Hotelcard AG
HotelCard AG operates a Swiss commission-free hotel booking platform, selling CHF 99/year memberships to consumers for discounted stays at 500+ partner hotels across Switzerland and neighboring regions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersThun, Switzerland
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Hotelcard AG does
HotelCard AG is a Swiss travel technology company operating a commission-free hotel booking membership platform founded in 2009 and headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland. The company sells an annual subscription (CHF 99/year, with a 6-month trial SKU and gift cards) that grants members access to discounts of 10-50% at over 500 hand-selected partner hotels across Switzerland and neighboring regions. Revenue derives exclusively from consumer membership fees; hotels pay no commissions, a structural inversion of the standard OTA model where partners typically surrender 15-25% of booking value.
Hotelcard AG firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hotelcard AG
- Legal name
- HotelCard AG
- Website
- https://www.hotelcard.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- HotelCard AG operates a Swiss commission-free hotel booking platform, selling CHF 99/year memberships to consumers for discounted stays at 500+ partner hotels across Switzerland and neighboring regions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hotelcard AG industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hotel Booking Platform
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Travel Agencies (56151), Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (56159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Payment Solutions for Corporate Travel (Virtual Cards, Lodge Cards, Central Billing) (THAKAMAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Rewards, Rebates & Program Optimization (Interchange, Supplier-funded) (THACAJAK)
Keywords
Where Hotelcard AG is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Thun
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hotelcard AG business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Annual Membership Fees: HotelCard generates revenue exclusively from annual membership fees paid by end customers. Members pay CHF 99 per year for access to discounted hotel rates. The company does not charge any commission or fees to partner hotels.
- Gift Cards: HotelCard gift cards allow non-members to purchase hotel stays at member rates, providing an additional revenue stream and customer acquisition channel.
- Trial Memberships: Six-month trial memberships available for new customers to experience the service before committing to annual subscriptions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Membership - CHF 99/year |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Trial Membership - 6 months |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Card |
| Other | Annual | SwissPass Integration |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hotelcard AG product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HotelCard AG operates a commission-free hotel booking platform offering an annual membership (CHF 99/year) that grants members access to discounted rates of up to 50% at 500+ partner hotels across Switzerland and neighboring regions. Hotels use the platform to fill off-peak inventory without paying commissions, while members also access Member Benefits offering additional discounts on Swiss excursions, cable cars, mountain railways, and museums beyond hotel stays.
Product overview
HotelCard AG operates a commission-free hotel booking platform centered on its HotelCard Membership product. The core offering is an annual subscription (CHF 99/year) that grants members access to discounted rates (up to 50% off) at over 500 partner hotels across Switzerland and neighboring regions. The product portfolio includes trial memberships for customer acquisition, gift cards for gifting, a mobile app for on-the-go booking, and a hotel partner portal (extranet) for inventory management. A recent expansion added Member Benefits, providing additional discounts on Swiss excursions and attractions. The company positions itself as a win-win model where hotels fill off-peak rooms commission-free while travelers save money.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- HotelCard Annual Membership Annual membership providing access to discounted hotel bookings of up to 50% off at 500+ partner hotels in Switzerland and neighboring regions; members pay CHF 99 per year and can book unlimited stays, with complimentary access to Member Benefits on Swiss excursions and attractions.
- HotelCard Trial Membership (6 months) Six-month introductory membership allowing new users to test HotelCard benefits and discounted hotel rates before committing to an annual CHF 99 subscription.
- HotelCard Gift Card HotelCard gift voucher allowing non-members to purchase hotel stays at member-rate discounts; serves as both a gift product and a customer acquisition channel for the annual membership.
- HotelCard Mobile App (iOS / Android) Native iOS and Android mobile applications that allow HotelCard members to search partner hotels, manage bookings, and access Member Benefits on excursion discounts from mobile devices.
- Member Benefits Member-exclusive discount program offering up to 50% off Swiss cable cars, mountain railways, museums, and tourist attractions, expanding the HotelCard value proposition beyond hotel bookings.
Quantifiable outcome
- Members save on average CHF 100 per night stay
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hotelcard AG
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Hotelcard AG technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature4 records
Hotelcard AG partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hotel SpidercoreChannel manager integration partner. Provides connectivity for hotel inventory management and booking synchronization.
- Vertical BookingcoreChannel manager integration partner enabling hotels to manage room rates and availability across multiple platforms.
