HotelPlanner.com

What HotelPlanner.com does

HotelPlanner.com, operating under the legal entity Lexyl Travel Technologies, LLC, is a global group hotel booking marketplace founded in 2003 by Tim Hentschel and John Prince and headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with regional hubs in London, Amsterdam, and Singapore. The core product is an auction-style booking engine covering 250,000+ hotels, where group bookers (5+ rooms per night) trigger competitive bids from sales managers and receive guaranteed lowest rates; the company claims to be one of the largest sellers of group hotel rooms globally, backed by a 7,000+ gig-economy call center and a worldwide team of local destination experts. The platform serves a long tail of individual travelers as well as enterprise and institutional segments including professional and collegiate sports teams, 500+ universities, government agencies (e.g., the State of Louisiana), associations, conferences, weddings, and corporate clients, with discounts for AAA, AARP/senior, and military/government travelers.

The company's technology stack is anchored by Reservations.ai, a conversational and voice AI booking layer that handles over 40% of bookings and over 250,000 customer interactions per day across voice and text, including the world's first end-to-end global team of voice AI hotel reservationists with access to 1M+ properties. Additional products include TicketPlanner (a May 2026 launch into live entertainment ticketing), Meetings.com (event space RFP), AI Booking Agents, and group/event services modules, plus acquired brands Eventsquid (event registration, 2023), TravelMole (travel industry media, 2024), and PetsWelcome.com (pet-friendly accommodations, 2024). Patent-pending group-booking auction technology and white-label API integrations with partners such as SportsEngine, Let's Do This, Nextech3D.ai, and Trinity Investments extend the platform into partner ecosystems.

Revenue is generated almost entirely on a transaction-fee basis: preferred hotels pay a 7% referral commission while standard hotels pay 10% on bookings (including those generated from free bid requests), and travel agents earn a 10% commission on group bookings paid monthly one month after the hotel remits. Gross booking value supported by the ecosystem is reported at approximately $4 billion annually as of 2026, with $2B+ in projected hotel sales for 2025. The company generates revenue through both direct-to-consumer (hotelplanner.com, Reservations.ai, mobile) and B2B distribution (enterprise field sales for sports, university and government accounts, travel agent channel, gig call center, and API/embedded partnerships). It has not disclosed external institutional funding, and co-CEO Tim Hentschel indicated in October 2024 that the company was "eyeing an IPO," though no listing has been announced.

Name

HotelPlanner.com

Legal name

Lexyl Travel Technologies, LLC

Website

https://hotelplanner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HotelPlanner.com operates an AI-powered group hotel booking marketplace serving consumers, enterprises, sports teams, universities, and government agencies across 250,000+ hotels globally, earning 7-10% referral commissions on bookings facilitated through its Reservations.ai platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Travel Agency / Group Hotel Booking Marketplace

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Booking & Reservation Platforms (B2B/B2C) (THALAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accommodation-Focused OTAs (Hotels & Alternative Stays) (THAKAAAB)

Keywords

• Group hotel booking
• Hotel reservation platform
• AI booking agents
• Online travel agency
• Travel marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Hotel Commission (Referral Fees): Hotels pay commission (7-10%) on bookings generated through the platform. Preferred membership program hotels pay 7% commission, while standard hotels pay 10% on bookings including those generated from free bid requests.
2. Travel Agent Commission: Travel agencies earn 10% commission on group hotel bookings made through the platform. Commission is paid monthly, one month after the hotel remits payment to HotelPlanner.
3. AI Booking Platform Services: Reservations.ai platform drives significant growth contributing to 351% increase since 2022 and over $2 billion in projected hotel sales for 2025. Platform accounts for over 40% of all HotelPlanner bookings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HotelPlanner.com operates a commission-based online marketplace that connects travelers seeking group hotel accommodations (5+ rooms) with hotels worldwide through patent-pending bidding technology where hotel sales managers directly compete to win group business. The platform gives access to 250,000+ properties globally and supports both consumer individual bookings (with AAA, senior, and military discounts) and dedicated B2B group sales for 500+ universities, professional sports leagues, government agencies, and major associations. The Reservations.ai conversational AI platform handles more than 250,000 customer interactions per day and accounts for over 40% of all bookings.

