange.com/p/how-it-works-en |title=HomeExchange: How does it work? |publisher=homeexchange.com}}</ref>


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Each home has many points attributed called "Guestpoints". Members can either do reciprocal exchanges or non-reciprocal exchanges with guestpoints. They earn points by hosting other members and can use those to stay at different homes. To finalize a reciprocal exchange, members must activate their annual membership of US$220 (or €160 in Europe) per year<ref>[https://www.homeexchange.com/p/subscription-homeexchange homeexchange.com]</ref> for unlimited exchanges.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/peer-to-peer-travel-websites/index.html |title=10 websites changing the way we travel |work=[[CNN]] |first=Mark |last=Johanson |date=19 March 2015}}</ref> As of December 2022, homeexchange.com has >100,000 members and over 450,000 homes in 133 countries.<ref>[https://www.homeexchange.com/p/about-us homeexchange.com] 'about us'</ref>
==How it works==
⚫
HomeExchange is a platform that allows people to exchange their house or apartment for short or long stays. Each home has a number of points attributed, called "Guestpoints". Members can either do reciprocal exchanges or non-reciprocal exchanges with GuestPoints. They earn points by hosting other Members, and they can use those to stay at other homes. In order to finalize an exchange, Members need to activate their annual membership of €130 per year for unlimited exchanges.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/peer-to-peer-travel-websites/index.html |title=10 websites changing the way we travel |work=[[CNN]] |first=Mark |last=Johanson |date=March 19, 2015}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
Ed Kushins first came up with the idea of starting a home exchange service back in 1992, after he and his family made their first home exchange from [[Hermosa Beach, California]], to [[Washington, D.C.|Washington D.C.]] On this trip, he learned that staying in a home, as opposed to a hotel, was not only more comfortable but offered a more enriching "living like a local" experience and was a lot more affordable. The HomeExchange club would later be launched that same year and was able to be navigated using a mail-ordered, printed directory. However, it would not become a web-based platform until 1996, when e-commerce was gaining popularity. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://sharetraveler.com/interview-homeexchange-com-founder/ |publisher=sharestraveler.com |title=Interview with HomeExchange.com Founder}}</ref>
In 2011, Emmanuel Arnaud and 22 families experienced in [[home exchange]] established the '''GuestToGuest''' company.


It is currently unknown what the site originally looked like on its launch date since web.archive.org could only trace it to 1998, despite the site being found in 1996.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=HomeExchange Through Time |url=https://www.homeexchange.com/blog/homeexchange-history/ |publisher=homeexchange.com}}</ref>
In 2013, Charles-Edouard Girard joined the company as chairman.


In 2006, HomeExchange.com was featured and promoted in the romantic comedy "The Holiday", produced and directed by Nancy Meyers.<ref name=":0" />
In November 2013, GuestToGuest acquired Itamos.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sharetraveler.com/guest-to-guest-interview/ |title=Interview with Guest to Guest Founder: Home Exchange with Guest Points |work=ShareTraveler |date=May 20, 2014}}</ref>


⚫
In March 2017, GuestToGuest merged with HomeExchange.com, and since 2019 continued under that name. GuestToGuest's founder, Emmanuel Arnaud, then became the CEO of HomeExchange.com.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/guesttoguest-expands-world-s-largest-home-exchange-community-and-bolsters-u-s-market-with-purchase-of-homeexchange-1001810611 |title=GuesttoGuest Expands World's Largest Home Exchange Community and Bolsters U.S. Market with Purchase of HomeExchange |publisher=[[PR Newswire]] |date=7 March 2017}}</ref>
In June 2014, GuestToGuest raised €1 million from the Alyan Group investment fund, Aigis, and from [[angel investor]]s.<ref name=alyan>{{cite web |url=https://columbia.cbinsights.com/investor/alyan-group |title=CBS Insights: Alyan Group}}</ref>


In March 2023, HomeExchange.com purchased its competitor, [[Love Home Swap]].<ref>{{cite press release |title=HomeExchange, the Global Leader in Home Swap Vacations, Acquires Competitor Love Home Swap |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/homeexchange-the-global-leader-in-home-swap-vacations-acquires-competitor-love-home-swap-301761115.html |publisher=PR Newswire |date=2 March 2023}}</ref>
In June 2015, GuestToGuest raised €4 million from ''Mutuelle d'assurance des instituteurs de France'' (MAIF).<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.phocuswire.com/GuestToGuest-nabs-cash-from-peer-to-peer-insurance-specialist | title=GuestToGuest nabs cash from peer-to-peer insurance specialist | work=[[Phocuswire]] | date=May 6, 2015}}</ref>

