BookinGurua startup born in Ibiza and created to optimize and personalize the guest experience in the commercialization of reservations for both internal hotel services and external suppliers, has just closed a financing round for more than 1.5 million euros and projects a 2025 growth towards new national and international markets after taking its first steps in Ibiza from 2023.
“I have traveled a lot throughout my life and, in each destination, I have always looked for the same thing: to feel part of the place, its nature and its people. Guests want experiences, they don’t want to spend their vacation at the pool or on the beach every day. This is precisely my vision: that hotels can easily offer their guests that same experience. The question is, how to achieve this in a hotel with 200 rooms and guests that change every 3 or 4 days? The answer is BookinGuru. This is, in the words of Ibiza-based Israeli entrepreneur Ben Schleifer, founder and CEO of the company, BookinGuru’s cover letter.
“We have finished a very successful 2024 and have just closed funding with top investors in the Israeli and global tech sector, among other professionals in the hotel world and service providers. The money will go to expand to more locations in Spain and abroad,” says Ben Schleifer, a resident since 2015 in Ibiza, where the company is headquartered.
Helping overwhelmed travelers
Speaking to La Voz de Ibiza, Schleifer explains that “the traveler is overwhelmed by the abundant online offer. On the other hand, the hotel faces great pressure during the high season in trying to offer a good service. However, without technological tools, it is impossible to meet the expectations of the guest, who is looking for everything in a visible and immediate way”.
“The guest wants experiences, they don’t want to spend their vacation at the pool or on the beach all the time,” he warns.
The platform functions as a white-label B2B2Cmarketplace designed specifically for each hotel, allowing establishments to create customized catalogs of services for their customers.
In addition, it offers advanced tools, such as an intelligent dashboard that centralizes real-time availability, facilitates payments and automates commission management, eliminating cumbersome manual processes.
“This connection between the hotel’s trusted supplier and the guest ensures guest satisfaction, who will be more eager to return to the hotel,” Schleifer emphasizes.
From necessity comes opportunity
BookinGuru was born as a solution to a key problem in the hotel industry: the lack of efficient technological tools to manage the customization and booking of external services.
“The world of concierges hasn’t evolved much since the first one emerged at the Savoy Hotel in 1889,” Schleifer notes. “Today, 70% of guests prefer to plan their vacation itineraries in advance, but many hotels lack the technology to provide personalized recommendations or manage outside services efficiently,” he adds.
The results speak for themselves: “At one of our partner hotels, we achieved a combined 157% increase in commission income by 2024”.Schleifer says. “Our platform not only enhances the guest experience, but also opens up new revenue channels for hotels, who can offer 24/7 personalized services without increasing their workload.”
Next steps
Schleifer defines the biggest challenge as combating “the fear of change.”” We come to offer concierges an innovative and powerful tool that allows them to focus on what matters most: face-to-face attention with guests. Our solution eliminates unnecessary processes and provides tools that simplify their work, making it more agile, efficient and satisfactory for all.
“I am excited to see BookinGuru’s next steps, consolidating its presence in Spain and expanding into other international markets,” he concludes.
