Hotelverse

High-Level Overview

Hotelverse is a technology company pioneering hyper-realistic digital twins for hotels, enabling immersive 3D explorations directly on hotel websites during booking.[1][2][3][6] It serves hotel chains like Hyatt, RIU Hotels, and Radisson Hotel Group, solving high intermediation rates—where online platforms reduce direct sales and margins—by allowing guests to virtually tour properties, filter rooms by attributes like views, floor, or noise, and book specific rooms.[1][2][3][4] This boosts conversion rates by 60%, promotes 30% more upgrades to higher-category rooms, and unlocks revenue from pre-stay services like spas or events, with the company targeting €3.5 million ARR in two years post-€5 million Series A funding in 2024.[1][3][4]

Origin Story

Hotelverse emerged in 2019 as a cross-entrepreneurship project within Iberostar Group, led by executives Fermín Carmona (now CEO) and Rafael Bover (now COO), who identified industry pain points from internet-driven intermediation and limited booking transparency.[3] Founded formally in 2020, it spun out to redefine guest experiences through API-integrated digital twins, gaining early traction with hotel chains and recognition as a PhocusWire Hot 25 Travel Startup in 2023.[3][4] Pivotal moments include partnerships with RWS Tridion for content management and EISI Soft for digitalization, plus €5 million Series A funding in October 2024 from GED Conexo Ventures and others to scale deployments.[2][4][5]

Core Differentiators

• Immersive Digital Twins: Creates API-ified 3D replicas of entire hotels, letting users "walk" through spaces, filter by specifics (e.g., bed size, sunlight, quiet areas), and select exact rooms—far beyond static photos.[1][2][3][6]
• Disintermediation and Revenue Boost: Integrates into hotel sites to drive direct bookings, increasing conversions 60%, upselling premium rooms 30%, and monetizing ancillaries like restaurants or spas pre-arrival.[1][3][4]
• Customization and Operations: Hotels tailor twins with 360° views, sustainability info, and service bookings; supports personalization pricing per room attributes, enhancing trust and emotional engagement.[2][3]
• Seamless Integration and Scalability: Quick API setup with partners like Roiback and Tridion, deployed to dozens of properties; focuses on profitability via immersive sales-ops fusion.[1][2][4][6]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Hotelverse rides the digital twin and immersive tech wave in hospitality, transforming outdated booking systems amid rising demand for personalized, authentic experiences akin to e-commerce like Amazon.[2] Timing aligns with post-pandemic travel recovery and Web3/AR/VR adoption, countering OTAs' dominance by empowering direct hotel sales in a $1.5 trillion industry plagued by 20-30% commissions.[1][3] Market forces like consumer preference for "tailor-made" vacations and AI-driven personalization favor it, while integrations with PMS and CMS amplify ecosystem impact, fostering efficiency and new revenue models for chains globally.[2][4][5]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Hotelverse is poised for U.S. and Asia expansion post-Caribbean push, with a €10 million Series B targeted for summer 2026 from U.S. VCs, aiming to dominate digital twins in hospitality.[3][4] Trends like metaverse tourism, AI personalization, and sustainability transparency will propel growth, evolving its role from booking innovator to full pre-stay ecosystem platform. As direct bookings surge, Hotelverse could redefine hotel profitability, turning digital replicas into standard infrastructure for immersive, margin-maximizing guest journeys—echoing its Iberostar origins into a global disruptor.[1][3][4]