Main image credit: Juan Pablo Mascanfroni
Villa holidays are one of the fastest-growing segments in travel, growing 56% year-on-year, but while demand has surged the way villas are booked and distributed has often lagged behind modern booking expectations.
Ocean Beds, the villa wholesale division of Ocean Holidays, which supplies holiday homes in Florida to the global travel trade, is aiming to change that. Unlike consumer-facing platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO, Ocean Beds works exclusively with the travel industry. Agents and tour operators can access villa inventory, packaging it with flights, car hire and other essentials.
Following the 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 Two of its technology and product overhaul.
The upgrade features a rebuilt API, deeper system integrations and significant investment in boosting inventory. By the January peaks, its portfolio will expand by 50% to nearly 5,000 homes.
The move marks the next stage in Ocean Beds’ wider global growth strategy. Phase Two will focus on:
- Expanding choice: Adding more destinations beyond Florida, including across North America, Canada, the UAE, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean, plus 4,000 additional hotels.
- Reaching more travellers worldwide: Building on its UK base and partnerships in more than 25 countries, while opening up to new trade markets across Latin America and Europe.
Looking ahead, Phase Three will see Ocean Beds offer ancillary extras such as car hire, theme park tickets and curated 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,” Anna-Maria Janssen, Group Product and Commercial Director and Managing Director of Ocean Beds.
“With Phase Two of our technology upgrade, we’re giving the travel trade the tools to offer customers unrivalled choice and seamless access to villa stays worldwide.”
The wholesaler is also integrating with all major back-office systems used across the trade, ensuring new properties can be made bookable almost instantly once onboarded.
Ocean beds has also outlined its trade support, including plans for upcoming fam trips. “We don’t sell direct, so there’s no commission model and instead we provide net rates, giving operators full control over their own margins,” said Janssen.
She adds: “With our expanded portfolio and rebuilt API, partners can easily access a wider range of villas, ensuring they can meet demand with speed and flexibility. This approach strengthens our relationships and ensures tour operators remain at the heart of the booking journey.
“We are also proud to be hosting our first ever FAM trip in the first half of 2026, exclusively for ten of our most valued partners and once again reinforcing the importance of our relationship with the trade.”
