01 AUG 2017: RCI, a division of the Wyndham Hotel Group, has acquired LoveHomeSwap, a UK based home exchange site set up six years ago. Founder and chief executive Debbie Wosskow, who established LoveHomeSwap in 2011, had previously said that she wanted the company, “to be to home exchange what Airbnb is to peer-to-peer rentals.”

Wyndham invested £7.5 ($12.4) million in the company in 2015 and reportedly will now pay £40 ($66) million for LoveHomeSwap.

Wosskow is stepping down as CEO and moving to an advisory position for the next six months. Her brother Ben, who co-founded the company with her, will replace her as CEO.

In 2016 Wosskow launched Sharing Economy UK, “a self-appointed and member-funded trade body” to “support and monitor businesses working within the nascent industry”. SEUK’s members include Airbnb, Zipcar and Liftshare.

Last year, Wosskow and Anna Jones, the CEO of Hearst UK, formed AllBright a funding and education network geared to female entrepreneurs.

While Wyndham, which owns Ramada, Super 8, Travelodge, Howard Johnson and Wyndham Hotels, also has self-catered and family accommodation, and RCI is focused on time-share rentals, this is their first foray into private home rentals.