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Budget hotel aggregator <keyword id="2550719" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="OYO-Rooms">OYO Rooms</keyword> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Oyo-Rooms-may-buy-its-smaller-rival-Zo-Rooms/articleshow/50024196.cms">was all set to acquire rival Zo rooms</a>, but certain complications could cause a delay in the deal. One of its early investors has come up with some fresh demands, which has stalled the acquisition process. 
 As per sources, <keyword id="1679438" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="VentureNursery">VentureNursery</keyword>, a Mumbai-based accelerator which was the first investor in OYO, has said that it should be given access to information that large investors typically receive from a company along with the right to exit from the combined entity and that too at a pre-determined valuation. 
 
Also read: Exclusive: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Exclusive-OYO-Rooms-CEO-says-soon-staying-at-OYO-hotels-will-be-like-staying-at-luxurious-homes-Easy-walk-in-easy-walk-out/articleshow/49416395.cms">OYO Rooms’ CEO says soon staying at OYO hotels will be like staying at luxurious homes! Easy walk-in, easy walk-out</a> 
 
"VentureNursery is demanding right to information and exit at $700-million valuation, both terms which are unacceptable to OYO's larger shareholders," a person directly familiar with the development told ET. 
 
Experts and investors opine that even though VentureNursery does not have enough shares to block the proposed merger, its demands should be addressed as it can otherwise create hurdles in the works for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/OYO-Rooms-knows-the-way-to-the-customers-heartis-through-his-stomach/articleshow/49800486.cms">OYO</a>, which is looking to raise <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/OYO-Rooms-ties-up-with-PayPal-to-make-its-global-expansion-more-efficient/articleshow/51312289.cms">fresh capital</a>. 
 The reason behind these sudden demands could be the disagreement within OYO, as some managers are not convinced about the terms of <keyword id="2825269" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zo-Rooms">Zo Rooms</keyword> negotiation, giving it a 7% stake in the company.

OYO's Zo acquisition could be delayed because of its first investor

At a time when the hospitality industry is seeing new online hotel aggregator entrants that are largely focusing on providing standard affordable stay to any traveler, <keyword id="2825269" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zo-Rooms">ZO Rooms</keyword> is in efforts to cater to various segment of travelers in the country differently based on their specific needs and demands. For backpackers and leisure travelers, there is <keyword id="2232457" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zostel">Zostel</keyword> (dorm facility) and ZO homes (bed and breakfast facility); for those traveling with family, they have ZO rooms (budget hotels)/ ZO prime (premium 3 star category)/ ZO star (4-star accommodation) depending on the quality of services customers want and the money they are ready to shell out. Then there is what’s called ZO apartments, largely for corporate travelers who stay for longer duration and want their private space for meetings. 
	 
	<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Exclusive-Zostel-eyes-South-East-Asia-and-European-markets-while-expanding-in-India/articleshow/49551763.cms">ALSO READ: Exclusive: Zostel eyes South East Asia and European markets while expanding in India</a>
 

	While their properties Zostel and ZO homes are fresh and new youth-targeted services aimed at breaking the norms of leisure traveling in India, at the same time it’s clear that with ZO Room’s 1,000 properties spread across 50 cities in India already, they are playing it smart. They do not want to lose out on organizing the fragmented market for the traditional, family and corporate traveler. 
 

	“A Zostel caters to backpackers, not corporate or family travelers. These segments want different set of services from what a backpacker would want. So it is essential for us to provide clear and distinguished value proposition for different customers,” says Dharamveer Singh Chauhan, CEO and co-founder, ZO Rooms.
 

	Focused on building these diverse properties, Dharamveer says, the company wants to penetrate everywhere in the country. Currently, ZO Rooms has expanded its network to 11,000 rooms in 1,000 hotels across 50 cities and towns in India. It is targeting 5,000 hotels and 50,000 rooms in the next six months. Where is all the money coming from? 
 For a startup to be able to foray into newer sectors requires backing, and ZO Rooms flaunts of having New York-based investment firm <keyword id="260318" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tiger-Global-Management">Tiger Global Management</keyword> and venture capital firm Orios Venture Partners behind them. It is reportedly looking to raise $200 million that will help it in raising capital, but Dharamveer refused to confirm the news or comment on it for now. 

