HoteliersFriend

What HoteliersFriend does

HoteliersFriend is a Philadelphia-based, founder-owned hotel sales representation firm that delivers on-the-ground sales, marketing, and promotional services to independent hotels, resorts, and tourism boards targeting the North American travel distribution channel. Founded in 2004 by Stephen Scott, the company operates as an extension of its clients' sales teams, conducting face-to-face product presentations and sales calls to wholesalers, tour operators, retail travel agencies, corporate travel management companies, and travel agent associations throughout the United States and Canada. Its service portfolio bundles strategic sales planning, trade show representation, familiarization (fam) trips, sales-blitz programs, product training and seminars, contract negotiations, and integrated marketing campaigns.

The underlying technology layer is conventional marketing tooling rather than a software platform. HoteliersFriend administers a proprietary database of North American travel industry contacts and supplements in-person representation with web-based training platforms, email distribution, social media marketing, surveys, and full-service website and collateral production. There is no API, no mobile application, and no proprietary software product; technology functions as an enabler for the relationship-driven services business. The firm carries no external funding and operates from a single Center City, Philadelphia office.

Revenue is generated through customized, quote-based, multi-year subscription-style representation contracts. The company deliberately caps its active hotel portfolio to ensure brand recognition, exclusive representation, and personal service per client. The leadership team is small and family-centered: Stephen Scott as CEO and founder, Stephanie Scott as VP of IT/e-marketing, and Tizi Scott as Director of Web & Graphic Design. The named client base spans tourism boards (Ireland, Jamaica, Italy), airlines, major US/Canada wholesalers and tour operators, retail travel agencies, and resort properties in the Caribbean.

Name

HoteliersFriend

Legal name

HoteliersFriend

Website

https://hoteliersfriend.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HoteliersFriend is a Philadelphia-based sales representation firm that provides on-the-ground hotel sales, marketing, and promotion services to independent hotels, resorts, and tourism boards targeting the North American (US and Canada) travel distribution channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel Sales Representation Services

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Hotel Program Management (Corporate Lodging) (THAKAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hotel Chain & Brand Contracting (Global/Regional Agreements) (THACAGAE)

Keywords

• Hotel sales representation
• Travel trade marketing
• Hotel representation services
• Destination promotion
• Travel agency relations

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hotel Representation Services: HoteliersFriend functions as an extension of the hotel's sales and marketing team for a fraction of the cost of full company presence. They offer service packages designed to provide exclusive hotel representation with dedication and loyalty to the brand. Services include sales strategies, product presentations, fam trips, sales events, trade show attendance, training, contract negotiations, and marketing campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HoteliersFriend provides on-the-ground, face-to-face sales representation, marketing and promotion services for independent hotels, resorts and vacation destinations seeking visibility in the North American travel trade. Acting as an extension of a hotel's sales and marketing team, the firm conducts regular product updates to travel agencies, tour operators, wholesalers and business travel management companies, manages trade show and event participation, organizes fam trips and sales-blitzes, and delivers marketing campaigns at a fraction of the cost of a full company presence.

Product overview

HoteliersFriend operates as a single unified service offering—hotel sales representation—rather than a software platform. The core product is on-the-ground hotel representation services in North America, which encompasses several integrated service components: strategic sales planning, trade show representation, familiarization trips, sales-blitz programs, and product training seminars. These sub-services work together as a comprehensive sales and marketing package tailored to each hotel's needs, functioning as an extension of the hotel's internal sales team.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hotel Representation Services Comprehensive on-the-ground sales representation, marketing, and promotional services for independent hotels worldwide. Includes face-to-face product presentations to travel agencies, tour operators, wholesalers, and corporate clients throughout the United States and Canada, delivered as an extension of the hotel's in-house sales and marketing team.
• Strategic Sales Planning Customized sales and marketing strategies tailored to each hotel's specific objectives, including market evaluations, competitive analysis, and strategic positioning within the North American travel trade.
• Trade Show and Event Representation Attendance at industry events, travel shows, and trade exhibitions on behalf of client hotels, providing brand visibility and direct access to travel industry professionals and consumers.
• Familiarization (Fam) Trips Organized trips bringing top-producing travel advisors to hotel properties for first-hand product knowledge experience, building relationships and driving future bookings.
• Sales-Blitz Programs Intensive sales campaigns where HoteliersFriend personnel escort hoteliers on sales calls and presentations, providing hands-on support for client hotels to penetrate new market segments.
• Product Training and Seminars Property-specific educational seminars and product update presentations to travel advisors, including wholesaler product trainings and brand recognition initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• HoteliersFriend positions hotels above OTA algorithm rankings

