Trivago

---

title: "Trivago" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["german-companies-established-in-2005", "2013-mergers-and-acquisitions", "2016-initial-public-offerings", "companies-based-in-düsseldorf", "companies-listed-on-the-nasdaq", "expedia-group", "german-subsidiaries-of-foreign-companies", "german-travel-websites", "hospitality-companies-established-in-2005", "information-technology-companies-of-germany", "internet-properties-established-in-2005", "metasearch-engines", "travel-ticket-search-engines"] description: "German travel company" topic_path: "geography/germany" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trivago" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary German travel company ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

Field	Value
name	Trivago N.V.
logo	Trivago logo 2023.svg
former_name	Travel B.V.
type	Public subsidiary
traded_as
founded	in Düsseldorf, Germany
founders	Rolf Schrömgens
Stephan Stubner
Peter Vinnemeier
Malte Siewert
location_city	Düsseldorf
location_country	Germany
areas_served	190 countries worldwide
key_people	Johannes Thomas (CEO)
Wolf Schmuhl (CFO)
Jasmine Ezz (CMO)
Andrej Lehnert (CPO)
industry	Travel, Hotel, Information technology, Marketing
products	Metasearch for hotel prices
parent	Expedia Group (60% as of December 2023)
subsid	Base7booking
Rheinfabrik
TripHappy
revenue	Revenues for 2024 were €460.85 million
num_employees	651 (as of December 31, 2023)
website
::

| name = Trivago N.V. | logo = Trivago logo 2023.svg | image = | image_caption = | former_name = Travel B.V. | type = Public subsidiary | traded_as = | founded = in Düsseldorf, Germany | founders = Rolf Schrömgens Stephan Stubner Peter Vinnemeier Malte Siewert | location_city = Düsseldorf | location_country = Germany | areas_served = 190 countries worldwide | key_people = Johannes Thomas (CEO) Wolf Schmuhl (CFO) Jasmine Ezz (CMO) Andrej Lehnert (CPO) | industry = Travel, Hotel, Information technology, Marketing | products = Metasearch for hotel prices | parent = Expedia Group (60% as of December 2023) | subsid = Base7booking Rheinfabrik TripHappy | revenue = Revenues for 2024 were €460.85 million | num_employees = 651 (as of December 31, 2023) | owner = | website =

Trivago N.V. is a German technology company owned by US-based Expedia Group that specializes in travel and lodging. Its main product is the Trivago online search engine and accommodation booking website that lists prices provided by hotels and other booking websites.

Trivago is headquartered in Düsseldorf, where its international operations are managed. The company operates as a subsidiary of Expedia Group and employs staff across product development, marketing, and data analytics functions, with its platform serving users globally.

History

The company was founded in Düsseldorf, Germany, in January 2005. Seeing an opportunity in the hotel search space, the founding team developed Germany's first hotel search engine. Shortly after launch, Stephan Stubner resigned as Managing Director, but the three other founders (Rolf Schrömgens, Peter Vinnemeier and Malte Siewert) remained.

Initially, Trivago received €1 million from investors, including the Samwer brothers, Florian Heinemann, and Christian Vollmann. In 2007, Trivago received US$1.14 million in Series B funding from the British company HOWZAT media LLP. In December 2010, Trivago sold a quarter of the company for US$52.86 million to a US investment fund, Insight Venture Partners.

In December 2012, Expedia, an American travel company, announced that it would acquire a stake in Trivago for $632 million. The deal was completed in 2013.

In December 2014, Trivago acquired mobile app product and development company Rheinfabrik. After the acquisition, Rheinfabrik remains independent from Trivago in its work.

In 2015, Trivago reported more than US$500 million in revenue.

In March 2016, Trivago announced it had acquired a portion of Cloud-PMS company Base7booking.

On December 16, 2016, Trivago became publicly traded on the American NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol TRVG.

On November 5, 2019, CEO Rolf Schrömgens announced he will step down at the end of the year and be replaced by Chief Financial Officer Axel Hefer.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Trivago 2020 had to cut many jobs. In March 2020, sales had fallen by 95% compared to the previous year.

Business model

Trivago also offers free and fee-based versions of its Hotel Manager product, which hoteliers use to market their facilities on the Trivago site.

Products and features

Trivago app

Trivago also offers free and fee-based versions of its Hotel Manager product, which hoteliers use to market their facilities on the Trivago site. As a hotel price comparison website, Trivago makes money from advertising partners primarily using a cost-per-click (CPC) business model. Booking platforms, hoteliers and other providers list rates and advertise on the Trivago site, paying for the clicks received from Trivago users.

