The Lab Group
The Lab Group is a UK-based, vertically integrated hospitality company that invests in and operates experiential hospitality assets through TLG Ventures and Cool Escapes, and licenses proprietary guest-experience technology platforms — including AI concierge Hoobert.ai — through TLG Studios.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersJacó, Costa Rica
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What The Lab Group does
The Lab Group is a vertically integrated hospitality investment and technology company registered in England and Wales (The Lab Group Limited, Company No. 14128879). It operates through three interconnected units: TLG Ventures, which originates, structures and manages Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) that acquire and develop experiential hospitality assets; Cool Escapes, the operating company that actively manages properties under the Cedar Hollow Woodland Retreats brand; and TLG Studios, which builds and licenses hospitality technology platforms. The group currently operates two live UK sites — Cedar Hollow Dorset (Woodman's Treehouse, Dazzle, Pinwheel) and Cedar Hollow Oxford (The Treehouse, Faun's Hideaway, Beaver's Den) — with additional locations in development.
The technology stack is developed and battle-tested inside the company's own portfolio before being released externally. It comprises Menulab (digital menus, ordering and payments), QR Lab (QR code creation and management at scale), Checked.in (guest experience and check-in automation), and Hoobert.ai (an AI-powered hospitality digital concierge). Adjacent properties booked.in, payd.in and nfclab.com extend the stack into booking, payments and NFC. The stack runs on AWS hosting with Stripe as the third-party payment processor and Crisp for support. UK GDPR compliance is in place; AI outputs are explicitly disclaimed as potentially inaccurate.
The revenue model combines three streams: hospitality operations revenue managed through Cool Escapes, technology platform licensing through TLG Studios (subscription/recurring), and investor capital deployed via separately governed SPVs under TLG Ventures. Pricing for technology services is not publicly disclosed and is surfaced at the point of use under a pay-as-you-go model. Customer segmentation is vertical, targeting hospitality businesses (restaurants, hotels, retreats) for technology and experiential hospitality investors for capital deployment. The go-to-market blends product-led growth via branded self-serve websites with bespoke enterprise builds and direct outreach for investment enquiries.
The Lab Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Lab Group
- Legal name
- The Lab Group Limited
- Website
- https://thelabgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Lab Group is a UK-based, vertically integrated hospitality company that invests in and operates experiential hospitality assets through TLG Ventures and Cool Escapes, and licenses proprietary guest-experience technology platforms — including AI concierge Hoobert.ai — through TLG Studios.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Lab Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hospitality Technology
- NAICS
- Traveler Accommodation (7211), Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Owner Services, Reporting & Portfolio Administration (THAMAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Point-of-Sale (POS) & On-Property Commerce (THALACAI), Lodging Booking & Accommodation Management (HSACAKAC)
Keywords
Where The Lab Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jacó
- HQ country
- Costa Rica
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Lab Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hospitality Investment & Operations: TLG Ventures acquires and transforms hospitality assets into high-performing destinations. The company actively operates sites through Cool Escapes, creating value through exceptional guest experiences and performance optimization.
- Technology Platform Licensing: TLG Studios offers hospitality technology platforms as standalone products or connected stack. Platforms include menulab.com (digital menus/ordering), qrlab.com (QR management), checked.in (guest experience), and hoobert.ai (AI concierge). Revenue likely includes platform subscription or licensing fees.
- Service Fees: The company may charge service fees for platform usage, which are disclosed at the point of use or in pricing materials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Platform services with undisclosed pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
The Lab Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Lab Group invests in, acquires, develops and operates experiential hospitality businesses — principally luxury woodland/treehouse retreats under the Cedar Hollow Woodland Retreats brand, managed through its operating company Cool Escapes — while simultaneously building and licensing a suite of in-house hospitality technology platforms (Menulab, QR Lab, Checked.in, Hoobert.ai, plus Payd.in, Booked.in and NFClab.com) that automate digital ordering, QR/NFC guest journeys, check-in/stay messaging and AI concierge interactions.
Product overview
The Lab Group operates a vertically integrated hospitality technology platform comprising standalone products and an investment/operations arm. The product portfolio includes: Menulab (digital menus, ordering, and payments for hospitality venues); QR Lab (QR code creation and management at scale); Checked.in (guest experience and check-in automation); and Hoobert.ai (AI-powered digital concierge). These platforms are tested first in the company's own operating portfolio (Cedar Hollow Woodland Retreats, managed via Cool Escapes) before being offered to the broader hospitality industry. TLG Ventures handles investment and development of new hospitality assets, completing the vertical integration from acquisition through technology-enabled operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- menulab.com: Digital menus, ordering and payments platform for restaurants, cafes and hospitality venues. Supports QR code-based ordering at the table, in-room, or from any location.
- qrlab.com
- checked.in
- hoobert.ai
Products and services
- Menulab Digital menus, ordering and payments platform built for restaurants, cafes and other hospitality venues, enabling guests to browse menus, place orders and pay via QR code from the table, in-room or any scannable location.
- QR Lab QR code creation and management platform for hospitality operators, enabling generation, tracking and updating of QR codes used across marketing, operations, payments and guest-journey touchpoints at scale.
