Greatspace now offers more than a thousand great places to stay in Australia and NZ
Travellers seeking local and unique accommodation options in Australia and New Zealand are increasingly discovering new online player, Greatspace Inc.
Recognising that a modern breed of traveller is looking for more than just cookie-cutter hotel rooms, Greatspace was created to connect savvy travellers with locals who have spare space available for rent.
Says founder and CEO James Edwards: ”It creates a win-win for both sides. For travellers, it offers a better value proposition whilst also unlocking a destination so it can be experienced from the local point of view; providing an authentic experience that big hotels cannot match. For hosts, it’s a way to make money from their most expensive asset, as well as meeting like-minded people.”
Launched in January 2012, Greatspace now has over 1,000 property listings and is growing every day.
You could land yourself a slick apartment in Melbourne’s CBD, share a rustic beach abode with local surfers in Bondi or Byron Bay, or rent a sprawling farmhouse in Marlborough, New Zealand. Whatever you choose, Greatspace offers a way to experience life the way the locals do and save money into the bargain.
Greatspace was founded by four friends from Melbourne now living in different cities in Australia and Asia. All passionate travellers, they wanted to combine their different expertise to create something paradigm-shifting in the travel space. 
“Looking at our favourite travel experiences it became obvious that the most memorable moments were not spent in 5 star hotels,” says James. “Big hotels can serve a functional purpose, but they rarely add to the magic of travel. If anything, they can detract from it, with their ’same sameness’, compound mentality and touristy locations.”
“We like to think that Greatspace could help facilitate travel across the board. If you can rent your space to someone else, then you can suddenly afford to go and see the world yourself, so the whole thing becomes self-perpetuating. It’s this ‘experiential mobility’ which is at the core of the business.”
While it’s free to list your space on Greatspace Inc, there is a quality control process.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean luxury- we all have different tastes and requirements – but they all need to be spaces that people feel great about staying in,” says James. “While that’s a little hard to define, we’ve come up with a list of criteria that is working well.”
The company is also committed to doing its part to support local communities and has pledged to contribute a share of its annual profits to the homeless and other charitable causes.
The service is available at www.greatspaceinc.com.
