Certares
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Certares firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Certares
- Legal name
- Certares Management LLC
- Website
- https://certares.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Certares industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Equity and Investment Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Large-Cap / Sponsor Finance Direct Lending (FSANADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Real Estate Portfolio & Fund Management (Institutional/REIT/PE) (BPAJAMAJ)
Keywords
Where Certares is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Certares business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Certares product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Certares is a private investment firm that deploys institutional capital through three strategies—Private Equity, Credit, and Real Estate—into companies and assets in the travel and tourism, hospitality, and business and consumer services sectors. The firm invests directly in operating companies (such as American Express Global Business Travel, Hertz, Tripadvisor, and G Adventures), provides credit and structured financing solutions, and acquires high-quality hotel assets in growth markets. Investors access these strategies through Certares' fund vehicles, with Certares earning management fees and carried interest.
Product overview
Certares is a global investment firm specializing in travel and hospitality industries, offering three core investment strategies: Private Equity, Credit, and Real Estate. The Private Equity platform focuses on direct investments in travel companies including tour operators (G Adventures, Affinity Journeys), travel management (American Express Global Business Travel, Internova, Avoya Travel), travel platforms (Tripadvisor), and transportation (Hertz, Brightline, Wheels Up). The Credit platform provides financing solutions for travel and hospitality companies. The Real Estate platform invests in hotel assets across major U.S. markets under brands including Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt. The firm has approximately $7 billion of assets under management and has raised ~$8.0 billion of capital commitments since its founding in 2012.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Private Equity Strategy Certares' Private Equity platform dedicated to long-term value creation through direct investments in proprietary transactions, leveraging deep sector experience in travel and hospitality industries for institutional limited partners.
- Credit Strategy Certares' credit platform established in 2020 consisting of primary and secondary credit and structured investments, including loans and solutions for stressed and distressed companies in travel and hospitality.
- Real Estate Strategy Certares' real estate platform established in 2021, comprising high-quality hotel and lodging assets in growth markets and gateway cities, having acquired 16 hotels comprising over 3,700 keys since launch.
Companies that use Certares
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Certares technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Certares partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- FS Group (Ferrovie dello Stato)flagshipFS Group and Certares formed a strategic partnership creating a joint venture to accelerate Trenitalia France's high-speed rail expansion. The partnership includes a €1 billion investment plan to expand the fleet to at least 19 trainsets, develop a new maintenance facility near Paris, and launch Paris-London services through the Channel Tunnel by 2029. Certares leverages its global travel distribution network through portfolio companies including Amex GBT, Marietton Développement, Voyageurs du Monde, and Internova Travel Group to shift corporate and leisure travelers from air to rail.
- HHM HotelscoreCertares and HHM Hotels partnered to acquire the Carté Hotel San Diego Downtown, Curio Collection by Hilton. HHM Hotels is an award-winning hotel management and investment company operating full-service and select-service hotels across the United States and Canada.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Certares competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Starwood Capital Group: Hospitality-focused global investment firm with deep hotel ownership and asset management operations. Highly comparable to Certares given overlapping focus on hotel real estate, structured credit, and travel-adjacent operating businesses.
- L Catterton: Consumer-focused private equity firm with deep travel/leisure exposure (notably acquiring AmaWaterways from Certares in 2024). Comparable sector focus and fund size make it a direct competitor for travel and consumer deals.
- Trinity Investments: Hotel-focused investment manager that has been a recurring joint-venture partner with Certares (EAST Miami, Hyatt Regency Greenwich). Comparable strategy and asset class with overlapping investment thesis in branded U.S. hotels.
- Square Mile Capital Management: Real estate and credit investment firm with a dedicated hospitality fund (SMW Hospitality). Certares' Head of Real Estate Nolan Hecht previously led hotel investments there, making it a closely overlapping platform in hospitality debt and equity.
- Sycamore Partners: Consumer-focused private equity firm with investments spanning retail, travel, and leisure. Comparable mid-sized platform targeting proprietary consumer/travel transactions with operating-led value creation.
Broad incumbents
- Blackstone: Largest alternative asset manager with significant travel, hospitality, and real estate exposure (e.g., acquired EAST Miami from Certares in 2025). Competes with Certares for large-scale hospitality transactions and is a frequent counterparty.
- KKR: Global alternative asset manager with active travel, hospitality, and real estate strategies. Multiple Certares senior team members previously held roles at KKR, and the firms compete for similar mid- and large-cap travel opportunities.
- Apollo Global Management: Diversified alternative asset manager with significant credit, equity, and real estate capabilities. Comparable in offering multi-strategy capital solutions across the travel/leisure/hospitality sector, though at a much larger scale.
- Cerberus Capital Management: Distressed and special-situations investment firm with consumer and travel exposure. Certares MD Jim McGee previously served as Senior MD at Cerberus, and the firms share an orientation toward complex/restructured travel situations.
Others
- One Equity Partners: Mid-market private equity firm where several Certares senior leaders (Greg O'Hara, Colin Farmer, Henry Briance, Chris Ahrens) previously served as Managing Directors. Highly comparable investment style and sector focus, representing the firm's primary talent incubator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Certares social profiles
Digital presenceCertares financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Certares leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Certares subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries26 records
Certares funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Certares M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments14 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Certares
What does Certares do?
Certares is a private investment firm that deploys institutional capital through three strategies—Private Equity, Credit, and Real Estate—into companies and assets in the travel and tourism, hospitality, and business and consumer services sectors. The firm invests directly in operating companies (such as American Express Global Business Travel, Hertz, Tripadvisor, and G Adventures), provides credit and structured financing solutions, and acquires high-quality hotel assets in growth markets. Investors access these strategies through Certares' fund vehicles, with Certares earning management fees and carried interest.
Is Certares a public or private company?
Certares is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Certares founded?
Certares was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Certares based?
Certares is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Certares's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Starwood Capital Group, L Catterton, Trinity Investments, Square Mile Capital Management and Sycamore Partners. Broad incumbents are Blackstone, KKR, Apollo Global Management and Cerberus Capital Management. One Equity Partners is listed as an others.
Does Certares have an API?
No public API is recorded for Certares.
What industry is Certares in?
Certares's product category is Private Equity and Investment Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANADAJ, Large-Cap / Sponsor Finance Direct Lending, with a secondary code of BPAJAMAJ, Real Estate Portfolio & Fund Management (Institutional/REIT/PE). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.