Named customers20 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tourism IrelandminorOthersTourism board partner for promoting Irish hotels and destinations to North American travel market.
• Failte IrelandminorOthersNational tourism development authority partner for Irish tourism promotion in North America.
• Jamaica Tourist BoardminorOthersNational tourism board partner for Jamaican hotel and destination promotion in North America.
• Italian Tourist BoardminorOthersNational tourism organization partner for Italian hotel and destination promotion in North America.
• Aer LingusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirline partner for travel industry collaboration and hotel representation services.
• Alitalia AirlinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirline partner for travel industry collaboration and hotel representation services.
• Caribbean AirlinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirline partner for Caribbean travel industry collaboration and hotel representation services.
• Continental AirlinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirline partner for travel industry collaboration and hotel representation services.
• GOGO VacationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor wholesale vacation company and key distribution partner for hotel representation. Multiple in-house meetings and sales activities documented at GOGO Worldwide Vacations.
• Apple VacationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor wholesale vacation company and key distribution partner for hotel representation. Regular in-house visits and sales activities documented.
• Travel ImpressionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale tour operator and key distribution partner for hotel representation. Regular sales meetings and BDM interactions documented.
• Liberty TravelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retail travel agency chain and key distribution partner. In-house sales activities documented.
• American Society of Travel AgentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor travel agent professional organization providing access to travel advisors across the US.
• Professional Travel Agents of North AmericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel agent organization providing network access to travel professionals for hotel representation.
• Association of Canadian Travel AgentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian travel agent organization providing access to travel professionals for hotel representation in Canada.
• Association of Central Jersey Travel ProfessionalsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional travel agent professional organization for hotel representation in the Northeast US.
• Sunset ResortscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel resort group - Montego Bay, Jamaica. Key client and long-term partnership with CEO Stephen Scott who previously worked as Director of Sales and Marketing at Sunset Resorts Group.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• HVS: Global hospitality consulting firm that, alongside valuation and advisory work, provides hotel sales representation and owner-representation services. Directly comparable to HoteliersFriend in providing outsourced sales representation for hotel owners.
• WATG: Hospitality strategy, design and advisory firm that includes sales representation and asset management services for hotel owners. Comparable as a professional services firm helping independent hotels penetrate key source markets.

Others

• Apple Leisure Group (ALG Vacations): Major North American tour operator and packaged vacation company (parent of Apple Vacations). Listed as a key distribution partner of HoteliersFriend and a representative example of the wholesale channel the firm sells into.
• Liberty Travel: Major US retail travel agency chain and key distribution partner with documented in-house sales activities by HoteliersFriend. Representative of the retail travel advisor channel the firm cultivates for client hotels.
• GOGO Worldwide Vacations: Wholesale tour operator and core distribution partner with multiple documented in-house meetings and sales activities by HoteliersFriend. Representative of the wholesale channel the firm uses to drive hotel bookings.
• Travel Impressions: Wholesale tour operator and core distribution partner for HoteliersFriend, with documented BDM-level sales activities. Representative of the wholesale channel HoteliersFriend accesses on behalf of hotel clients.

Broad incumbents

• MMGY Global: Large integrated marketing agency specializing in travel, tourism and hospitality. Comparable as a broader marketing and promotion services firm serving destinations, hotels and tourism boards with promotional services across multiple channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hoteliersfriend
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqUC4s5v1rdbA8hAHbgpHQA
• Facebookfacebook.com/hoteliersfriend
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hoteliersfriend

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about HoteliersFriend