ResortPass

The best business model in the world: Unlocking free $$$. This startup raised $26M to help hotels & resorts generate free revenue – without them doing any extra work. It's a hack Uber, Airbnb, & Postmates have all unlocked. How does it work? Let's break it down. What do all these companies have in common? They connect underutilized resources with people who need them - without owning those resources themselves. ie, Airbnb connects a traveler to a person with an empty home. But Airbnb doesn't own the home. This business model is genius because it means companies (like Airbnb) 'borrow' resources for free to provide a certain customer experience. They're great for the economy too because they unlock $$$ from resources that weren't previously being used by anyone. So how did this $26M startup find a space within this "marketplace" biz model? They looked at hotels & resorts. To begin with: • Most hotel gyms, pools, and spas are heavily underutilized by guests • But lots of people would love to use a hotel's amenities without shelling out for an overnight stay Enter: ResortPass. ResortPass built a platform for hotels & resorts to sell day passes for their facilities. They work with the hotel to determine an appropriate price – then take a cut of each booking. With these day passes, users can access amenities like pools, spas & fitness centers for 1 day. So, say you live in Miami in a building with no pool access and have friends in town. You can grab a day pool pass at a premium hotel for $30/each, or even rent out your own cabana. Meanwhile, the hotel's getting basically free $$$ for minimal extra work. Clever, right? It's a recession-friendly biz model too: • Hotels get extra $ in slow seasons • Users get a budget-friendly, local luxury experience But ResortPass isn't just a marketplace - it's also building the very software for hotels to manage day guests... Which reveals the brilliant biz model: They earn revenue BOTH by taking a % fee from each visitor AND from the hotels that subscribe to its booking software. Some quick stats & facts: • They've got 900+ hotels & resorts on the platform (including Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, and Hyatt) • 1.6M+ users have booked day passes • They raised $26M late last year from investors including Jessica Alba & Gwyneth Paltrow I love businesses like this because they're win-win-wins: • Users get access to new things • Companies get an extra revenue stream • The platform makes money from connecting the two (without investing in the facilities themselves) It's why Uber, Airbnb & Postmates are giants. I think we'll see ResortPass's name next to these giants soon. Makes me wonder what other opportunities like these we've been overlooking...