In July 2015, GuestToGuest raised nearly €1 million from existing investors.<ref name=alyan/>

In June 2016, GuestToGuest acquired Trampolinn.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.crunchbase.com/acquisition/d75d7bbaf34385d96c3b287b73b5047d |title=Trampolinn acquired by GuestToGuest |publisher=[[TechCrunch]]}}</ref>

⚫
In March 2017, GuestToGuest merged with HomeExchange.com, founded in 1992 by Ed Kushins, and since 2019 continued under that name.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/GuesttoGuest-Expands-World-s-Largest-Home-Exchange-Community-and-Bolsters-U-S-Market-with-Purchase-of-HomeExchange-1001810611 |title=GuesttoGuest Expands World's Largest Home Exchange Community and Bolsters U.S. Market with Purchase of HomeExchange |publisher=[[PR Newswire]] |date=March 7, 2017}}</ref>

In 2019, HomeExchange is part of the Next40, the annual selection of the 40 most promising start-ups in France.


==External links==
==External links==
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==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|1}}
{{Reflist|1}}

{{Hospitality_service}}
{{Sharing economy}}
{{Sharing economy}}

[[Category:2011 establishments in France]]
[[Category:2011 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Cultural exchange]]
[[Category:Cultural exchange]]
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[[Category:Online companies of France]]
[[Category:Online companies of France]]
[[Category:Peer-to-peer]]
[[Category:Peer-to-peer]]
[[Category:Sharing economy]]
[[Category:Vacation rental]]
[[Category:Vacation rental]]

Revision as of 09:11, 24 July 2024

HomeExchange
Headquarters
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Paris, France[1]
Area servedGlobal
Founder(s)Ed Kushins
Key peopleEmmanuel Arnaud, CEO
Charles-Edouard Girard, Chairman
ProductsHomestay
ServicesHome exchange
URLwww.homeexchange.com
Launched1996; 28 years ago (1996)
Part of a series on
Homestays
Hospitality exchange services
Hospitality for work
Hospitality for money
Home exchange and others

HomeExchange.com is a network that facilitates home exchanges.[2]

Each home has many points attributed called "Guestpoints". Members can either do reciprocal exchanges or non-reciprocal exchanges with guestpoints. They earn points by hosting other members and can use those to stay at different homes. To finalize a reciprocal exchange, members must activate their annual membership of US$220 (or €160 in Europe) per year[3] for unlimited exchanges.[4] As of December 2022, homeexchange.com has >100,000 members and over 450,000 homes in 133 countries.[5]

History

Ed Kushins first came up with the idea of starting a home exchange service back in 1992, after he and his family made their first home exchange from Hermosa Beach, California, to Washington D.C. On this trip, he learned that staying in a home, as opposed to a hotel, was not only more comfortable but offered a more enriching "living like a local" experience and was a lot more affordable. The HomeExchange club would later be launched that same year and was able to be navigated using a mail-ordered, printed directory. However, it would not become a web-based platform until 1996, when e-commerce was gaining popularity. [6]

It is currently unknown what the site originally looked like on its launch date since web.archive.org could only trace it to 1998, despite the site being found in 1996.[7]

In 2006, HomeExchange.com was featured and promoted in the romantic comedy "The Holiday", produced and directed by Nancy Meyers.[7]

In March 2017, GuestToGuest merged with HomeExchange.com, and since 2019 continued under that name. GuestToGuest's founder, Emmanuel Arnaud, then became the CEO of HomeExchange.com.[8]

In March 2023, HomeExchange.com purchased its competitor, Love Home Swap.[9]

References

  1. ^ homeexchange.com press release
  2. ^ "HomeExchange: How does it work?". homeexchange.com.
  3. ^ homeexchange.com
  4. ^ Johanson, Mark (19 March 2015). "10 websites changing the way we travel". CNN.
  5. ^ homeexchange.com 'about us'
  6. ^ "Interview with HomeExchange.com Founder". sharestraveler.com.
  7. ^ a b "HomeExchange Through Time". homeexchange.com.
  8. ^ "GuesttoGuest Expands World's Largest Home Exchange Community and Bolsters U.S. Market with Purchase of HomeExchange" (Press release). PR Newswire. 7 March 2017.
  9. ^ "HomeExchange, the Global Leader in Home Swap Vacations, Acquires Competitor Love Home Swap" (Press release). PR Newswire. 2 March 2023.
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