Guestline
Established: 1991
Country: United Kingdom
Region: West Midlands
Investors: The Riverside Company
Guestline is a UK-based provider of software for the hospitality sector. The company serves a broad customer base of independent hotels and small/medium-sized hotel chains, delivering an end-to-end, cloud-based platform comprising property management, distribution, and guest experience. Guestline’s comprehensive platform addresses all key technology needs of hoteliers, helping them operate their hotels more efficiently, unlock more revenue, and drive guest satisfaction.
Riverside invested in Guestline in March 2016 with a plan to solidify the company’s leading position in the UK’s cloud-based market segment, use its global team to help Guestline grow internationally, and invest in new product development to increase Guestline’s share of wallet with customers. During the investment period, Riverside helped Guestline evolve from a niche UK leader into a leading cloud platform with a presence across many of the most important European hospitality markets. In addition, in 2022, Guestline completed the add-on acquisition of Newbridge Software, a cloud-native electronic point of sale software platform for hotels, bars, and restaurants.
Andrew McGregor
CEO - Guestline
Guestline’s partnership with Riverside has helped drive expansion into Europe, and fuelled product innovation into payments and the digitization of the guest experience. Together we have created real value for all our stakeholders.
85%
increase in number of employees
3
new core products launched
188%
increase hotel booking transactions through Guestline’s platform (from 2.7m to 7.5m)
Key achievements
Riverside invested in Guestline as the first institutional backer of the business
Brought in new, high-calibre management team members and added industry veterans as non-exec board members
The Covid pandemic impacted Guestline materially, due to the strict UK lockdowns, but despite this, no staff redundancies were made and investment into the team and software platform continued, allowing Guestline to emerge stronger post-pandemic
Large investments were made in the software platform during Riverside’s hold to add new functionality and new product modules
Guestline solidified its leadership in the UK’s cloud-based market for independent hotels and small to medium-sized chains
Successful entry into German-speaking markets – new team (total of 26 FTEs) established in Munich. Sales velocity in the DACH market exceeded that of the home UK market by the time of Riverside’s exit13% revenue CAGR during Riverside’s hold period, despite extended Covid lockdowns, travel restrictions, and Brexit headwinds impacting Guestline’s end markets
Funding history
Riverside invested in Guestline in March 2016
Riverside exited Guestline in July 2023, selling the business to Access Group, a portfolio company of HgCapital, TA Associates and GIC
Employment impact
Nearly doubled employees from 140 at entry to 260 at exit
Increased the share of female members of the executive team from 20% to 44%.
Investors