	He, however, said that his company has been lucky in attracting investors from the college days when they raised their first round of funding for Zostels. “Ever since, we have got several offers in our journey. We have decided to go ahead with those who share our vision, have relevant experience and understanding of the ecosystem,” Dharamveer said. He feels if startups have a great team and their business is scalable, attracting funds won't be a problem.
 

	At ZO Rooms, meanwhile, efforts are on to upgrade customer services. “You cannot always expect discounts and cashback offers to get more people to stay at your hotels, a method that our competitors have increasingly resorted to. There needs to be real value for customers to opt for you over others. This is why our hotel partners are much more than somebody we are merely giving bookings to. We give them training, provide them with technology support, infrastructure upgradation, vendor collaboration and most importantly, a feedback mechanism system so that customer concerns can be learnt on an ongoing basis and rectified at the earliest,” says Dharamveer.
 

	In this regard, the company also has what it calls ‘ZO advantage program’ using which the hotel staff at different properties are being trained daily via videos. 
 Also, ZO Rooms has partnered with <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword>, <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword> and <keyword id="830092" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zomato">Zomato</keyword> in a bid to make the stay experience for customers more seamless. Another crucial area for hotel budget aggregators in enhancing its services is ensuring security. Even as this can prove to be very challenging as they don't own the properties, yet it is imperative to ensure a secure stay for travelers at the same time. ZO Rooms says it has a decent security mechanism in place. Verification is done on every front from customers to hotel partners. Insurances and due licenses are also taken care of by them when they are partnering with hotels. 

	Interestingly, ZO homes, not everyone is entertained. As a security measure, only people who have already stayed at ZO Rooms at least five times are allowed to use the ZO homes category. Also as a concept, this bed and breakfast facility is a western concept just like backpackers. "It’s a fragmented sector," agrees Dharamveer. He feels it will take another five years for bed and breakfast services to emerge in India because trust and security are key essentials here.
 

	As for other ZO properties, the company's aim is to let people travel unplanned with a free mind. 
 

	"Wherever travelers go, they just have to open their apps and easily find ZO properties in the vicinity that match their requirements. That’s the kind of services and level of trust we want to build with our customers. While redefining traveling experience, we are also providing a simple, seamless process of finding, booking and staying at the best customized accommodations for everyone, everywhere,” concludes Dharamveer.

ZO Rooms has a room ‘available’ for every
traveller

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=hotels">Hotels</a> that tied up with aggregators seem to be displeased by the latter. Trouble began when the <keyword id="3187949" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hotel-Aggregators">hotel aggregators</keyword> started undercutting and promising more than the <keyword id="6368036" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hotels">hotels</keyword> could provide. 
 
The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=hotel+aggregators">hotel aggregators</a> were at their peak as they were getting lot of customers in 2015 and had tied with as many as 1000 hotels. 
 
However, the experience, over the time, turned sour for the aggregators. 
 
ET reported an incident in which Sunil J Trivedi of Riverview Hotel in Ahmedabad said aggregators do not put everything on the site, which misleads the customer. 
 
"Undercutting is totally not tolerable in this industry as it is harmful for our business and goodwill. This clearly impacted the customers coming to us as sometimes we got day-use kind of bookings, which we never take," said Trivedi. 
 
Likewise, there are many instances in which hotels are snapping ties with the aggregators now. 
 
As per reports, over 200 hotels have apparently ended ties with leading aggregators Oyo <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=oyo+rooms">Rooms</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=zo+rooms">Zo</a> in the last five-six months. 
Another problem that hotels are facing is of payments. 
 
A Mumbai-based hotelier Karl Kerawalla took to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=twitter">Twitter</a> to complain about a non-payment issue. 
 
Hotels say due to a plethora of issues their loyal customers are turning away, which could lead to a major problem in the long run. 
 
Manav Thadani, chairman, HVS Asia Pacific told ET, "While there has been a lot of hype about the aggregator model, how many will survive depends on the management and having solid processes in place rather than deep discounting to win the game."

