SMACK Hospitality

What SMACK Hospitality does

SMACK Hospitality Media, operated by Berlin-based Studio 49 Hospitality UG (haftungsbeschraenkt), is a hospitality and tourism edutainment company founded in 2019. Its core product is the SMACK Podcast, a multi-format audio and video podcast covering hotels, restaurants, airlines, cruise lines, theme parks, and stadiums through unscripted, single-take interviews with industry decision-makers. Around the flagship, SMACK operates a portfolio of sub-brands including Hot in Hospitality (editorial storytelling), Dirty Laundry (humorous industry-anecdote video podcast), Ask Me Anything (short Q&A videos), Breaktime (snackable audio), Humans of Hospitality (written photo stories), SMACK On The Line (phone-style short conversations), SMACK Live (event recordings), and SMACK Brand Check-In (editorial brand profiles).

The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a WordPress/Elementor website at smack.media serving as the content hub, with distribution through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and other aggregators, plus live recordings at industry conferences (IHIF EMEA, YHS, ITB Berlin) and university campuses such as EHL. The company does not develop proprietary platform technology, AI, or data products; the underlying asset is human-curated editorial content and a produced archive now spanning seven seasons and 100+ guests.

SMACK generates revenue through two streams: (1) hospitality sponsor packages sold in Half Season (5-month) and Full Season (10-month) tiers that include host-read ads, logo placement, social mentions, and featured episodes; and (2) professional services for hospitality brands covering content production, design, marketing, podcast production, event hosting ("Rent a Host"), and event activation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is offered via direct contact-based quoting. Enterprise sponsors include Accor, TUI Cruises, Ruby Hotels, The Social Hub, Apaleo, Limehome, EHL Group, Hosco, Omio, and Winnow.

Name

SMACK Hospitality

Legal name

Studio 49 Hospitality UG (haftungsbeschraenkt)

Website

https://smack.media

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SMACK Hospitality Media is a Berlin-based hospitality and tourism edutainment company that produces the multi-format SMACK Podcast and sub-brands for industry professionals, monetizing through enterprise sponsorship packages and creative services for hospitality brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Media & Podcast Production

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Incentive, VIP & Hospitality Programs (HSACADAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Venue Tours & Premium Hospitality Packages (Backstage, VIP, Suites) (THAJAFAL), Corporate Hospitality, VIP Hosting & Client Entertainment (Internal-led) (THAHAIAI)

Keywords

• Hospitality media
• Podcast production
• Content marketing services
• Event activation
• Brand sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Advertising: SMACK Hospitality offers Half Season (5 months) and Full Season (10 months) sponsorship packages that include host-read ads, logo placement on website, social media mentions, and featured episodes. The company only partners with companies that align with their values of showing hospitality as fun.
2. Professional Services: Services offered include content production (photo and video), design, marketing, podcast production, event hosting (Rent a Host), and event activation. These are marketed to hospitality businesses seeking to amplify their brand voice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SMACK Hospitality is a hospitality and tourism media company that produces a flagship multi-format podcast and supporting content series covering hotels, restaurants, airlines, cruise lines, theme parks, and travel. Beyond its owned media brands, the company sells professional services to hospitality businesses, including photo/video content production, design, marketing, podcast production, event hosting (Rent a Host), and live event activation.

Product overview

SMACK Hospitality Media is a hospitality and tourism edutainment company operating a multi-format content platform centered on its flagship SMACK Podcast. The portfolio comprises six named content sub-brands: the main SMACK Podcast (interviews with industry leaders), Hot in Hospitality (editorial career stories), Dirty Laundry (video podcast of humorous industry anecdotes), Ask Me Anything (quick Q&A videos), Breaktime (snackable podcast), and Humans of Hospitality (written storytelling with photos). Additional variants include SMACK On The Line (phone-style conversations) and SMACK Live (recorded events at conferences). Beyond its own media network, SMACK offers a suite of professional services including Content Production, Design, Marketing, Podcast Production, Rent a Host, and Event Activation—positioning the company as both a media publisher and a media services agency for hospitality brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hot in Hospitality: Format capturing moving stories and careers from within the hospitality industry in written form and with pictures.
• Ask Me Anything
• Dirty Laundry
• Breaktime

