SunHotels
SunHotels is a B2B travel wholesaler within the WebBeds group, giving travel agencies and tour operators access to 368,000+ hotels, apartments, transfers, and events across 120+ countries via an XML API and retail booking site.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SunHotels does
SunHotels is a B2B travel accommodation and experience wholesaler operating as a trade booking site within the WebBeds group. Founded in 2002 to serve Scandinavian travel agencies with European beach-destination inventory, SunHotels was acquired by WebBeds in 2014 and now offers access to more than 368,000 hotels, apartments, and villas across 120+ countries, supplemented by pre-arranged airport transfers, events and attraction tickets, and dedicated group travel services. The legal entity is WebBeds FZ-LLC, registered in Dubai Media City (company number 91277), though the operational presence is associated with London and the wider WebBeds group footprint.
The platform's core technology consists of a retail booking site for travel agencies and an XML API that allows partners to integrate SunHotels' inventory directly into their own systems. A configurable Credit Line System supports floating deposits or bank guarantees, per-user supervisor logins, user management, and per-booking commission controls between 1% and 25%, enabling supplier-side and agency-side administration of wholesale flows. The site and API are localized into 15+ languages, covering major European markets plus Russian and Chinese. While functional, no AI/ML capabilities, proprietary models, or data flywheel mechanics are disclosed in the source material.
SunHotels operates a transaction-fee B2B wholesale model: it is not a travel agent but a distributor transacting between bona fide travel businesses (travel agents, tour operators, wholesalers, airlines' ground-service arms) and accommodation/event suppliers. Revenue is earned on booking fees across hotels, apartments, transfers, excursions, and meals. Distribution is split between deep enterprise integration via XML API and self-serve mid-market access via the retail booking site. Within WebBeds, SunHotels sits alongside sister brands Lots of Hotels, FIT Ruums, DOTW, and JacTravel, sharing the group's 1,400+ travel-expert support, supplier contracting relationships, and corporate infrastructure.
SunHotels firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SunHotels
- Legal name
- WebBeds FZ-LLC
- Website
- https://sunhotels.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- SunHotels is a B2B travel wholesaler within the WebBeds group, giving travel agencies and tour operators access to 368,000+ hotels, apartments, transfers, and events across 120+ countries via an XML API and retail booking site.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where SunHotels is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SunHotels business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Travel Component Bookings: WebBeds/Sunhotels acts as a B2B travel wholesaler transacting with travel businesses. Revenue comes from booking fees on travel components including hotels, apartments, transfers, sightseeing tours, excursions, and meals. The company is not a travel agent but facilitates transactions between travel businesses and accommodation/experience providers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Credit Customer - Commission-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels2 records
SunHotels product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SunHotels is a B2B travel distribution platform serving travel agencies and tour operators with access to over 368,000 hotels, apartments, and villas across 120+ countries. The company provides XML API connectivity and a retail booking site through which partners can package and sell travel content including accommodation, transfers, events, and attractions. Founded in 2002 and acquired by WebBeds in 2014, SunHotels operates as a trade booking brand within the WebBeds group.
Product overview
SunHotels is a B2B travel booking platform owned by WebBeds, offering a unified platform for travel agencies to access and sell travel content. The core offering consists of the Sunhotels Booking Site (an online retail booking tool) and XML API connectivity, through which partners can access hotels, apartments, villas, transfers, and events/attractions. The product portfolio includes over 368,000 properties across 120+ countries, supplemented by Group Travel Services for customized group bookings. SunHotels serves as an aggregation layer, connecting travel businesses with global accommodation and experience inventory.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SunHotels Booking Site Online B2B travel booking platform for travel agencies providing access to hotels, transfers, events and activities from WebBeds worldwide content of over 368,000 properties in 120+ countries.
- XML API Connectivity
Companies that use SunHotels
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SunHotels technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
SunHotels partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WebBedscoreSunhotels was acquired by WebBeds in 2014. WebBeds is the world's fastest growing provider of accommodation distribution services to the travel industry. Sunhotels operates as a WebBeds trade booking site. The WebBeds team of over 1,400 travel experts service and support travel agencies globally.
- Webjet GroupminorWebBeds is part of the Webjet group. The service distribution network extends reach to travel provider partners including parent and sister companies within the Webjet group.
- Hotel Suppliers (Major Chains and Independent Properties)coreSunhotels partners with major hotel chains and independent/boutique properties across all categories to deliver over 368,000 hotels, apartments and villas worldwide with great availability and competitive rates.
