Bob W

What Bob W does

Bob W is a technology-driven hospitality operator founded in 2018 in Helsinki, Finland, that runs design-led aparthotels across 19 cities in 11 European countries as an alternative to traditional hotels and short-term rentals. The company combines hotel-grade consistency (cleaning, reliability, support) with the authenticity and flexibility of apartments, offering fully equipped kitchens, laundry, and locally curated neighborhoods with average stay lengths of approximately four nights. Its proprietary platform delivers mobile check-in, keyless entry, WhatsApp-based 24/7 guest support (handling 170,893 conversations at ±2m10s response time), and the LEGIT sustainability tracker built with Furthr that measures 3.78 kgCO2e per guest night — 69% below the European hotel average.

The business operates an asset-light, lease-based model across 45 properties with units in city categories ranging from Original to Signature Penthouse, distributed via direct booking on bobw.co (with best-rate guarantee), OTA partnerships (Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia), corporate accounts, and meeting/event space rentals. Pricing is unit-based with city taxes varying by jurisdiction (e.g., 12.5% in Amsterdam, 5% net in Vienna) and supplemented by ancillary fees for early check-in, pets, gym access, and breakfast partnerships with local cafés. A 240-employee team across engineering (Tallinn hub), operations (Helsinki HQ, Munich, Leipzig, Dublin entities Not a Hotel Venture Limited and Bob W Asset Management GmbH), and property management supports the platform. The company has raised approximately €61 million across a €21M Series A (October 2022, IDC Ventures/Elevator Ventures/Verve Ventures/Flashpoint), €40M Series B (February 2024, Evli Growth Partners-led), and BBVA growth capital (November 2025), plus earlier seed and Series A1 rounds. Acquisitions of Estonishing Stay, KOTI Hotel, and charly between 2022 and 2023 accelerated market entry. Customer segments span corporate travelers, digital nomads, leisure guests, and need-based relocations, with Inner Circle and Business Circle loyalty programs driving repeat direct bookings.

Name

Bob W

Legal name

Not a Hotel Venture Limited

Website

https://bobw.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bob W operates a tech-enabled aparthotel platform across 19 European cities in 11 countries, combining hotel reliability with apartment flexibility for business travelers, digital nomads, and leisure guests through mobile check-in, keyless entry, and 100% carbon-offset stays.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Serviced Apartments

NAICS

Accommodation (721)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)

akta.pro primary industry

Serviced Extended-Stay Apartments & Aparthotels (THAMAFAC)

Keywords

• Tech-powered aparthotels
• Serviced apartments
• Extended stay accommodations
• Autonomous hospitality platform
• Sustainable hospitality services

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Apartment Accommodations: Core revenue from nightly, weekly, and monthly apartment rentals across aparthotel portfolio. Flexible pricing based on location, unit type, and stay duration. Average stay length approximately 4 nights.
2. Extra Services: Additional revenue from early check-in/late check-out, pet accommodation fees, on-demand cleaning, gym access, and breakfast partnerships
3. Meeting Spaces and Events: Rental revenue from meeting rooms, rooftop lounges, and sauna facilities for corporate events and private gatherings
4. Corporate Stays: B2B revenue from corporate housing contracts, relocations, and group bookings for business travelers across European locations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bob W operates tech-powered, design-led aparthotels across 19 European cities in 11 countries, offering flexible short and extended-stay apartment accommodations with hotel-grade consistency and short-term rental authenticity. The core product combines contactless mobile check-in, keyless entry, fully equipped kitchens, 24/7 WhatsApp guest support, and 100% carbon-offset operations, supported by the proprietary LEGIT sustainability tracker and AI-driven automation platform.

Product overview

Bob W is a tech-powered hospitality operator running design-led aparthotels across 19 cities in 11 European countries, offering an alternative to traditional hotels and short-term rentals. The core product is the Bob W Aparthotels platform combining hotel consistency (reception, housekeeping, consistency) with apartment authenticity (local character, flexibility, space). The product suite includes: the main booking and management platform (bobw.co), the Inner Circle loyalty program for recurring guests, Corporate Stays for business travelers, Work From Anywhere for digital nomads, and Meeting Spaces and Saunas at select locations. All properties are supported by a proprietary sustainability program including the B.Green framework and 100% carbon offset operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bob's Inner Circle: Loyalty programme offering 5% off every stay, exclusive new openings discounts up to 50%, early bird offers, insider neighborhood insights, and collectible perks based on nights stayed.
• Bob's Rewards

