SmarterTravel
SmarterTravel is a US digital travel media company that publishes expert travel advice, newsletters, and personalized AI-driven recommendations to millions of US consumer travelers, monetizing primarily through travel-partner advertising and KAYAK-routed hotel booking affiliate commissions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1901
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What SmarterTravel does
SmarterTravel operates a digital travel-media business serving US consumer travelers with editorial content, newsletters, and personalized recommendations. The company's flagship property is SmarterTravel.com, which publishes expert travel advice across categories including expert tips, destinations, travel news, gear reviews, family travel, solo travel, active travel, and booking strategy. Content is supported by three newsletter brands — SmarterTraveler (general travel), Tin Cup (golf travel), and Oyster (hotel reviews) — distributed via a subscriber hub at subhub.smartertravel.com and amplified through active social channels on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
The underlying technology is a proprietary AI-powered recommendation engine that, according to the company, "goes beyond keyword search to infer where users want to travel and what they want to do." This engine runs on top of a large first-party email subscriber base and is applied to personalize both consumer-facing newsletter and website content and the targeting layer offered to travel-booking advertising partners. The company additionally operates Hotels.SmarterTravel.com, a transactional hotel-search platform built on a distribution partnership with KAYAK, with optional membership and subscription travel plans billed on monthly or yearly cadences.
Commercially, SmarterTravel runs a hybrid revenue model: advertising products sold to travel booking partners are the primary stream, supplemented by affiliate referral commissions routed through KAYAK on hotel bookings and by subscription/membership revenue from the Hotels.SmarterTravel.com product. The company is privately held as Smarter Travel Media LLC, headquartered at One Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its corporate history is anchored by the July 2020 acquisition of the SmarterTravel media portfolio (eight travel brands) from TripAdvisor by Hopjump, followed by a $9.5 million Series B financing in September 2021 led by Link Ventures and Second Alpha Partners, alongside a corporate rebrand from HopJump to SmarterTravel.
SmarterTravel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SmarterTravel
- Legal name
- Smarter Travel Media LLC
- Website
- https://smartertravel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1901
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- SmarterTravel is a US digital travel media company that publishes expert travel advice, newsletters, and personalized AI-driven recommendations to millions of US consumer travelers, monetizing primarily through travel-partner advertising and KAYAK-routed hotel booking affiliate commissions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SmarterTravel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Travel Media
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929), Travel Agencies (561510)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Review-Led Travel Discovery & Booking Platforms (THAKAAAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Travel, Hospitality & Local Discovery Recommendations (HDAAAGAG), Price Tracking, Alerts & Deal Discovery (Fare Prediction/Watchlists) (THALAEAJ)
Keywords
Where SmarterTravel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
SmarterTravel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Advertising: The primary revenue stream appears to be advertising products for partners, offering innovative advertising solutions to reach their engaged travel audience. The company states they deliver unparalleled targeting and impactful results for partners through their multiple platforms and brands.
- Hotel Booking Commissions: Hotels.SmarterTravel.com operates as a hotel booking platform that directs users to KAYAK for bookings, likely earning affiliate commissions on transactions.
- Newsletter Subscriptions: The company operates multiple newsletters including SmarterTraveler, Tin Cup (golf), and Oyster (hotel reviews), with referral-based marketing programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Travel Membership & Subscription Plans |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-per-booking (Third-party) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
SmarterTravel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SmarterTravel operates a digital travel media platform that publishes expert travel content, destination guides, gear reviews, and personalized recommendations for US consumers. It monetizes through advertising products sold to travel booking partners, affiliate commissions on hotel bookings redirected to KAYAK, and email newsletter subscriptions. Proprietary AI algorithms infer user travel preferences to deliver targeted content and advertising.
Product overview
SmarterTravel operates a multi-platform travel media business consisting of: (1) the core SmarterTravel.com editorial website offering expert travel advice, destination guides, and travel news with personalized AI-powered recommendations delivered via email newsletters; (2) the Hotels.SmarterTravel.com booking platform for hotel reservations with membership/subscription options; and (3) supplementary newsletters including Tin Cup (golf) and Oyster (hotel reviews). The company was rebranded from HopJump in 2021 after acquiring the SmarterTravel media portfolio from TripAdvisor in 2020.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SmarterTravel.com A leading travel content website providing expert travel tips, destination guides, travel news, travel gear reviews, and family travel advice to US consumers. Features editorial articles, AI-powered personalized recommendations, and affiliate travel product links.
- SmarterTraveler Newsletter
- Hotels.SmarterTravel.com A hotel booking platform that enables users to search and book accommodations through partner KAYAK integration, offering membership and subscription travel plans with automated payment processing.
Companies that use SmarterTravel
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SmarterTravel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature1 record
SmarterTravel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Hopjump (Acquirer/Parent)Tripadvisor sold the SmarterTravel media portfolio to Hopjump in July 2020. The company was subsequently renamed from Hopjump to SmarterTravel. This represents an acquisition that brought the travel media brands under new ownership.
- KAYAKcoreHotels.SmarterTravel.com integrates with KAYAK for hotel booking functionality. Users are redirected to KAYAK (via kayak.com/in) to complete actual hotel reservations, indicating a distribution channel partnership.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SmarterTravel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SmarterTravel social profiles
Digital presenceSmarterTravel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SmarterTravel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SmarterTravel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SmarterTravel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SmarterTravel
What does SmarterTravel do?
SmarterTravel operates a digital travel media platform that publishes expert travel content, destination guides, gear reviews, and personalized recommendations for US consumers. It monetizes through advertising products sold to travel booking partners, affiliate commissions on hotel bookings redirected to KAYAK, and email newsletter subscriptions. Proprietary AI algorithms infer user travel preferences to deliver targeted content and advertising.
Is SmarterTravel a public or private company?
SmarterTravel is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was SmarterTravel founded?
SmarterTravel was founded in 1901. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is SmarterTravel based?
SmarterTravel is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does SmarterTravel make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are hotel Booking Commissions and newsletter Subscriptions.
Does SmarterTravel have an API?
No public API is recorded for SmarterTravel.
What industry is SmarterTravel in?
SmarterTravel's product category is Online Travel Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAAAN, Review-Led Travel Discovery & Booking Platforms, with a secondary code of HDAAAGAG, Travel, Hospitality & Local Discovery Recommendations. Its NAICS code is 51929 and its SIC code is 7900.