- Travel Provider Partners (Transfers, Events, Attractions)corePartners include transfer service providers, excursion providers, attraction operators, entertainment providers, travel/discount card providers, and sport event ticket providers to deliver complete travel experiences.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SunHotels competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hotelbeds: Hotelbeds is the world's largest B2B bedbank, distributing hotel, transfer, and activity inventory to travel agencies and tour operators via API and portal. It is the closest direct competitor to SunHotels in product scope, customer base (B2B travel trade), and business model (transaction-fee wholesaler).
- TUI Musement: TUI Musement combines the former Hotelbeds activities business with TUI's tours and experiences offering, distributing accommodation, transfers, and excursions to B2B travel partners. It is a direct peer of SunHotels in the B2B distribution of hotels plus ancillary travel components to travel agencies and tour operators.
Broad incumbents
- Booking.com for Travel Agents: Booking.com's B2B partner program gives travel agents access to the same hotel inventory used by the consumer site, packaged via API and affiliate tools. It competes with SunHotels for the same travel-agency demand but with a much larger supplier base and brand from the consumer side of Booking Holdings.
- Expedia Partner Solutions: Expedia's B2B distribution arm supplies hotels, flights, packages, activities, and car rentals to OTAs, airlines, and travel agents via API. It overlaps with SunHotels on accommodation and ancillary distribution to travel businesses, but is part of a much broader Expedia Group portfolio.
- Agoda Partner Hub: Agoda, part of Booking Holdings, runs a B2B partner program giving travel agents and tour operators API access to its APAC-heavy hotel inventory. It competes with SunHotels for B2B travel trade bookings, particularly in Asia-Pacific, and benefits from Agoda's broader consumer brand and supplier relationships.
- Trip.com B2B (Hotel Distribution): Trip.com Group operates a B2B hotel distribution platform serving travel agents and corporate clients globally, leveraging inventory from its consumer brands (Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, Qunar). It competes with SunHotels for travel-agency hotel bookings, particularly in APAC and outbound China.
Emerging players
- DidaTravel: DidaTravel is a China-headquartered B2B travel distribution platform connecting hotels to travel agents and tour operators via API. It overlaps with SunHotels in the B2B accommodation wholesaler category, with particular strength in Asia-Pacific supplier sourcing.
Others
- Amadeus Hospitality: Amadeus is a GDS that has expanded into hospitality distribution via its iHotelier and Demand360 platforms, serving hotel chains with channel management, CRS, and B2B media solutions. It is an ecosystem peer whose hospitality distribution and content offering overlaps indirectly with SunHotels' wholesaler role.
- Sabre Hospitality: Sabre's hospitality division provides CRS, distribution, and digital media services to hotel chains, alongside its GDS travel-agent booking platform SynXis. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but its SynXis platform and agency-facing GDS overlap with SunHotels' travel-agency supply chain.
- Travelport (now part of Plusgrade): Travelport operates a GDS used by travel agencies to book hotels, flights, and cars, and offers hotel content via Travelport+. It is an adjacent distribution participant whose agency-facing hotel content competes in some channels with SunHotels, though its core model is GDS-based rather than bedbank-based.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
SunHotels social profiles
Digital presenceSunHotels financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SunHotels leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SunHotels funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SunHotels 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 SunHotels
What does SunHotels do?
SunHotels is a B2B travel distribution platform serving travel agencies and tour operators with access to over 368,000 hotels, apartments, and villas across 120+ countries. The company provides XML API connectivity and a retail booking site through which partners can package and sell travel content including accommodation, transfers, events, and attractions. Founded in 2002 and acquired by WebBeds in 2014, SunHotels operates as a trade booking brand within the WebBeds group.
Is SunHotels a public or private company?
SunHotels is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SunHotels founded?
SunHotels was founded in 2002. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is SunHotels based?
SunHotels is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SunHotels make money?
One revenue line is on record: travel Component Bookings.
Who are SunHotels's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hotelbeds and TUI Musement. Broad incumbents are Booking.com for Travel Agents, Expedia Partner Solutions, Agoda Partner Hub and Trip.com B2B (Hotel Distribution). DidaTravel is listed as an emerging player. Others are Amadeus Hospitality, Sabre Hospitality and Travelport (now part of Plusgrade).
Does SunHotels have an API?
Yes. XML API provides secure connectivity allowing partners to link their systems or websites to access SunHotels inventory of over 368,000 properties across 120+ countries. Partners can package and sell travel content including hotels, transfers, events and activities through their own platforms.