Products and services

• Bob W Aparthotels Tech-powered, design-led aparthotel accommodations across 19 European cities, combining hotel-grade consistency with short-term rental authenticity. Includes contactless mobile check-in, keyless entry, fully equipped kitchens, laundry, ergonomic workspaces, 24/7 WhatsApp support, and 100% carbon-offset stays.
• Bob's Inner Circle Loyalty Program Free cardless loyalty program offering 5% off standard rates for direct bookings through bobw.co, exclusive new-opening discounts up to 50%, early bird offers, neighbourhood planning tools, and tiered collectible perks (3 nights = late check-out, 7 nights = early check-in, 21 nights = apartment upgrades). Includes the Business Circle tier with 10% off for corporate members.
• Corporate Stays Dedicated B2B corporate accommodation product for business travelers and relocations, offering flexible stays with high-speed internet, co-working spaces, 24/7 support, fully equipped kitchens, weekly cleaning, and sustainable practices. Includes account management and group booking capabilities across European cities.
• Work From Anywhere Extended-stay accommodation product for digital nomads and remote workers, featuring spacious apartments in handpicked neighbourhoods with high-speed internet, dedicated workspaces, fully equipped kitchens, and flexible stay durations from weeks to months.
• Meeting Spaces and Saunas Event and meeting space rentals at select properties, including rooftop lounges, meeting rooms, and saunas for private events, corporate gatherings, and team retreats of 4-30 people. Helsinki Kamppi location features a rooftop lounge and sauna co-designed with Nordic brand Iittala.
• Carbon Offset and Sustainability Program End-to-end carbon offset and emissions tracking program embedded in every stay, covering energy, water, waste, furniture, and toiletries per guest night. Powered by the proprietary LEGIT (Lodging Emissions & Guest-night Impact Tracker) system built with sustainability partner Furthr, with real-time public disclosure of carbon emissions and offset projects across all properties.

Quantifiable outcome

• NPS score of 72 maintained consistently for 4 consecutive years, making Bob W the best loved hotel brand in Europe
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bloom Street Hotel LimitedcoreOthers · 22 April 2026Long-term lease agreement for 83-unit aparthotel development in Manchester city centre, marking expansion across UK and Ireland.
• Z DevelopmentcoreOthers · 24 March 2026Long-term lease agreement for 84-unit newly built serviced apartment property in Belfast, Northern Ireland, opening summer 2026 with smart technology and rooftop garden.
• FurthrcoreTechnology or IntegrationSustainability consultancy partnership for LEGIT emissions tracking system, Net Zero action planning, and B.Green sustainability framework development. Furthr provides climate expertise for measuring, reducing, and mitigating emissions.
• IittalaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign collaboration for Helsinki rooftop lounge and sauna space combining Nordic design with city views, featured in Monocle Private Events.
• 200+ Local PartnersminorOthersNetwork of local breakfast spots, gyms, and service providers across European neighborhoods for guest experience enhancement.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Limehome: German tech-enabled serviced-apartment operator offering contactless, design-led apartment stays across DACH and other European cities. Closely comparable to Bob W on autonomous-operations model, tech-led guest experience, and pan-European DACH-first footprint.
• Staycity: European aparthotel and short-stay apartment brand with properties in major cities including Dublin, London, Paris, and Berlin. Comparable to Bob W on aparthotel positioning, multi-city European footprint, and corporate/leisure dual-segment targeting.
• Aparthotels Adagio: Joint venture between Accor and Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs operating aparthotels across European cities. Comparable to Bob W as a direct aparthotel competitor with broader geographic reach and Accor's distribution behind it.
• Locke (by edyn): Design-led aparthotel brand with properties in London, Dublin, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Berlin, Lisbon, and Munich. Highly comparable on aparthotel positioning, design-led spaces, kitchen-equipped units, and tech-enabled check-in for extended-stay guests.
• Roomzzz: UK-based aparthotel brand offering serviced apartments in cities including London, Manchester, Leeds, York, Chester, and Nottingham. Comparable to Bob W on flexible-stay aparthotel model and emphasis on kitchen-equipped, design-led apartments.
• Sonder: Tech-enabled hospitality operator running apartment-style and hotel properties globally with mobile-first booking and check-in. Comparable to Bob W on autonomous operations, mobile-app-led guest experience, and aparthotel-style product.
• Native Places: UK serviced-apartment and aparthotel operator in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other cities. Comparable to Bob W on design-led, kitchen-equipped aparthotels targeting tech-savvy and corporate travelers in UK/EU cities.

Broad incumbents

• The Ascott (Citadines): Global serviced-residence operator with Citadines and other brands across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. Comparable to Bob W on serviced-apartment model but with much wider geographic scale and longer operating history.
• Hyatt (Hyatt House / Hyatt Place): Global hotel major with extended-stay brands (Hyatt House) targeting business travelers seeking apartment-style accommodation. Comparable to Bob W on extended-stay corporate guest and suites-with-kitchen positioning, with vastly greater scale and loyalty program (World of Hyatt).

Emerging players

• Meininger Hotels: European hybrid hotel concept combining hotel and hostel elements in city-center locations across Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and other countries. Comparable to Bob W as a tech-enabled, design-led European hospitality operator in overlapping DACH cities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bobwstay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bobw
• Instagraminstagram.com/bobwco
• Xx.com/bobwco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors16 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bob W