- Checked.in Guest-experience and check-in automation platform for hospitality properties that streamlines check-in, in-stay messaging, upsells and operational workflows so staff can focus on hospitality rather than admin.
- Hoobert.ai AI-powered digital concierge for the hospitality sector that answers guest questions, takes service requests and learns the operational patterns of each property to deliver property-tuned guest support.
- Cedar Hollow Woodland Retreats Consumer-facing hospitality brand offering immersive, nature-led woodland and treehouse stays across multiple UK locations (Dorset and Oxfordshire), with properties featured on Grand Designs and The World's Most Secret Hotels, and recognised with RIBA awards, VisitEngland ROSE service excellence, Green Tourism Gold and Beautiful South Silver awards.
- TLG Ventures Hospitality investment and development service through which The Lab Group identifies, acquires and transforms unique UK hospitality assets (e.g. woodland retreats) into technology-enabled destinations; investors participate via separately constituted SPVs.
Companies that use The Lab Group
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Lab Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
The Lab Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- StripecoreThird-party payment processor integrated into The Lab Group's platforms including payd.in for payment functionality. The Lab Group does not act as a bank or financial institution; funds are transferred directly between Stripe and Merchants.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Lab Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mews Systems: Hospitality SaaS for property management, check-in, payments, and guest experience, directly competitive with Checked.in and parts of the Menulab/Payd.in stack for boutique and independent properties.
- Canopy & Stars: Curated UK booking platform for unique and experiential stays (treehouses, cabins, glamping). Comparable to Cedar Hollow Woodland Retreats in product positioning and target guest, though Canopy & Stars is a marketplace rather than an owner-operator.
- Birch (formerly Birch & Birch Hotels): UK-based vertically integrated hospitality operator and developer that owns, manages, and rebrands lifestyle hotels alongside proprietary community/Hospitality tech—closely mirrors The Lab Group's investment + operations + technology stack.
- Hoar Hospitality: Hospitality investment and operating platform that acquires and manages boutique/lifestyle hotels and experiential assets, combining asset ownership with in-house operational capabilities—directly comparable to TLG Ventures + Cool Escapes.
- Guesty: Property management and guest experience platform purpose-built for short-term rental managers and vacation rental operators—directly comparable to the operational layer behind Cedar Hollow and to checked.in's guest-experience capabilities.
Regional players
- Sykes Cottages: UK's largest holiday cottage letting and management agency with proprietary operations software for owners—comparable to The Lab Group on UK short-stay property management and owner services.
- Sykes & Co / Under the Canvas / Forest Holidays (Wells & Drewett family of brands): UK hospitality and short-stay brands operating distinctive countryside accommodations with embedded booking/operations technology—overlaps with Cedar Hollow's woodland retreat positioning and the asset-management thesis behind TLG Ventures.
Broad incumbents
- Toast: Dominant restaurant operating system spanning POS, online ordering, payments, and digital menu/QR experiences—directly competitive with Menulab and QR Lab in the dining and cafe vertical.
- Mr & Mrs Smith: Established boutique and luxury hotel collection/platform with proprietary booking technology and member experiences—overlaps with The Lab Group on premium experiential hospitality + hospitality tech, but at much larger scale.
- Cloudbeds: All-in-one hospitality management platform serving hotels, hostels, and vacation rentals with PMS, booking engine, and channel manager—competes broadly with the TLG Studios product family for the same independent operator segment.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Lab Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Lab Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Lab Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Lab Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Lab Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
The Lab Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Lab Group 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 The Lab Group
What does The Lab Group do?
The Lab Group invests in, acquires, develops and operates experiential hospitality businesses — principally luxury woodland/treehouse retreats under the Cedar Hollow Woodland Retreats brand, managed through its operating company Cool Escapes — while simultaneously building and licensing a suite of in-house hospitality technology platforms (Menulab, QR Lab, Checked.in, Hoobert.ai, plus Payd.in, Booked.in and NFClab.com) that automate digital ordering, QR/NFC guest journeys, check-in/stay messaging and AI concierge interactions.
Is The Lab Group a public or private company?
The Lab Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Lab Group founded?
The Lab Group was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Lab Group based?
The Lab Group is headquartered in Jacó, Costa Rica, in the Latin America region.
How does The Lab Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hospitality Investment & Operations are the primary driver. The others are technology Platform Licensing and service Fees.
Who are The Lab Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mews Systems, Canopy & Stars, Birch (formerly Birch & Birch Hotels), Hoar Hospitality and Guesty. Regional players are Sykes Cottages and Sykes & Co / Under the Canvas / Forest Holidays (Wells & Drewett family of brands). Broad incumbents are Toast, Mr & Mrs Smith and Cloudbeds.
Does The Lab Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Lab Group.
What industry is The Lab Group in?
The Lab Group's product category is Hospitality Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAMAKAI, Owner Services, Reporting & Portfolio Administration, with a secondary code of THALACAI, Point-of-Sale (POS) & On-Property Commerce. Its NAICS code is 7211 and its SIC code is 7000.