Tybee Cottages

What Tybee Cottages does

Tybee Cottages is a privately held vacation rental management company operating exclusively on Tybee Island, Georgia, approximately 20 minutes east of historic Savannah. Founded in 1997 by Jim and Becky Heflin, the company was acquired by Corey Jones in 2022 and maintains a portfolio of 40+ rental properties ranging from cozy cottages to luxury estates, with nightly rates spanning approximately $120 to $1,100. The company employs 40+ professional team members, all locally based with 12+ years of experience in vacation rental management.

The company's core technology is a direct-to-consumer online booking platform that supports date selection, guest count filtering, bedroom filtering, and amenity-based filtering (private pool, pet-friendly, water view, near beach, premiere). After final payment, the system generates automated unique digital lock codes enabling self-check-in. The website also features a favorites/wishlist system for guest engagement. Property owners access a separate Escapia-hosted owner portal for management. Marketing is supported by an SEO-optimized website, a content blog (Tybee Guide), email newsletter campaigns, TripAdvisor presence, Savannah Chamber membership, and VRMA industry association membership.

Tybee Cottages generates revenue through short-term vacation rental bookings (transaction-based nightly rates), property management services for third-party homeowners (managed services fee), damage waiver fees (up to $1,000 coverage), pet fees ($130 for up to two pets), and optional travel insurance commissions (7.75% via Red Sky). Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer through the website, phone reservations, and email — no OTA partnerships are evident. The customer base is fragmented across families, multi-generational groups, luxury travelers, and pet owners seeking beach vacations, while the property owner side provides a secondary B2B segment. Sister company Lucky Savannah, also owned by Corey Jones, extends the company's presence to the broader Savannah vacation rental market.

Name

Tybee Cottages

Legal name

Tybee Cottages

Website

https://tybeecottages.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tybee Cottages is a privately held, locally owned vacation rental management company on Tybee Island, Georgia, managing 40+ properties ranging from cottages to luxury estates for families, groups, and leisure travelers seeking beach getaways near Savannah.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vacation Rental Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (721110)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Cabins & Cottages (THAMAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cabins & Cottages (THAMADAA)

Keywords

• Vacation rental homes
• Beachfront rentals
• Pet friendly rentals
• Private pool rentals
• Property management

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Short-term Vacation Rental Bookings: Revenue generated from nightly rental rates for vacation properties ranging from $120/night to $1,100/night depending on property size, location, amenities, and season. Minimum stay requirements of 3-7 nights depending on property and season.
2. Property Management Services: Services for homeowners including marketing, booking management, housekeeping, and maintenance. Property owners receive revenue from rental income while company takes management fee.
3. Damage Protection and Insurance: Non-refundable damage waiver fee providing up to $1,000 coverage for accidental damages during stay
4. Pet Fees: $130 fee for up to 2 pets at pet-friendly properties
5. Travel Insurance: Optional Sun Trip Preserver travel insurance at 7.75% of total reservation cost, providing cancellation and interruption coverage

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tybee Cottages is a vacation rental company that manages and rents a portfolio of 40+ vacation homes on Tybee Island, Georgia, ranging from vintage cottages to luxury estates with amenities such as private pools, ocean views, pet-friendly options, and beach access. The company also provides full-service property management for homeowners including marketing, reservations, housekeeping, and maintenance.

Product overview

Tybee Cottages operates as a locally-owned vacation rental company offering a portfolio of diverse rental properties on Tybee Island, Georgia. The core product is its vacation rental homes, organized into sub-categories including Private Pool rentals, Water View properties, Pet Friendly units, Near Beach locations, and Premiere Properties for luxury stays. Additional offerings include Gap Night Specials for last-minute bookings and Property Management Services for homeowners. The company was founded in 1997 and is currently owned by Corey Jones, who also owns Lucky Savannah vacation rentals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vacation Rental Homes
• Private Pool Rentals
• Water View Rentals
• Pet Friendly Rentals
• Near Beach Rentals
• Premiere Properties
• Gap Night Specials
• Property Management Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Properties consistently achieve 4.5-5.0 star ratings on reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• Scurto MarketingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite design and development partner responsible for the Tybee Cottages website design and functionality. Located in Savannah area, providing ongoing website maintenance and digital services.
• Savannah Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness membership providing local credibility, networking opportunities, and referrals through the Savannah Chamber member directory for places to stay category.
• Red Sky Travel InsurancesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered travel insurance provider offering Sun Trip Preserver coverage for guests, providing cancellation/interruption protection, emergency assistance, and travel services. Insurance costs 7.75% of total reservation.
• Lucky SavannahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated vacation rental management company also owned by Corey Jones. Handles Savannah vacation rentals, providing expanded market presence and cross-promotion opportunities for travelers interested in both Tybee Island and Savannah destinations.
• Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA)supportingOthersIndustry association membership providing access to best practices, professional standards, and networking within the vacation rental management industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Vrbo: Major OTA owned by Expedia focused on whole-home vacation rentals. Indirect competitor for distribution rather than property management, but a primary discovery channel for the same guest persona and a relevant benchmark for direct-booking strategy.
• Airbnb: Largest online travel agency (OTA) for short-term vacation rentals. Not a property manager but a key distribution and discovery channel that shapes where travelers search and book — and a channel Tybee Cottages notably does not currently use.

Broad incumbents

• AvantStay: Tech-enabled vacation rental manager operating a curated portfolio of premium whole-home rentals in U.S. leisure destinations. Comparable premium-segment positioning and amenity-rich inventory strategy, though at national scale.
• Vacasa: Public, scaled national vacation rental management company operating across thousands of properties in U.S. beach and ski markets. Comparable underlying business model (managed services + fees) but at vastly larger scale and capital base, with a broader tech stack and OTA integrations.
• Evolve Vacation Rental: National vacation rental manager with a lighter-touch, fee-based model across U.S. leisure markets. Comparable core offering of marketing, booking, and owner services but executed across a much larger and more geographically diverse portfolio.

Direct peers

• Tybee Island Vacation Rentals: Direct local competitor operating whole-home vacation rental management on Tybee Island with similar property categories, owner services, and D2C booking flows. Comparable scale and target customer base.
• Mermaid Cottages: Locally-owned Tybee Island vacation rental management company operating in the same beach market with similar cottage-focused inventory, D2C booking, and property owner services. Head-to-head competitor for both guests and homeowner contracts on Tybee Island.
• Tybee Beach Vacation Rentals: Tybee Island-based vacation rental manager offering beach-focused cottages, homes, and condos with online booking and property management — comparable product set, geography, and D2C GTM motion.
• Lucky Savannah Vacation Rentals: Sister vacation rental management company owned by the same operator (Corey Jones) in the Savannah area. Directly comparable business model — whole-home short-term rental management, D2C booking, property management services — expanding the same strategy into the Savannah historic district.
• Beachside Rentals: Regional coastal vacation rental manager offering similar whole-home rental management and owner services to beach destinations, with comparable D2C reservation model and concierge support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TybeeCottages
• Facebookfacebook.com/TybeeCottages
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tybee-cottages

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tybee Cottages