Business Studio - Trivago for Business

Trivago Business Studio is a marketing platform dedicated to independent hoteliers. Hoteliers can improve their visibility in Trivago’s metasearch using Business Studio’s free, customizable analytical tools and promotional apps.

Rate Connect

Trivago’s Rate Connect is designed to help independent hoteliers increase direct bookings and lower distribution costs. The way to do that is by enabling hoteliers to promote their website directly on trivago, without the intermediary of an online travel agency.

Indices and rankings

Trivago Rating Index (tRI)

The tRI aggregates all ratings for destinations listed on Trivago and ranks them between 0 and 100. The index includes criteria such as location, price, food, internet, room and facilities, and is used to create annual Trivago rankings and awards such as the Reputation Ranking, Island Ranking, Ski Ranking, the Top Hotel Awards, and the Best Value Destinations (based on an algorithm combining the tRI with price).

Trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI)

The Trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI) displays the average overnight accommodation prices for the most popular cities worldwide. Prices are based on the cost of a standard double room, taken from over 2 million daily price inquiries over the past month.

Marketing

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Flag_of_Trivago_(v1).svg" caption="Company flag"] ::

Trivago focuses on online marketing (SEM and display advertising), public relations and brand marketing (TV).

The "Trivago guy"

When the company aired its first U.S. TV advertisement in 2012, the ad's spokesman inspired a trending Twitter hashtag, #Trivagoguy, based on his unusual look. According to Rolling Stone, Trivago "wanted someone real, approachable and genuine" when it chose actor Tim Williams to star in the ad. The Trivago guy became an unexpected celebrity, with some people noting his unbuttoned shirt and creepy nature, while others found his scruffy appearance and deep voice "inexplicably sexy".

Trivago responded to the comments by launching a contest that invited people to give the Trivago guy a makeover. The Trivago guy inspired parodies, fan fiction and a large gay following.

Many commenters asked why Trivago chose not to have the actor wear a belt. According to the actor, that was an accident. "Unfortunately none of the belts fit the belt loops that I had on", Williams said. "I think that was probably the best break we could have gotten." Following the large response for the U.S. Trivago guy, the company decided to create French and Spanish Trivago guys. From 2016 until June 2017, the French actor Mehdi Nebbou was the German Trivago guy.

For Latin America (the whole Spanish-speaking region) Trivago's commercials are presented by Spanish actor Gonzalo Peña. In Brazil, the man shown on screen is the well-known actor and model Willian Mello.

In 2016, the company aired ads in India with Abhinav Kumar. Abhinav became popular and an internet sensation for his role in ubiquitous Trivago ads in India.

The "Trivago girl"

In the United Kingdom, Trivago's advertisements are fronted by Australian actress and musician Gabrielle Miller. In Japan, Trivago is represented in their TV commercials by singer/songwriter Natalie Emmons, who uses the pseudonym "Strae" in the United States. In Malaysia, actress and TV host Dahlia Shazwan has starred in Trivago's advertisements.

Legal issues

In August 2018, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) instituted proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia against Trivago alleging that the company had made misleading representations on their Australian website and in their Australian television advertising. The ACCC case started in the Federal Court of Australia in September 2019.

In January 2020, the Federal Court of Australia found that Trivago engaged in Australia in conduct that was or was likely to be misleading or deceptive and that therefore contravened Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC argued Trivago promised Australian customers impartial, objective and transparent hotel price comparisons which would allow them to quickly and easily identify the cheapest offer available whereas the listing of an offer on Trivago's Australian website was subject to the payment of a fee (Cost Per Click) by advertisers and whereas Trivago did not show the cheapest offer. The ACCC claimed Trivago failed to properly disclose its operating model and used misleading "strike-through" price comparisons that compared a more expensive luxury room with a standard room.

In April 2022, the Federal Court of Australia fined Trivago AUD44.7 million (plus legal costs) for misleading Australian consumers whereas the ACCC had pushed for a fine of at least AUD90 million. Justice Moshinsky of the Federal Court of Australia noted Trivago's breaches of the law were "extremely serious".

Leadership Structure Transformation

In 2023, Trivago announced a significant transformation in its leadership structure, welcoming a team of accomplished travel industry executives, who played significant roles in the company's worldwide growth.