Product overview

HotelPlanner operates as a multi-product travel technology platform organized around a core hotel booking engine plus several distinct sub-products and acquired brands. The flagship product, HotelPlanner.com, is a group hotel booking marketplace (auction-based, 5+ rooms) covering 250,000+ hotels with guaranteed lowest group rates, supported by a gig-economy call center and AI reservation agents. Adjacent to the core platform, Reservations.ai serves as HotelPlanner's AI-powered conversational booking layer (voice + text), handling over 40% of bookings and accounting for the company's major growth surge. TicketPlanner extends the platform into live entertainment ticketing (sports, concerts, theater) with AI-powered personalization. Group travel is further supported by dedicated modules for Meeting Space search, Event Services (conferences, weddings, sports teams), and RFP tools. HotelPlanner Tour Golf and HotelPlanner Tour Tennis are sub-brand sponsorships in professional developmental sports. The portfolio is augmented by acquired brands: Eventsquid (event registration) and PetsWelcome.com (pet-friendly accommodations).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HotelPlanner Tour Golf: International golf tournament circuit (formerly Challenge Tour) sponsored by HotelPlanner, distributing over €9 million in annual prize funds across 19 countries in 2026.
• HotelPlanner Tour Tennis

Products and services

• HotelPlanner.com Core Platform Online travel marketplace that connects travelers seeking group hotel accommodations (5+ rooms) with hotels worldwide, featuring patent-pending bidding technology where hotel sales managers directly compete to win group business. Gives access to 250,000+ properties globally and supports both consumer individual bookings (with AAA, senior, and military discounts) and dedicated B2B group sales for 500+ universities, professional sports leagues, government agencies, and major associations.
• Reservations.ai Proprietary AI-powered hotel booking platform that handles voice, chat, and text bookings across multiple languages; serves more than 1 million properties via Expedia/Priceline/Kayak API integrations and accounts for over 40% of HotelPlanner.com's bookings. Available to consumers, enterprise groups, and white-label API partners (e.g., SportsEngine, Let's Do This, Nextech3D.ai).
• TicketPlanner Live entertainment and event ticketing platform launched as an extension of the HotelPlanner.com portfolio, offering ticketing services for concerts, sports, theater, and live events.
• Eventsquid Event registration and management software platform that became part of HotelPlanner's portfolio and is offered alongside the core hotel booking and ticketing products for organizations running events.
• PetsWelcome.com Pet-friendly hotel directory and booking brand added to the HotelPlanner portfolio, allowing travelers to search and reserve accommodations that accept pets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 351% revenue growth since 2022
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Reservations.aicoreTechnology or Integration · 9 June 2026Reservations.ai launched early beta access to its conversational AI booking platform built on HotelPlanner's global reservation ecosystem. The platform supports nearly $4 billion in gross booking value with approximately 70% annual growth over the last three years. HotelPlanner's AI agents handle more than 250,000 customer interactions per day.
• Trinity InvestmentscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026Trinity Investments, a private real estate investment firm focused on hotels and resorts, partnered with HotelPlanner for strategic distribution. Trinity's hotel and resort portfolio leverages HotelPlanner's AI-powered reservation agents, gig-economy reservations network, and group sales technology to drive bookings and direct-to-consumer experiences.
• TicketPlannercoreTechnology or Integration · 7 May 2026HotelPlanner launched TicketPlanner as a next-generation live entertainment ticketing platform. The platform differentiates through customer-first service, competitive pricing, travel integration, and AI-powered personalization, leveraging HotelPlanner's existing proprietary technology infrastructure.
• Major League Table Tennis (MLTT)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 January 2026HotelPlanner named Official Online Booking Platform Partner of MLTT, providing athletes, staff, and fans access to discounted hotel rates up to 70% and travel planning tools across MLTT's national event calendar. Partnership supports MLTT's expansion into its third season.
• Boodles Tennis TournamentminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 June 2025HotelPlanner announced partnership with The Boodles Tennis Tournament held annually at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire, England. Partnership involves ensuring accommodation for players and attendees and expands HotelPlanner's involvement in tennis through sponsorships and collaborations with the Lawn Tennis Association.
• PetsWelcome.comminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2024HotelPlanner acquired PetsWelcome.com, a pet-friendly accommodations platform founded in 1997. Acquisition aims to enhance HotelPlanner's offerings for pet owners and integrate PetsWelcome.com's directory of pet-friendly travel resources.
• TravelMoleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2024HotelPlanner acquired travel industry news platform TravelMole to expand its global reach and diversify content offerings. The deal aims to strengthen HotelPlanner's position in the hospitality industry by integrating TravelMole's industry analysis, data, and network.
• EventsquidminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2023HotelPlanner acquired Eventsquid, a platform specializing in event registration, which continues operating as an independent brand under HotelPlanner. Acquisition aims to enhance HotelPlanner's service offerings to corporate and association clients.
• UTR SportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHotelPlanner partnered with UTR Sports as Official Affiliate Partner, bringing travel benefits and savings to the entire UTR community of tennis players and enthusiasts.
• Association of Pickleball PlayersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHotelPlanner named official online booking platform partner of Association of Pickleball Players.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Groups360: Direct competitor focused exclusively on group hotel booking technology for meetings, events, and conferences. Closest head-to-head rival to HotelPlanner's core 5+ room group auction platform, serving similar corporate and association customers.
• HRS Group: Corporate hotel booking platform specializing in group, meeting, and transient corporate travel across Europe and globally. Operates a similar hybrid B2B/B2B2C model with corporate clients and meeting organizers comparable to HotelPlanner's enterprise segment.
• Cvent: Leading event and meeting management platform with deep group hotel booking and RFP capabilities. Directly comparable to HotelPlanner's conference, association, and corporate meeting group booking workflows, including the Eventsquid asset's competitive set.

