Amsterdam-based HolidayHero, a software platform that supports hotels and short-term rental hosts to manage guest expectations, announced on Tuesday, October 11, that it has raised €500K in a pre-Seed round of funding. The company aims to deliver proactive and personalised guest experiences in the travel industry.
The investment was led by Ruud Stelder, Dennis Cuijpers (ex SEOshop/Lightspeed and Orderchamp), and Hjalte Niehorster (ex-Lightspeed), a renowned group of SaaS-tech angels and founders.
Sjeel Koster, CEO and co-founder of HolidayHero, says, “Raising half a million euros in pre-Seed funding, we aim to bring our guest experience technology to market maturity, attract customers, and expand the team.”
How was HolidayHero born?
Vacationers today have choices with over 12.7 million listings on Airbnb and 28 million on Booking.com. But because traveller expectations are higher than ever, hosts and hotels must put in more effort than ever to secure loyalty and boost repeat business. Meeting basic lodging needs is no longer enough.
The founding team says it has firsthand experienced what it takes to meet and even surpass modern guest standards because they have owned rental homes themselves. While the majority of hotels and short-term rentals generate income through reservations, many overlook the chance to increase income by providing guests with individualised services from pre-arrival to checkout.
The team recognised this as a clear potential to raise the average expenditure per visitor because 86 per cent of customers are more willing to conduct business with a firm that communicates with them in a customised fashion.
That’s when HolidayHero was born. The all-in-one guest experience platform helps hosts and hoteliers delight guests and build loyalty through smart conversational messaging and personalised service offerings.
About HolidayHero
Founded in 2022, HolidayHero is a software platform and ecosystem that empowers hotels and short-term vacation rental hosts to manage guest experiences beyond booking. With the HolidayHero Guest app, users can save time on guest management, boost topline revenue and exceed overall guest expectations.
Understanding visitors’ needs and surpassing their expectations is essential to remain one step ahead of the competition in everything from proactive service to personalised interactions and linked experiences.
Holidayhero’s product is currently available as a BETA version, and hotels and STRs can try it out via the company’s website.