HotelOnline
The story of building and scaling a pan-African traveltech company from Nairobi.
Where HotelOnline began
In 2013, what began as a simple response to a clear gap near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport eventually grew into HotelOnline, a traveltech company working with thousands of hotels across Africa. We started with a small airport accommodation business that was among the early pioneers of the overnight rental model in Nairobi, before Airbnb became a mainstream point of reference in the market.
From there, we moved into building a wider technology-led platform for hotel distribution, marketing, and growth. The journey went on to include expansion across markets, multiple acquisitions, survival through Covid, a strategic investment from Yanolja, and a return to profitability.
6,000 partner hotels
27 countries
11 mergers and acquisitions
Profitable since 2023
From a market gap to a business model
The starting point was practical. Nairobi was already a major regional aviation hub, but budget accommodation close to the airport was limited. Endre Opdal and I launched Nairobi Airport Hotel as a lean early venture, using leased apartments, strong online positioning, and direct booking capability. It also helped pioneer the overnight rental model in Nairobi, before Airbnb became a mainstream point of reference in the market. By 2014, it had become the most-booked property on Booking.com in Nairobi.
That experience made two things clear very quickly. Digital distribution was badly underused in African hospitality, and the right commercial model could unlock growth far beyond a single property.
The pivot that unlocked scale
The next step was Savanna Sunrise. Our initial ambition was broader hotel management and marketing, but we quickly simplified the model and focused on online marketing and commercial growth for hotels. That made the business easier to scale, easier to sell, and better aligned with the market.
It also opened the door to strategic partnerships, including eZee Technosys, which became an important part of our growth story.
Building HotelOnline across Africa
A merger and acquisition process with the Polish company behind the Hotel Online name led to a broader group structure and a stronger identity. Under the HotelOnline name, the business expanded into markets such as Nigeria and evolved from a regional East African player into a clearly pan-African traveltech company.
Around that same period, we completed Africa’s first equity crowdfunding round, broadening the shareholder base and strengthening visibility. HotelOnline continued to grow through acquisitions, partnerships, and repeated rounds of execution, increasing both scale and market presence across the continent.
Resilience, validation, and what it represents
Growth did not come in a straight line. We went through difficult financing setbacks, learned hard lessons about capital, and kept building. HotelOnline reached break-even in 2019, then had to fight through the Covid collapse that hit tourism globally. Surviving that period and rebuilding afterwards was as important a proof point as any funding round.
In 2022, HotelOnline secured a strategic investment from Yanolja following a lengthy due diligence and transaction process. That mattered not only because of the capital, but because it brought strong industry validation from a major global travel technology player. The company then rebuilt to pre-Covid levels and beyond, added further acquisitions, and returned to profitability in 2023.
HotelOnline is the clearest expression of how I build and the strongest example of how I work. Spot the gap. Build close to the market. Stay commercial. Adjust fast. Keep going when the original plan breaks. Find the right partners. Scale carefully, but think big from the start.
It also reflects much of what has shaped my broader work over the years: entrepreneurship, travel, hospitality, technology, partnerships, market-building, and operating across African markets with real execution pressure. That combination continues to shape how I think, advise, and build.
Looking for the full founder story?
The original long-form HotelOnline story remains available in the legacy section.