Broad incumbents

• Booking.com: Largest global OTA and a backend inventory partner to HotelPlanner for individual bookings. Competes in accommodations broadly and increasingly in groups/events, but operates at vastly greater scale across leisure and corporate segments.
• Expedia Group: Global OTA conglomerate (Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo) and one of HotelPlanner's primary OTA API partners. Overlaps in hotel booking broadly and in group travel through Egencia and Expedia Group's meeting tools, with far larger marketing scale.
• Hotels.com: Mass-market hotel booking brand within Expedia Group, integrated into HotelPlanner's OTA aggregation. Competes in individual hotel bookings with comparable discount structures (e.g., member pricing).
• Priceline: Discount-oriented OTA in the Booking Holdings portfolio. Provides individual hotel inventory to HotelPlanner via API and competes in opaque/group deals through Express Deals and group booking tools.
• Trip.com Group: Asia-headquartered global OTA operating Trip.com, Ctrip, and Skyscanner. Comparable travel platform competing in hotel bookings globally, especially relevant to HotelPlanner's Asia-Pacific expansion (Singapore HQ).

Emerging players

• HotelEngine: Digital travel platform focused on group and extended-stay bookings for businesses and teams. Competes in the same corporate/SMB group hotel booking niche that HotelPlanner addresses through enterprise sales and travel agent channels.
• Eventbrite: Event ticketing and registration platform that overlaps with HotelPlanner's Eventsquid acquisition and group event services. Increasingly adjacent as HotelPlanner extends into ticketing via TicketPlanner and partnerships with event platforms like Let's Do This.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hotelplanner
• Facebookfacebook.com/hotelplanner
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hotelplanner-com

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A10 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about HotelPlanner.com