Hotel video guide Tvtrip.com has raised $4.8 million from Balderton Capital (formerly Benchmark Capital Europe) and Partech International.

Published: 15 Jul 2007

Hotel video guide Tvtrip.com has raised $4.8 million from Balderton Capital (formerly Benchmark Capital Europe) and Partech International.

Launched in May, Tvtrip.com is being described as the first website to enable hotel searches using professionally-filmed online videos.

Tvtrip.com already covers 10 major European cities including London, Paris, Madrid, Rome and Berlin.

Tvtrip.com will use the proceeds of the funding round to accelerate its international expansion programme, adding other key European cities such as Lisbon, Prague and Venice to its portfolio.

By the end of 2007, the company will cover over 1,500 hotels in Europe’s 50 key destinations.

The Tvtrip.com site is already available in five languages: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, with three localised versions of the website having been added this summer.

Marc Ruff, CEO, Tvtrip.com said the funding “validates our business model and puts us in an excellent position to develop our service in key international markets.”

Philippe Collombel, General Partner at Partech International said, “Tvtrip.com offers everything a traveler needs to know in order to make the right hotel decision including high quality hotel videos and information, neighborhood maps and user reviews”

Tvtrip.com also shared two names, who will join the Tvtrip.com advisory board - Erik Blachford, CEO at TerraPass, Inc. and formerly CEO of Expedia Inc. and Thierry Antinori, Senior Executive Vice-President, marketing and sales of Lufthansa, and a member of the German airline board.

“Tvtrip.com’s aim is to become the online reference of choice for the travel industry by allowing travelers to view their accommodation online before making their purchase,” said Ruff. “We are showcasing how video can facilitate consumer choice.”