RedDoorz is Southeast Asia’s largest and fastest-growing, technology-driven hotel management company offering affordable accommodations for everyone. With a vision to enable people to travel more and provide an affordable reliable stay in all major cities and destinations across the region, RedDoorz is disrupting the hospitality industry by transforming the fragmented supply inventory into branded, standardized accommodations and leveraging its mobile app and digital channels to drive strong consumer demand.
The company was founded in 2015 by a team of senior executives with deep experience in the online travel and hospitality industry and has grown into a regional powerhouse with operations in Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam. The firm has been growing by five times year-on-year.
RedDoorz was introduced in the Philippines in July 2018 and has, within just a year, become a leading affordable hotel chain in the country. All hotels offer free Wi-Fi, clean rooms and bed sheets as well as basic amenities to ensure that anyone staying at a RedDoorz hotel receives a pleasant experience.
Taking a tech-first approach
One of the key drivers to the company’s rapid growth is RedDoorz’s internet booking platform that greatly facilitates short-term transient rentals and hotel bookings. The RedDoorz mobile app—which has climbed to the number one position as mobile travel app of choice—has drastically improved the speed and convenience factors that were once considered points of friction for travellers. This in turn has helped shift the balance of power between the slow-moving and inefficient luxury hotel brands and affordable hotels that appeal to smart, tech-savvy travelers.
The availability of multiple payment options—from credit cards, DragonPay (via bank transfer and 7-Eleven outlets) and ‘pay-at-hotel without credit card guarantee’—has made RedDoorz the primary destination for hotel guests. The convenience factors which have been developed around customer insights and data also invites repeat bookings. In addition, the RedCash rewards system, exclusive discounts and partner deals through RedClub membership raises the bar on consumer perks and incentives.
Supporting the local economy
In the Philippines, RedDoorz has established over 150 hotels across 10 cities since the first quarter of 2019. It has directly supported the creation of over 1,000 jobs across those 10 cities where its hotels are located.
Locations include: Metro Manila, Baguio, Pampanga, Tagaytay, Palawan, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and Davao with Bohol, General Santos City, Roxas City and Caticlan as new destinations.
By year end, new RedDoorz outlets will open in tourist-heavy Boracay Island, Antique, Capiz, Negros Occidental, Dumaguete, and Tacloban City. An even aggressive nationwide expansion is eyed in 2020.
Investors’ choice and hotel owners’ trusted partner
As part of the RedDoorz brand network, hotel owners are able to grow their businesses and increase revenues while streamlining their operations. RedDoorz’s solutions help partners manage distribution, pricing, marketing, customer experience and technology solutions—offering an end-to-end platform powered by an advanced technology infrastructure.
RedDoorz secured a fresh investment of USD 70m at the start of Q3 2019, as part of its first close of series C funding. This was announced less than two months after the company closed its series B funding with $45 million in Q2 2019; bringing the total funds raised to approximately $140 million since the company launched.
Both rounds of funding were managed by Asia Partners, a Singapore-based growth equity firm founded by senior executives. It is now one of the largest funded startups in Singapore and is the best-funded company in its category of online affordable accommodations in Southeast Asia. It is also Asia Partners’ first portfolio company which focuses on growth-stage investments in technology and technology-enabled companies in Southeast Asia.
Massively expanding consumer footprint drives PH tourism
Majority of travelers do not have big budgets for five-star or four-star accommodations. But what they need are clean rooms, clean sheets and basic amenities that will give them a pleasant travel experience. From small and medium entrepreneurs to millennial backpackers, the availability of highly affordable lodging for short- or long-term stays is an attractive proposition. Boosted by the travel app to make bookings fast and convenient, the number of budget travelers is growing exponentially across the country.
This has resulted in a travel boom that has in turn revved up local businesses, opened up jobs, created support industries and benefited local governments. Most of all, little known travel destinations are being identified and given focus, making these revolutionary Virtual Hotel Operators (VHOs) enablers in the government’s campaign to promote Philippine tourism.