ZUZU Hospitality is a tech-enabled revenue platform helping independent hotels digitise, optimise, and compete in a travel ecosystem dominated by big brands and OTAs. With over 2,500 hotels onboarded across Southeast Asia and India, and US$30 million raised to date, the startup is taking on a global challenge: making tech work for small players in a highly fragmented, competitive industry.



In this episode of Open For Business, co-founder and CEO Vikram Malhi, formerly Managing Director at Expedia Asia, shares how ZUZU helps hotels level up through a performance-based model that bundles tech, channel optimization, and OTA expertise. He reflects on building during a pandemic, near-term profitability, and his vision to help 10,000 hotels scale in the AI era.



We also dive into:


The staggering size of the independent hotel market


Why most small hotels struggle with OTA (online travel agent) optimization


ZUZU’s automation-first approach to revenue and operations


How AI powers guest comms, reviews, and pricing decisions


Growth plans and what it’ll take to scale beyond 8 figures

ZUZU Hospitality is a tech-enabled revenue platform helping independent hotels digitise, optimise, and compete in a travel ecosystem dominated by big brands and OTAs. With over 2,500 hotels onboarded across Southeast Asia and India, and US$30 million raised to date, the startup is taking on a global challenge: making tech work for small players in a highly fragmented, competitive industry.In this episode of Open For Business, co-founder and CEO Vikram Malhi, formerly Managing Director at Expedia Asia, shares how ZUZU helps hotels level up through a performance-based model that bundles tech, channel optimization, and OTA expertise. He reflects on building during a pandemic, near-term profitability, and his vision to help 10,000 hotels scale in the AI era.We also dive into:<ul><li>The staggering size of the independent hotel market</li><li>Why most small hotels struggle with OTA (online travel agent) optimization</li><li>ZUZU’s automation-first approach to revenue and operations</li><li>How AI powers guest comms, reviews, and pricing decisions</li><li>Growth plans and what it’ll take to scale beyond 8 figures</li></ul>

The flagship entrepreneurship show on BFM, featuring personal business stories from early stage start-ups, all the way to billionaire octogenarians in Malaysia and abroad. Notable guests include Martin Cooper (father of the mobile phone), Julian Assange (founder of WikiLeaks), Ralph Henry Baer (father of video games), Tony Buzan (Mindmap Guru), Isaac Tigrett (Hard Rock Cafe founder), Robert Kiyosaki (Financial Guru), Nick Vujicic (motivational speaker) and more. Tap into this valuable resource of shared experiences for the SME industry, which also touches on news, issues and trends affecting the business community and beyond.

Open For Business

Discover fresh concepts, tackle obstacles, and unleash growth - Open For Business is the dynamic show where BFM engages with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry trailblazers, igniting inspiration, sparking success, and exploring new business models.

Advertisement