Hello Scout Text Message Concierge — Photo by Hello Scout, Inc.

Melbourne, Australia – Luxico, Australia's top provider of luxury family homes, has acquired Hello Scout, a personalization and text messaging technology for hotels. The acquisition underlines Luxico's commitment to delivering sophisticated concierge solutions to travelers staying at their premium vacation homes. The terms of the deal are undisclosed and Luxico plans to start using the technology immediately.

Hello Scout was founded by David Temple and Matt Sperling in 2014 to help travelers discover more personalized and unique local activities via text message and iOS apps. Luxico will use the award-winning technology to create efficiency and agility for their teams of local experts who currently provide high-touch, white glove service for their rental properties.

Luxico has grown quickly since Tom and Alex Ormerod launched the service in 2013. Their portfolio of over 200 exclusively selected private homes is the largest in Australia. Guests are greeted on arrival by one of their concierges, who are available to guests throughout their stay to help with tours, transportation, shopping or anything else that the guest can think of. Luxico is highly-selective in choosing their properties, accepting less than 20% of applicants into their network.

"Hello Scout is a great fit for us", says Alex Ormerod, Managing Director of Luxico. "We are highly focused on using technology to deliver best-in-class service in a variety of locations. By further enabling our concierges to deliver timely and high-touch service, Hello Scout's technology accelerates our growth and allows us to expand to even more markets."

David Temple, cofounder of Hello Scout, says "We are thrilled that our technology will continue to help thousands of travelers to have more unique, personalized and off-the-beaten-path vacations. We have been so impressed with the Luxico team and vision, and we can't wait to see where they take this in the years ahead."

About Luxico

LUXICO is Australia's first 'Home Hotel' offering VIPs, families, and affluent travellers access to Australia's best homes with hotel-style 24/7 concierge support. Combining the personalized service of a five-star concierge with the space, privacy and amenities of a luxury family home, Luxico delivers sophisticated solutions for the needs of modern travellers. Luxico was founded in 2013 by Tom and Alex Ormerod. For more information, visit http://luxico.com.au/.

About Hello Scout

Hello Scout has built apps and text messaging solutions to help travelers looking for unique experiences to connect with local experts. The company has worked with great brands like Viceroy, Provenance and Joie de Vivre, as well as being named the 2016 Most Innovative Startup at both HITEC and PhocusWright. Hello Scout was founded in January 2015 by David Temple and Matt Sperling, with investment from General Catalyst, Launch Fund, Slow Ventures, and Social + Capital. For more information, visit www.helloscout.com.

David Temple
CEO