Articles tagged “spacs”

Sonder began feeling an adverse impact from the Omicron outbreak in late November 2021, and that spilled over into January and February, hurting its booking numbers. Still, the forecast is for a 2022 revenue jump of 100 to 110 percent as it inks new deals in more lucrative markets.

Less than a year ago, a Tripadvisor pitch deck about Tripadvisor Plus touted its "multibillion dollar revenue potential." Despite the company expressing confidence in Plus when it scrapped its business model in September, Tripadvisor admitted last week "we haven't found the product-market fit that we're looking for."

Unlike Airbnb and Vrbo, which have struggled at times to attract ample numbers of hosts to meet demand, Inspirato and its subscription model play in a more focused space. Although there is plenty of competition, there are tons of potential home leases to lay siege for around the world where the monied set want to jet and play.

Hopper has been making a go of things with varied degrees of success for 15 years and the company is now finding its stride. Being a private company has its allures, but you can bet that Hopper executives would jump at the right deal. Who wouldn't?

So far, luxury travel club Inspirato is on track with the projections it made in June for its growth. Other companies looking at subscription or luxury products should take note of its latest pitch deck.

Sonder doesn't need to put Hilton or Airbnb out of business to be a winner. But it has to has to cope with the market's displeasure with unprofitable companies, and to prove that its guest experience will deliver on its promises, starting with millennials and Gen Zers.

Sonder's delayed stock market debut came to be, finally. Now with a $310 million injection of proceeds from private investors, and tapping into a $165 million credit line, the company can go about its business trying to build the next household name hospitality brand.

Stock markets, at their best, can be hype killers, and public investors shot down many inflated private company valuations in 2021. This may be a sobering development for IPO and SPAC wannabes in 2022.

Several travel-oriented, special purpose acquisition companies are out there that have not announced merger partners. A SPAC glut and the lackluster performance of several online travel or short-term rental companies that recently went public could have some of the hunters coming up empty.

This was the year of the travel IPO with 10 market debuts. But at least 10 more travel companies are likely to go public in 2022. Investors, despite disappointing Covid setbacks, continue to bet on the long-term strength of the travel industry.