Products and services

• SMACK Hospitality Podcast Flagship hospitality and tourism podcast featuring unscripted interviews with industry decision-makers covering hotels, restaurants, airlines, theme parks, and personal career journeys. Includes sub-formats such as Hot in Hospitality (written career stories), Dirty Laundry (humorous industry anecdotes), Ask Me Anything (10-question Q&A videos), Breaktime (snackable short-form), Humans of Hospitality (written storytelling), and SMACK On The Line (phone-call style conversations).
• SMACK Live Events
• Content Production Services
• Design Services
• Marketing Services
• Podcast Production Services
• Rent a Host
• Event Activation
• Podcast Sponsorship Packages

Quantifiable outcome

• 296,881 listeners reached in Season 5 across 138 countries

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WinnowcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Winnow, an AI-powered food waste management company, is officially partnered with SMACK as part of their crew. Winnow helps chefs and hotels track food waste and save costs, with clients reportedly saving $100 million annually. SMACK promotes Winnow as an industry game-changer in sustainability.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tnooz (now part of Phocuswright): Tnooz was a long-running travel-tech and hospitality news site that has been folded into Phocuswright, featuring editorial and event coverage of the same audience SMACK targets. Comparable as a B2B travel-industry media outlet monetised by sponsors and event partnerships.
• Hospitality Net: Hospitality Net is an industry portal publishing hospitality news, opinion and interviews for hotel and restaurant professionals. Comparable to SMACK because both are vertical media outlets monetised through brand sponsorship, conferences and agency-style content services for the same audience.
• Skift: Skift is the largest B2B media brand covering the travel and hospitality industry, combining a news site, daily newsletter, multiple podcasts (e.g., Skift Daily, Skift India, etc.) and research reports. Comparable to SMACK because both target travel/hospitality decision-makers with sponsored editorial and podcast content, though Skift operates at much larger scale.
• Breaking Travel News: Breaking Travel News is a B2B travel-industry news outlet that covers hotels, airlines and tourism boards with editorially sponsored content. Comparable to SMACK because both monetise via hospitality and travel-brand sponsorship and pursue overlapping decision-maker audiences.
• PhocusWire: PhocusWire is the editorial arm of Phocuswright covering online travel, hotels, and hospitality with news articles and podcasts. Directly comparable to SMACK because both serve hospitality and travel-tech decision-makers with multi-format content monetised via sponsorships and events.
• Hotel-Online / 4Hoteliers: 4Hoteliers is a hospitality industry news and podcast platform aimed at hoteliers worldwide with editorial coverage and long-form interviews. Comparable to SMACK because both operate hospitality-specific podcasts, sponsor-supported editorial, and pursue a global hospitality decision-maker audience.
• Hotel News Now (Hotel Online / STR): Hotel News Now is a long-running B2B news and content platform serving hotel operators, owners and brands, sponsored by larger hospitality players. Comparable to SMACK because both target the same hotel-decision-maker audience with editorial content funded by brand sponsorships.
• MeetTheBoss: MeetTheBoss is a B2B podcast/video platform producing unscripted conversations with industry decision-makers across verticals. Closely comparable to SMACK because both monetise via enterprise sponsorship packages, target business audiences, and sell adjacent content-production services.

Emerging players

• The Business of Hospitality (YouTube + podcast): The Business of Hospitality is a long-form interview show for hotel industry operators covering strategy, ownership and careers. Comparable to SMACK because both pursue hospitality decision-makers with unscripted leadership interviews and seek sponsor support from hospitality brands.
• No Drama Agency / Studio podcasts: No Drama is a podcast agency producing branded and editorial shows for B2B brands, including travel and hospitality clients. Comparable to SMACK because both offer end-to-end podcast production and content services, though they are services-first whereas SMACK owns its flagship show.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smack-hospitality
• Instagraminstagram.com/smackhospitality
• TikToktiktok.com/@smackhospitality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 SMACK Hospitality