Savanna Sunrise - The Story
Pioneering Digital Hotel Marketing in Africa
In 2013, Norwegian entrepreneurs Endre Opdal and Håvar Bauck identified a significant gap in Nairobi’s hospitality market: the absence of budget accommodations near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). To address this, they leased and furnished five apartments in Syokimau’s Five Star Estate, establishing the Nairobi Airport Hotel. This venture was among the first short-term rental services in East Africa, predating the widespread recognition of platforms like Airbnb in the region.
Leveraging online platforms such as Booking.com and Expedia, Opdal and Bauck marketed their property effectively, emphasizing features like complimentary airport transfers. This strategic approach led to immediate success, with the apartments achieving full occupancy shortly after launch. By 2014, Nairobi Airport Hotel had become the most-booked property on Booking.com in Nairobi, surpassing established international hotels in the city.
The concept of offering digital marketing solutions to hotels came as a result of the resounding success of their previous venture, Nairobi Airport Hotel, which, with five budget apartments in Syokimau, had become the highest-performing property on Booking.com in Nairobi.
Recognizing the potential to replicate their digital marketing success on a broader scale, the duo incorporated Savanna Sunrise Ltd. in Dubai in 2014. This new venture aimed to offer digital marketing solutions to other hotels, utilizing the proven strategies from their Nairobi Airport Hotel experience. Savanna Sunrise quickly became a pioneer in digital hotel marketing across Africa, assisting numerous hotels in enhancing their online presence and booking rates.
Five Budget Apartments Became Kenya's First "AirBnB"
In 2014, the two entrepreneurs founded Savanna Sunrise Ltd. in Dubai, aiming to provide digital marketing solutions to hotels in East Africa. This initiative stemmed from their success with Nairobi Airport Hotel, which had demonstrated the potential of online marketing in the region’s hospitality sector. Generating rapid inital growth in Nairobi, they soon expanded to Kampala and Kigali. By 2015, Savanna Sunrise had partnered with approximately 750 hotels across East Africa, offering services such as online booking platforms, revenue management, and digital marketing strategies. This rapid growth established the company as a pioneer in digital marketing and e-commerce within the region.
Recognizing opportunities beyond East Africa, the founders set their sights on Nigeria and West Africa. In 2017, Savanna Sunrise entered into merger discussions with Polish travel technology firm Hotel Online Sp. z o.o. The merger was completed in June 2017, leading to the rebranding of the combined entity as HotelOnline. This strategic move expanded the company’s focus from East Africa to the entire continent, enhancing its technological capabilities and market presence.
Immediately after the merger, the new HotelOnline opened an office in Lagos, Nigeria, while announcing an aggressive strategy for expansion in West Africa.
From Savanna Sunrise to HotelOnline
Building on the foundation of Savanna Sunrise, HotelOnline has continued to lead the digitization of African hotels. In 2017, it became the first African travel tech startup to complete a successful equity crowdfunding campaign, raising $250,000—a landmark achievement in the region’s startup scene.
By 2019, HotelOnline had reached profitability, signaling the strength of its model and the rising demand for digital hospitality solutions in Africa. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the company weathered the crisis and emerged stronger, showing remarkable resilience in a sector hit especially hard.
In 2022, HotelOnline secured an investment from Yanolja Cloud, a South Korean travel tech giant backed by SoftBank. This deal marked Yanolja’s first investment in Africa and opened the door for the integration of its AI-driven SaaS tools across the continent, further accelerating HotelOnline’s technological edge and pan-African expansion.
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