Original Source: asiatechdaily.com
Zuzu Hospitality is a travel tech startup that helps small hotels and accommodation facilities to manage their affairs. They are a chain for independent hotels, functioning as the hotel operating system and helping them boost their revenue.
Zuzu Hospitality was founded in Jan 2016 by Dan Lynn and Vikram Malhi. The company is headquartered in the Central Region of Singapore and works with independent Hotels in the Asia Pacific region. It is a platform that allows these small Hotels to digitize their operations, boosting their revenue by attracting more customers.
The Focus
Travellers and tourists today rely heavily on Online Travel Agencies(OTAs) for their many needs, including accommodations. OTAs allow users to book tickets, rooms, and travel assistance online, and cooperate with travel agencies as well as hotels to provide these services. Many hotels around the world sign up with these services. The ones most benefited by the globalization of travel are the large, established hotel chains. Small hoteliers tend to get sidelined in this marketplace, mostly due to a lack of modern digital operating systems like that of international hotel chains.
The focus of Zuzu Hospitality is to empower these small hotels to stand with their larger competitors. They provide the digital backing for these independent establishments to have their operating system, helping them focus better on their day to day operations and improving customer services.
The Operation
Zuzu Hospitality operates as an extension of its independent hotel partners, working with the hoteliers to achieve peak productivity. Their main goal is to help maximize the revenue of their clients by taking care of all aspects in the digital front, as well as helping them optimize their prices and manage their revenue. By combining their all-in-one system with their revenue management team, they can carry most of the backroom financial and digital infrastructure for hotels, allowing the hotel staff to focus solely on customer services.
The company allows small, independent hotels to utilize Data science, technology, and expert revenue and operation management to boost their income and make more of an impact in their respective market. Hoteliers can get their first free consultation, sign up for their services, and be online in just weeks, without much infrastructure from their side.
Investments
The company has conducted 5 funding rounds raising a total capital investment of $6.7 Million in the first three, up to series A. Their latest investments came in a Convertible Note round in July 2019, when TNB AURA invested an undisclosed sum into the company. The firm plans to use the funds to expand its presence in the regional market, helping more small hotels in the area.
The Pandemic effect
During the initial days of Covid, the firm had begun its expansion into Vietnam. The pandemic almost decimated most of the travel industry, including hotels. The firm continued to support small hotels, advising them to cater to local travellers, offer competitive prices and flexible booking, and urged hotels to focus more on hygiene and sanitation. As the market makes a slow, staggered recovery, the firm continues to guide small businesses through these tough times.
The Verdict
As a company that allows local businesses to leverage technology for better profits, Zuzu Hospitality provides better opportunities for these businesses and helps to boost the local tourism scene of a region. They also provide users with diversified options, often allowing them to get to cheaper local hotels that offer the authentic regional experience. In a globalized economy, such a setup allows the small players to take advantage of their market and stand shoulder to shoulder with established companies.