Trivago founder, Rolf Schrömgens, returned to the company as an advisor and joined the supervisory board. Johannes Thomas assumed the role of CEO and Managing Director, succeeding Axel Hefer, who chose not to extend his contract. Jasmine Ezz rejoined as Chief Marketing Officer and Andrej Lehnert as Chief Product Officer.

References

References

1. "Today's Stock Market News and Analysis from Nasdaq.com".
2. "Trivago N.V.".
3. "Our Story".
4. Neuhaus, Elisabeth. "Trivago, auf leisen Sohlen".
5. (January 14, 2008). "HOWZAT media invests in Trivago, the German-based travel website focused on hotels, reviews & community".
6. Wimmer, Justin. (April 5, 2011). "Insight steigt zu 160-Millionen-Bewertung bei Trivago ein".
7. Jacobs, Karen. (December 12, 2016). "Expedia to acquire stake in German hotel site".
8. Vom Rhein, Macher. (October 2, 2015). "Mit 29 Jahren den 'Exit' geschafft". [[RP Online]].
9. (February 2, 2016). "Trivago Unveils Plans for New Global Campus". HospitalityNet.
10. Schaal, Dennis. (March 1, 2016). "Trivago Acquisition of Hotel-Tech Startup Highlights Evolution of Booking Sites". [[Skift]].
11. "Trivago N.V. American Depositary Shares Quote & Summary Data".
12. (November 14, 2016). "Expedia's Hotel Search Service Trivago Plans IPO".
13. Roof, Katie. (December 16, 2016). "Trivago closes up 8% in public debut".
14. "Trivago-CFO Axel Hefer wird CEO".
15. "Tourismuskrise: Trivago baut massiv Stellen ab".
16. "Trivago helps hotels manage online presence".
17. "25 Apps to Save You Money". [[Mashable]].
18. Gualano, Silvia. (2020-04-27). "Improve your visibility with trivago Business Studio".
19. "10 Questions Hoteliers Ask about trivago's Rate Connect".
20. "Trivago startet Direct Connect für Hotels".
21. "Edmonton hotels fail to make online list of country's best". Edmonton Journal.
22. "La Angostura y San Martín se destacan por su hotelería". Imneuquen.
23. "Trivago releases global hotel reputation ranking 2015". Hotel News Resource.
24. "European Islands Trivago Reputation Ranking 2016".
25. "6 Greek destinations among best winter skiing resorts in the world".
26. "Seven Bath hotels listed in Trivago's inaugural Top Hotel Awards".
27. Trivago. (December 6, 2017). "The 25 Best Value Cities in the World".
28. "Trivago es uno de los comparadores de precios de hoteles más grandes del mundo - Entrevista".
29. Harold, Kelly. (October 22, 2015). "The Trivago Guy As You've Never Seen Him Before".
30. "What's the Deal With the Trivago Guy? Meet TV's Sloppy, Sexy Pitchman".
31. Krashinsky, Susan. (August 28, 2014). "Trivago spokesman to undergo 'celebrity' makeover". [[The Globe and Mail]].
32. "You're Not the Only One With a Crush on Trivago Guy". [[Elle (magazine).
33. (29 July 2017). "Who is Trivago ad guy: Meet Abhinav Kumar; this man has become internet sensation now".
34. (12 July 2018). "Trivago guy Abhinav Kumar reconnects with his father after 10 years, thanks to media".
35. "Unveiling the mystery behind the Trivago man - ET BrandEquity". ETBrandEquity.com.
36. (25 August 2017). "Trivago ad guy: Abhinav Kumar, the man who is an unlikely brand ambassador".
37. "मालूम है, 'ट्रिवागो' के चाटू ऐड वाला ये आदमी कौन है?".
38. "Who is the Trivago girl? 12 things you didn't know about Gabrielle Miller".
39. "Natalie Emmons プロフィール (Japanese)".
40. "Gadis Trivago Dahlia Shazwan dapat anak perempuan".
41. [https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/best-deals-on-trivago-were-its-best-advertisers-not-lowest-prices-accc-claims-20190909-p52pjw.html Hotels? Trivago's best deals were with best advertisers, ACCC claims] ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]'' September 9, 2019
42. David Chau and Michael Janda. (2022-04-22). "Trivago fined $45 million for misleading customers on hotel pricing claims". [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]].
43. (22 April 2022). "Australians warned about booking online after Trivago cops $44 million fine". The New Daily.
44. "CEO Spotlight - Johannes Thomas of Trivago".
45. "Axel Hefer leaves Trivago, former director appointed".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::