Making More Affordable Software for the World’s Independent Hotels
Photo Credit: Swandor Hotels & Resorts Topkapi Palace in Aksu, in Antalya, Turkey. Some of Swandor Group's 18 properties in Turkey, Greece, Vietnam, Thailand, and Egypt use HotelRunner's software services. Swandor Group
Skift Take
We like to say there's always a way to create your own white space. HotelRunner is a startup looking at the crowded hospitality sector in fresh ways. Think the budget model of EasyJet or AirAsia, but for a hotel tech stack.
Independent owners and small-to-mid-sized operators manage a majority of the world's hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, and short-term rental properties. But their lack of tech expertise and small budgets tend to make them tough sells for software vendors. That has left an opening for startups aiming to tackle this underserved market.
Enter HotelRunner, a startup offering basic tools for managing and selling travel lodging online. It has found traction this year despite the pandemic.
Since March, HotelRunner grew its client list by 10 percent to 40,000 properties. The London-based startup said on Thursday it had acquired RateFor, a small firm in Istanbul offering rate analysis, shopping, and comparison tools. The companies didn't disclose the terms of the cash deal.
While many hotel tech vendors have been furloughing staff and struggling, HotelRunner has been profitable and is currently hiring for market managers, product managers, and developers in Europe and the U.S. to join its 55
