AUSTIN, Texas, March 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - HomeAway, the world leader in vacation rentals, will make the two-story birdhouse located in their downtown Austin headquarters available to the highest bidder during the last weekend of SXSW Music, March 18-20.
HomeAway's iconic birdhouse has been transformed into a cozy retreat by the design experts at West Elm, complete with sleeping, living and dining areas, all with an incredible view of downtown Austin. The whole birdhouse will be auctioned off on BidPal.net/birdhousesleepover and HomeAway.com/birdhouse. All proceeds will go to benefit Austin Habitat for Humanity. The full bid amount will be matched by HomeAway.
"With hundreds of thousands of people flocking to Austin and the lack of hotel inventory, we thought it would be fun to offer a last-minute accommodation option during SXSW that highlights the comfort and convenience of whole home vacation rentals," says Kate Lowery, global vice-president of public relations for HomeAway. "And the best part is, the most generous bidder will directly support Austin Habitat for Humanity's meaningful work in our community."
In addition to a weekend stay in the Birdhouse, the highest bidder will receive additional prizes for the ultimate Austin weekend experience:
- VIP wristbands for each of Do512's parties during SXSW
- Haircut gift cards to Birds Barbershop and a set of their Verb haircare products
- Local snacks and beverages and VIP access for two to the Quantum Collective Southwest Invasion party on Whole Foods Market's rooftop from Whole Foods Market's flagship store in Austin
- Visit HomeAway.com/birdhouse and follow the entry instructions in the property's description.
- Visit BidPal.net/birdhousesleepover and use their intuitive auction platform to easily set a max bid and receive outbid notifications.
Located at the corner of Fifth St. and Lamar Blvd. in downtown Austin, the Birdhouse is ideal for those who want to be close to the action of SXSW and all the fun downtown Austin has to offer. In addition to being located near the epicenter of SXSW Music, the Birdhouse is located steps away from Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail, Zilker Park, the University of Texas, the State Capitol, 6th Street, the Red River Cultural District and hundreds of restaurants, bars and attractions.
"We are so thankful to our partners West Elm, BidPal, Birds Barbershop, Verb, Do512 and Whole Foods Market who have helped make this charitable idea and unforgettable lodging experience a reality," said Lowery.
The Birdhouse, a larger-than-life representation of HomeAway's corporate logo, was built in 2009 as part of HomeAway's global headquarters in downtown Austin. The birdhouse logo was originally chosen to represent a "home away from home", inspired by the idea that travelers should always have access to the space, privacy and comfort of a whole home, even when traveling. This auction marks the first time the Birdhouse has ever been available as a lodging space in its seven-year history.
Want to learn more? Visit HomeAway.com/birdhouse and follow along with the action at #birdhousesleepover and on HomeAway's social media channels.
About Homeaway, Inc.
HomeAway, based in Austin, Texas, is the world leader in vacation rentals with sites representing over one million paid listings of vacation rental homes in 190 countries, and is a part of the Expedia, Inc. family of brands. Through HomeAway, owners and property managers offer an extensive selection of vacation homes that provide travelers with memorable experiences and benefits, including more room to relax and added privacy, for less than the cost of traditional hotel accommodations. The company also makes it easy for vacation rental owners and property managers to advertise their properties and manage bookings online. The HomeAway portfolio includes the leading vacation rental websites HomeAway.com, VRBO.com and VacationRentals.com in the United States; HomeAway.co.uk and OwnersDirect.co.uk in the United Kingdom; FeWo-direkt.de in Germany; Abritel.fr and Homelidays.com in France; HomeAway.es and Toprural.es in Spain; AlugueTemporada.com.br in Brazil; HomeAway.com.au and Stayz.com.au in Australia; Bookabach.co.nz in New Zealand, and Asia Pacific short-term rental site, travelmob.com.
HomeAway also operates BedandBreakfast.com, the most comprehensive global site for finding bed-and-breakfast properties, providing travelers with another source for unique lodging alternatives to chain hotels. For more information about HomeAway, please visit HomeAway.com.
This article was originally distributed on PRWeb. For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/03/prweb13261976.htm