About Us · HotelOnline - Digitizing Hospitality in Africa

Across Africa

Why 6000 hotels trust us

We help hotels across Africa grow with smarter bookings, better visibility, and easy payments - so they can focus on great hospitality.

From the early beginnings focusing on Kenya and Uganda, we have built relationships with more than 6,000 hotels in 27 countries over the years, through mergers, acquisitions, and organic expansion. Our journey to digitize hospitality in Africa continues to date.

By giving hotel teams a clearer view of demand, availability and guest operations, the platform helps them keep the focus on thoughtful, welcoming hospitality.

HotelOnline coverage across Africa, with Somaliland shown as a normal neutral region within Somalia.

Helping Hotels in Africa Thrive Since 2014

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HotelOnline founders Endre Opdal and Håvar Bauck

Our roots

From pioneering overnight rentals to transforming the hospitality sector

In 2013, Håvar Bauck and Endre Opdal, two former college mates from BI Norwegian Business School in Norway, found themselves living in the same neighbourhood in Nairobi, a decade after graduating. Being frequent travelers, they saw an obvious gap in the market: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was a major aviation hub, with no budget hotels nearby. Lacking significant investable funds, they leased five budget apartments in a residential estate in Syokimau, and marketed their concept on Booking.com and Expedia, as an airport apartments hotel. The concept – Nairobi Airport Hotel – was a success, and their apartment hotel was fully booked from the first month.

The success of their initial side hustle inspired them to launch a more ambitious project, to help East African hotels with their online marketing. That project became Savanna Sunrise, the predecessor of what we know as HotelOnline today.

Read the HotelOnline Story

Transforming Africa's Hotel Industry

A visual story of African hospitality.

This short film looks at the hospitality sector across Africa through the people, places and possibilities shaping it, featuring HotelOnline as part of that evolving story.

Explore how we help hotels