- KognitivcoreChannel manager integration partner for hotel distribution and revenue management.
- YieldPlanetcoreChannel manager integration partner for yield management and booking optimization.
- SitemindercoreLeading channel manager integration partner providing hotel distribution solutions.
- SwissPasscorePartnership with SwissPass allows members to order HotelCard through the SwissPass system, integrating with Switzerland's public transportation pass.
- Switzerland TourismminorDisplayed as partner logo on website. Part of Swisstainable initiative promoting sustainable Swiss tourism.
- SwisstainableminorHotelCard is part of the Swisstainable initiative by Switzerland Tourism, supporting sustainable and local travel.
- alpstudios GmbHminorCreative agency partner responsible for video campaigns including the 'Wieso nöd' campaign featuring Swiss hotel experiences.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hotelcard AG competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Expedia: Major global OTA with comprehensive hotel and travel booking. Operates in Switzerland through Expedia and Hotels.com brands, competing on hotel inventory and global reach rather than membership subscription.
- Trip.com: Global OTA owned by Trip.com Group with European expansion including Switzerland. Competes on hotel inventory scale and brand recognition, though without HotelCard's Swiss-local membership focus.
- Booking.com: Global OTA leader with massive hotel inventory and Swiss market presence. Competes with HotelCard for Swiss hotel bookings, though it operates on a commission-based model and offers broader inventory and audience scale.
Direct peers
- Secret Escapes: Members-only hotel and travel deals platform operating across Europe. Closely comparable to HotelCard's subscription-mediated discount model for premium hotels, though Secret Escapes operates at larger scale across multiple countries.
- Travelzoo: Global travel deals publisher and booking platform offering discounted hotel and travel packages. Comparable deal-driven model targeting value-conscious travelers, though without the annual subscription membership structure.
- HRS Group: European hotel booking platform with strong presence in Germany and DACH region. Comparable hotel booking focus and channel manager integrations, though historically more focused on corporate travel than consumer membership.
- Voyage Privé: European members-only travel club offering private sales on hotels and holidays. Highly comparable membership-based discount model targeting similar affluent leisure travelers, though with broader geographic reach including France and Mediterranean destinations.
Emerging players
- HotelTonight: Last-minute hotel booking app (acquired by Airbnb) focused on unsold room inventory. Comparable focus on off-peak and last-minute hotel bookings, though optimized for mobile and same-day reservations rather than planned Swiss domestic travel.
Others
- trivago: Hotel meta-search engine headquartered in Germany. Indirectly comparable as a hotel discovery and price comparison platform, though operating as a search referral layer rather than a direct booking platform.
Regional players
- Lastminute.com: European online travel agency specializing in last-minute hotel and travel deals. Comparable deal-based positioning and Swiss market presence, though broader European focus and traditional commission model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hotelcard AG social profiles
Digital presenceHotelcard AG financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hotelcard AG leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Hotelcard AG funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hotelcard AG 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 Hotelcard AG
What does Hotelcard AG do?
HotelCard AG operates a commission-free hotel booking platform offering an annual membership (CHF 99/year) that grants members access to discounted rates of up to 50% at 500+ partner hotels across Switzerland and neighboring regions. Hotels use the platform to fill off-peak inventory without paying commissions, while members also access Member Benefits offering additional discounts on Swiss excursions, cable cars, mountain railways, and museums beyond hotel stays.
Is Hotelcard AG a public or private company?
Hotelcard AG is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Hotelcard AG founded?
Hotelcard AG was founded in 2009.
Where is Hotelcard AG based?
Hotelcard AG is headquartered in Thun, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Hotelcard AG make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Annual Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are gift Cards and trial Memberships.
Who are Hotelcard AG's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Expedia, Trip.com and Booking.com. Direct peers are Secret Escapes, Travelzoo, HRS Group and Voyage Privé. HotelTonight is listed as an emerging player. trivago is listed as an others. Lastminute.com is listed as a regional player.
Does Hotelcard AG have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hotelcard AG.
What industry is Hotelcard AG in?
Hotelcard AG's product category is Hotel Booking Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAMAN, Payment Solutions for Corporate Travel (Virtual Cards, Lodge Cards, Central Billing), with a secondary code of THACAJAK, Rewards, Rebates & Program Optimization (Interchange, Supplier-funded). Its NAICS code is 561510.