HotelQuickly
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHotelQuickly was a Hong Kong-based hotel-booking website and mobile application that operated across Asian markets before abruptly ceasing operations in December 2018.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
HotelQuickly was a hotel-booking brand built around a website and smartphone application for making hotel reservations, with an emphasis on serving travelers in Asian markets. The company was founded in December 2012 by Tomas Laboutka, Christian Mischler, Michal Juhas, Mario Peng, and Raphael Cohen. The founding team divided responsibilities across executive, commercial, technology, finance, and sales functions, giving the startup a broad operating base from its earliest stage. The service launched in March 2013 in six Asian markets and later expanded to sixteen markets. Its business model depended on digitally distributing hotel inventory and processing customer reservations through its online and mobile channels. Like other online travel businesses, HotelQuickly occupied an intermediary position between travelers and accommodation providers, relying on technology, payment processing, inventory connectivity, and relationships with hotel or lodging suppliers to complete bookings. HotelQuickly raised outside capital during its expansion period. It secured US$1.15 million in angel funding in August 2013 and a further US$4.5 million in Series A-1 funding in spring 2014, bringing reported funding to US$5.65 million at that point. These financing rounds supported market expansion and the development of the company’s digital booking operation. In mid-2017, the founders sold majority control to a Hong Kong company. Jérôme Clé subsequently became acting chief executive and led a substantial restructuring. The transition was associated with declining employee satisfaction and the departure of members of the earlier team. Reference material also describes a significant increase in reported revenue during the post-acquisition period, but the available material does not provide sufficient independently sourced financial context to include that figure as a verified company statistic. HotelQuickly’s operating life ended abruptly in December 2018. The company attributed the shutdown to a disagreement with its main provider and losses connected to a technical mismatch involving that provider. Unable to reach an agreement concerning reimbursement, HotelQuickly stopped operations. Prepaid reservations were cancelled, leaving some travelers without accommodation and without immediate refunds. The company advised affected customers to seek chargebacks through their card issuers. The collapse transformed HotelQuickly from an expanding regional travel-technology startup into a prominent example of the operational and counterparty risks faced by online travel intermediaries. In April 2019, a credit-card processor filed a RICO lawsuit against HotelQuickly Ltd and its directors in a United States federal court. The case was later dismissed with prejudice, according to the cited reference material. HotelQuickly is now defunct and no longer provides booking services.
History
HotelQuickly was established in December 2012 by Tomas Laboutka, Christian Mischler, Michal Juhas, Mario Peng, and Raphael Cohen. The founders combined operating, marketing, technical, financial, and sales responsibilities, reflecting the needs of an early-stage online travel company. Its product was delivered through a website and smartphone application designed to let customers search for and reserve hotel accommodation digitally. The company began commercial service in March 2013 in six Asian markets. It subsequently expanded its footprint to sixteen markets, making regional scale a central part of its growth strategy. HotelQuickly’s operation depended on several interconnected systems: hotel or accommodation inventory, supplier relationships, booking technology, payment processing, and customer support. This structure allowed the brand to sell reservations without operating hotels itself, but also made it dependent on the reliability and commercial terms of its external providers. The startup raised US$1.15 million in angel financing in August 2013. In spring 2014, it obtained a further US$4.5 million in Series A-1 funding. The cited figures brought reported total funding to US$5.65 million and supported the company’s continued development and geographic expansion. No additional verified financial detail is included here because the available reference does not provide a sufficiently documented financial record. In mid-2017, HotelQuickly’s founders sold majority control to a Hong Kong company. Jérôme Clé took over as acting chief executive, and the business underwent a broad restructuring. The transition reportedly caused employee dissatisfaction and the departure of a number of people associated with the former organization. Reference material also reports substantial revenue growth during the period after the ownership change, although the available source does not establish enough detail about accounting periods, audited results, or the basis of those figures to treat them as confirmed financial data. HotelQuickly shut down in December 2018. The immediate circumstances involved a disagreement with its principal provider and continuing losses linked to a technical mismatch between the parties’ systems. HotelQuickly attempted to negotiate reimbursement for those losses but did not reach an agreement. It then stopped operating and cancelled prepaid reservations. Travelers were left without accommodation in some cases, and the company did not provide immediate refunds; customers were directed toward chargeback procedures through their card providers. The closure generated legal repercussions. In April 2019, a credit-card processor filed a RICO lawsuit against HotelQuickly Ltd and its directors in a United States federal court. The action was later dismissed with prejudice. With its booking service discontinued and no continuing operations identified in the cited material, HotelQuickly is classified as defunct.
- 2019
RICO lawsuit is filed
[1]A credit-card processor brings a federal RICO action against HotelQuickly Ltd and its directors; the case is later dismissed with prejudice.
- 2018
Operations end abruptly
[1]The company stops trading after provider-related losses and cancels prepaid reservations.
- 2017
Majority ownership changes
[1]The founders sell majority control to a Hong Kong company, and Jérôme Clé becomes acting CEO.
- 2014
Series A-1 financing completed
[1]HotelQuickly raises a reported US$4.5 million Series A-1 round, bringing reported funding to US$5.65 million.
- 2013
Service launches in six Asian markets
[1]HotelQuickly begins operating through its web and mobile booking channels and starts regional expansion.
- 2013
Angel financing secured
[1]The company raises reported angel funding of US$1.15 million.
- 2012
HotelQuickly is founded
[1]Tomas Laboutka, Christian Mischler, Michal Juhas, Mario Peng, and Raphael Cohen establish the hotel-booking venture.
Products and positioning
A mobile-first and web-based hotel-booking intermediary focused on accommodation reservations across Asian markets.
Online hotel-booking platform · 2013
HotelQuickly website
The company’s web-based reservation service allowed travelers to search for and book hotel accommodation in the markets served by HotelQuickly. It functioned as an online travel intermediary, connecting customer demand with lodging inventory supplied through external provider relationships.
Mobile travel application · 2013
HotelQuickly smartphone app
HotelQuickly’s smartphone application was the mobile counterpart to its website and formed part of the brand’s digitally oriented booking model. It was intended to let users browse and reserve hotel accommodation while traveling or planning trips in supported Asian markets.
Controversies
2019
RICO litigation against HotelQuickly and its directors
A credit-card processor filed a RICO lawsuit in United States federal court against HotelQuickly Ltd and its directors. The case was later dismissed with prejudice.
2018
Abrupt shutdown and cancelled prepaid reservations
HotelQuickly ceased operations after a dispute with its main provider and losses associated with a technical mismatch. Prepaid bookings were cancelled, some travelers were left without accommodation, and customers were directed to seek chargebacks rather than receiving immediate refunds.
Brand decisions
2018
Stop operations after provider disputeStrategyBackground
A technical mismatch involving the company’s main provider generated losses, and negotiations over reimbursement did not produce an agreement.
Action taken
HotelQuickly ceased operations and cancelled prepaid reservations.
Aftermath
Travelers were left without accommodation in some cases and were advised to seek chargebacks through their card issuers.
2017
Sell majority control to a Hong Kong companyM&ABackground
The founders transferred majority control during the company’s expansion phase.
Action taken
A Hong Kong company acquired majority control, after which Jérôme Clé assumed the acting chief executive role.
Aftermath
The business was substantially restructured, with reported employee dissatisfaction and departures among members of the earlier team.
Sources1 sources
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