Bedswithease is embarking on a three-year plan to get its business to £100 million turnover, by expanding into international markets.
The bed bank, which currently sells in just the UK and Ireland, turned over £60 million last year and sales director Paul Riches said it now intends to start selling globally.
He said this could be done via integration with other technology platforms to give it international reach, and also by contracting of properties specifically for different markets.
“We will embark on steady and controlled growth, adding a new market at a time. We will not be opening 20 new offices in 20 new markets overnight. It doesn’t work like that,” said Riches.
He said Bedswithease would be offering just hotel-only, not a full dynamic packaging model into new markets, so it does “not have to worry about whether they sell us as a hotel or a package”.
Riches added: “The way I see this working is through partnerships and by integrating tech platforms that give us access to new markets. We will look to partner with B2B bed banks and B2C OTAs in new markets as well.”
He said Bedswithease needed to be ready for the move by contracting the right hotels for each new market.
“We don’t really need help in the UK, there’s a little more to be gained but not much. It’s internationally that we now see the opportunity for significant growth,” said Riches.