HotelOnline

HotelOnline operates as a technology and e-commerce partner for hotels, primarily focusing on the African market. The company provides a suite of cloud-based software solutions designed to increase online visibility, streamline operations, and maximize revenue for its clients. These services are critical in a market where many hospitality providers are transitioning to digital platforms.

The company's history began in 2013 when two former college mates from BI Norwegian Business School, Håvar Bauck and Endre Opdal, identified a market gap in Nairobi, Kenya. They observed that Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, a major regional hub, lacked nearby budget-friendly accommodations. Using their personal savings, they leased five apartments and marketed them online as an airport hotel concept, which proved successful from the first month. This initial venture inspired the launch of Savanna Sunrise in 2014, a project aimed at assisting East African hotels with online marketing, which would later become HotelOnline. Bauck's extensive experience in African markets and Opdal's background, which included owning a small guesthouse, provided a practical foundation for their business. The company officially became HotelOnline in 2017 after a merger with a Polish competitor, Hotel Online sp. z.o.o.

HotelOnline’s business model is centered on providing a comprehensive technology stack and managed services to hotels and vacation rentals. Revenue is generated by helping clients increase bookings and optimize pricing. The company's offerings include a property management system (PMS), a channel manager for synchronizing availability across online travel agencies (OTAs), a direct booking engine for hotel websites, and a restaurant point-of-sale (POS) system. It also provides dedicated revenue management, using data analytics, demand forecasts, and competitor benchmarking to set dynamic pricing and increase Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR). The client base ranges from independent hotels to hotel chains across more than 27 countries in Africa.

Significant milestones mark the company's growth. In April 2022, HotelOnline secured a Series A investment from Yanolja, a South Korea-based travel technology company, which has been instrumental in its expansion. A major strategic move was the acquisition of HotelPlus, an East African hotel software provider, in September 2022. This deal added over 2,200 clients and brought HotelPlus founder, Eric Muliro, onto the team as the new Chief Technology Officer. The company also acquired Cloud9xp, an online marketplace for leisure experiences, during the pandemic, integrating it into its offerings.

Keywords: hotel technology Africa, hospitality software, revenue management service, property management system, channel manager for hotels, online travel agencies, digital marketing for hotels, e-commerce hospitality, Håvar Bauck, Endre Opdal, Yanolja, travel tech Africa, hotel booking engine, dynamic pricing hotels, hotel operations software, African hospitality market, Nairobi startup, POS systems for restaurants, cloud-based hotel solutions, RevPAR optimization