Airbnb Rival Wimbu Wants to Be Simply Better than a Hotel
Wimdu started as a small international team in March 2011, but has quickly grown into a tightly-knit group of 250 dedicated employees worldwide. Wimdu is no shoestring operation: in June it raised $90m from its core investors.The concept utilises the increasingly popular sharing economy model: Wimdu enables hosts to generate additional income on a spare room or empty apartment, while offering guests high quality, great-value accommodation suitable for all budgets.
Still growing rapidly, Wimdu is now a leading online platform offering private accommodation for all tastes and budgets. By connecting guests and hosts worldwide, Wimdu offers an enjoyable, authentic travel experience for those looking for a smart alternative to hotels.
Founded by Arne Bleckwenn and Hinrich Dreiling in 2011, Wimdu has seen remarkable growth and now lists more than 300,000 properties in more than 140 countries worldwide. From Berlin to Beijing, guests can book top quality accommodation with more space, privacy and flexibility than a standard hotel room – and at better rates!
From penthouse apartments in New York, to holiday homes in Majorca and city studios in Paris, Wimdu’s range of over 300,000 properties in more than 100 countries ensures that everybody can find attractive, affordable accommodation for their next trip. But that’s not all. Wimdu also lets you rent out your own place to those looking for a place to stay. Listing is free, and allows hosts to make money from their extra space whilst helping others explore the world.
Wimdu was founded by Arne Bleckwenn and Hinrich Dreiling, two close friends who met each other at university and who had successfully founded two companies together before establishing Wimdu.
Both keen travelers, the pair had become increasingly dissatisfied with expensive, anonymous hotels. As an alternative, they found that guests were choosing private rentals – a concept which offered guests cheaper, more personal accommodation options and an overall more authentic holiday experience. And thus, the pair decided to create a company which would combine technical know-how, a passion for travel and a closer attention to the individual needs of users, all rooted in the unique flavor of Berlin. The result of this is Wimdu.