When US Marines Officer, Major Anthony Gantt, was denied reimbursement for a short-term rental booked via an OTA, when his family was relocating to a new military base, he saw it as an opportunity.

Federal regulations did not allow military personnel to book via Expedia, Booking.com, Airbnb etc, because of a lack of oversight on their criteria for approved lodging, so Anthony was not able to recover the money paid for the accommodation for his family of 8, while in limbo between bases.

This is the perfect origin story.  The one where someone sees a gap – in this case a yawning hole – in a system, and then designs a solution that elegantly meets the needs of all the stakeholders.

At Ease Corporation was born.  Over the course of three years, he challenged federal bureaucracy as the case was made for a niche ‘OTA’ where military and other federal employees could source accredited short-term housing and be reimbursed for their stays.

In this interview Anthony explains how it all started, the red tape he went through, and the mechanism of At Ease from both a host and guest perspective.

There are a lot of clear benefits to joining this start-up platform and you can hear it all in this episode, including:

• How it all began – when 6 kids want to use the bathroom at the same time in a hotel room!
• The red tape journey that included a trip to Washington
• Why this works for hosts on so many levels
• What a property needs for certification in the At Ease platform
• Why this is more than just a niche listing site
• The benefits of getting the Breezeway Safety Certification
• How putting together a pitch in under 72 hours netted $100,000
• Goals for the future of At Ease

Links mentioned:

Breezeway Safety Certification

On the Move: How Major Anthony Gantt Jr. Puts Military Members At Ease in Short-Term Rentals (Article – Rent Responsibly)

At Ease

Connect with Anthony at info@pcsatease.com or call/text on 512 434 0109