Safehotels

What Safehotels does

Safehotels is a privately held certification company founded in 2001 in Gothenburg, Sweden, that independently audits and certifies hotels against its proprietary Safehotels Global Hotel Security Standard ©. The core offering is the Safehotels Premium Certificate, awarded after on-site assessments that combine visual inspections, walk-throughs, face-to-face interviews, and equipment testing covering fire safety, physical security, and crisis management procedures. Certification is valid for one year and requires annual re-assessment, with hotels given a six-month window to complete corrective actions. A second product, CovidClean™, was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic as a hygiene-focused certification and is integrated with Expedia Group platforms (Expedia, Hotels.com, Trivago, Egencia) for consumer-facing visibility.

The company monetizes primarily through annual recurring certification fees (quote-based, not publicly disclosed) plus ancillary merchandise sales such as €120 display flags. Safehotels serves hotel owners and operators across 100 hotel groups and 70+ countries / 175+ cities, with named enterprise customers including Hilton, Hyatt, Accor brands (Novotel, Ibis, Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, Mövenpick, Swissôtel), Wyndham, Radisson, Blue Diamond Resorts, and Playa Hotels & Resorts. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales with channel partnerships: International SOS (March 2025) extends reach to corporate duty-of-care programs covering over half of the Fortune Global 500, while Expedia Group provides consumer-side discovery. Additional strategic alliances include the ICCA for crisis management guidelines and UNISDR recognition, plus a curriculum partnership with YRGO Higher Vocational College in Gothenburg.

Safehotels operates with approximately 15 employees under founder-CEO Joachim Törngård and a leadership team that includes CFO Tomas Nordtorp, CIO Kris Troukens, and SVPs in Quality Assurance and Business Development. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or funding rounds; revenue, ARR, and pricing are not publicly disclosed. The business is positioned as a high-trust, independent certification layer between hotels, corporate travel risk managers, and travelers, with distribution increasingly anchored by channel partners rather than purely direct sales.

Name

Safehotels

Legal name

Safehotels

Website

https://safehotels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Safehotels is a Sweden-based certification company, founded in 2001, that independently audits hotels against its proprietary Global Hotel Security Standard, serving hotel operators across 100 hotel groups and 70+ countries with annual recurring safety and hygiene certifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel Safety and Security Certification

NAICS

Building Inspection Services (54135), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Compliance, Governance & Duty of Care Program Management (Policies, Audits, Training) (THACAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Product Safety, Consumer Protection & Market Surveillance Cooperation (BPADANAN)

Keywords

• Hotel safety certification
• Hotel security standards
• Hospitality certification services
• Hotel hygiene certification
• Hotel risk assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Gothenburg

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hotel Certification Services: Annual certification program for hotels including on-site assessments, certification issuance, digital certificate and plaque. Hotels receive initial certification with annual re-assessment to maintain certified status. Corrective actions must be completed within 6 months of audit.
2. Certified Hotel Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including flags (120 EUR) to certified hotels for display, shipped via courier.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Safehotels provides independent hotel safety, security, and hygiene certification through expert on-site assessments against the proprietary Safehotels Global Hotel Security Standard. Certified hotels receive the Safehotels Premium Certificate and CovidClean™ Certification, valid for one year with mandatory annual re-assessment. The offering is sold primarily to hotel operators and corporate travel programs.

Product overview

Safehotels is a hotel safety and security certification company offering independent certification programs. The core product is the Safehotels Premium Certificate, which verifies hotels meet safety and security standards through expert on-site assessments. The portfolio also includes the CovidClean™ Certification for hygiene standards. Certified hotels receive digital certificates and plaques valid for one year with annual re-certification. The company was founded in 2001 in Sweden and operates in over 70 countries across 175+ cities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CovidClean™: Hygiene certification program for hotels developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Products and services

• Safehotels Premium Certificate Core hotel safety and security certification program that independently verifies hotels meet stringent safety, security, and hygiene standards through on-site assessments by expert auditors. Certified hotels receive a digital certificate and plaque valid for one year with annual re-certification.
• CovidClean™ Certification Hygiene-focused certification that demonstrates hotels' diligence in protecting guests and staff against infectious disease. Certified hotels display the credential on Expedia Group platforms including Hotels.com, Trivago, and Egencia.
• Safehotels Branded Merchandise (Flags) Sale of branded merchandise such as the Safehotels Flag (rectangular fabric flag 2.25m x 1.50m at €120) shipped by courier to certified hotels for display at properties.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 countries and 175 cities covered
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• International SOScoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2025International SOS, the world's leading health and security risk management services company, has partnered with Safehotels to expand hotel security offerings to their clients. Safehotels certification is offered through International SOS network, providing access to over half of Fortune Global 500 companies that generate thousands of room nights annually. The partnership runs from March 2025 to February 2026.
• International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafehotels has partnered with ICCA for many years producing Crisis Management Guidelines for ICCA members. This partnership supports MICE organizations in identifying safe venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and events.
• Expedia GroupflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSafehotels CovidClean certified hotels display their certification on Expedia Group platforms including Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Trivago, and Egencia. The certification is also visible on thousands of ecommerce sites that source content from Expedia's platform.
• YRGO Higher Vocational College GothenburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafehotels partnered with YRGO to deliver courses in safety and quality assurance to vocational students on the college's International Hospitality Management program. Andy Williams from Safehotels delivered the course covering risk assessment, accident prevention, hazard management, quality assurance and safety leadership.
• UNISDRminorOthersSafehotels has gained recognition from UNISDR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) as part of their global recognition strategy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• International SOS: World's leading health and security risk management firm, currently a GTM partner of Safehotels serving over half of Fortune Global 500. Comparable in duty-of-care / corporate traveler safety, but complements rather than competes — making it a critical ecosystem peer.
• Ecolab: Global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions widely used by hotels. Adjacent peer — sells hygiene programs and products to the same hotel customers Safehotels certifies, and competes for the hotel hygiene wallet.

Broad incumbents

• SGS: Largest global TIC firm with hospitality industry services including safety, hygiene, and quality audits. Comparable in that it audits and certifies hotel properties, but operates across many other industries as well.
• Intertek: Global TIC company offering assurance, testing, inspection, and certification to the hospitality sector. Closely comparable audit-based business model, though much broader in industry coverage.
• TÜV SÜD: Global TIC company providing safety, security, and quality certification services. Overlaps with Safehotels in third-party hotel safety audits but operates as a much larger, multi-industry incumbent.
• DEKRA: Germany-based TIC firm providing safety inspections, audits, and certifications across multiple industries including hospitality. Comparable third-party safety audit methodology and global geographic reach.

Direct peers

• NSF International: Public health and safety organization providing third-party certification, auditing, and training across hospitality, food safety, and consumer products. Comparable independent standards-based certification model targeting hotels and consumer-facing industries.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) major that explicitly offers hotel safety, security, and sustainability certification services. Most directly comparable competitor given overlapping audit methodology, enterprise hotel clientele, and global delivery model.
• ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions (Cristal International Standards): Hospitality-focused division offering Cristal International Standards — a recognized hotel hygiene, safety, and quality certification program. Most directly comparable product and customer overlap in the hotel safety certification niche.

Emerging players

• Forbes Travel Guide: Independent global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas, and cruise ships. Comparable in providing independent, trust-based verification used by travelers and corporates, though focused on service quality rather than physical safety/security.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safehotels-alliance-ab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Safehotels