Hotels are snapping ties with aggregators after experience goes sour

<keyword id="2550719" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="OYO-Rooms">OYO Rooms</keyword>, a top name in budget hotels aggregator industry, has always made it a point to offer their customers the best options for making their experience comfortable. It has now decided to pilot a food technology venture as well as an on-demand housekeeping service. 
 The company plans to combine the kitchens of the hotels listed under its belt, and the food would be sold under the name of <keyword id="3137676" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="OYO-Cafe">OYO Cafe</keyword>. 
 "As in any food business, we noticed that our partner hotels' kitchen have excess inventory," Maninder Gulati, head of strategy and corporate development at <keyword id="2808667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword> told ET. "So, the idea is, if we can utilise that and use food tech platforms like Zomato or Swiggy to distribute that food then that's a revenue generation potential for our partner." 
 The company also plans to dabble into on-demand housekeeping services venture, with the name <keyword id="3138076" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="oyo-care">OYO Care</keyword>. "That is an on-demand cleaning service. Our area managers can facilitate cleanup for a room as and when a customer needs it," said Gulati. 
 In the past two years, the Gurgaon-based company has gained a lot of popularity, and has become a top name in the industry. In August, OYO raised $100 million in a round led by SoftBank, and since then, it has spread its assets to 30,000 rooms in 130 Indian cities and towns. Its competitors include <keyword id="2825269" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zo-Rooms">ZO Rooms</keyword>, <keyword id="2913812" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Treebo-Hotels">Treebo Hotels</keyword>, <keyword id="2870818" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="FabHotels">Fabhotels</keyword>, <keyword id="2937565" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wudstay">Wudstay</keyword>, <keyword id="2882211" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zen-Rooms">Zen Rooms</keyword>, <keyword id="2902711" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="ZiP-Rooms">Zip Rooms</keyword>, <keyword id="3007241" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vista-Rooms">Vista Rooms</keyword> and <keyword id="3138078" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="RoomOnCall">RoomOnCall</keyword>. 
 
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/oyorooms/photos/a.1449401045295515.1073741825.1449392448629708/1681617255407225/?type=3&amp;theater">Image source</a>

OYO Rooms knows the way to the customer’s heart
is through his stomach!

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=softbank&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">SoftBank</a> is going to lead the $250 million funding round of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=oyo+rooms&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Oyo Rooms</a>, which will take the online hotel booking platform’s valuation to $850 million. ET reported the size of <keyword id="2550719" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Rooms">Oyo Rooms</keyword>’ latest <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=funding&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">funding</a> round is half of the $500 million proposed by <keyword id="163404" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Softbank">SoftBank</keyword>. After the fresh round of funding, SoftBank will have 42% ownership. "Seeing what has played out at <keyword id="541988" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SnapDeal">Snapdeal</keyword>, many early investors are wary of SoftBank taking large ownerships in their portfolio companies. But Oyo hasn't been able to shore up capital from external investors, which is why they have opted for half of what was committed by SoftBank," a person privy to the transaction told ET on the condition of anonymity. The investment in Oyo will come through the newly launched $100-billion SoftBank Vision Fund, which is eyeing opportunities in technology ventures globally. A SoftBank spokesperson told ET, "We do not comment on portfolio companies and especially around fund-raising efforts. We are very happy with Oyo's progress in general and commend the team." Oyo may still be trying to get an external investor to come into this round, a source told ET. The hotel aggregation segment in India has gone through consolidation post a slug of capital coming into companies like Oyo and the Tiger Global-backed Zo Rooms, which shut down last year.

Oyo Rooms’ valuation to touch $850 million, this will be the size of its funding

As <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=investors">investors</a> are rushing to put money in new-born <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startup">startups</a>, there is more than moolah that startup founders want. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=founders">Startup founders</a> have begun giving more importance to their investors and are looking to bring <keyword id="1634680" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="seed-investors">seed investors</keyword> on board under whom they can get the right grooming, in a bid to grow right. 
 
A good seed investor is one who works closely with the founders and helps them in analysing the product-market fit for their offering and standing out of the crowd. 
 
Paavan Nanda of ZO Rooms told ET it is very important for an investor to believe in a portfolio startup's vision, trust the team, and give them the freedom to work independently. 
 
Support from the beginning is critical in helping a startup scale quickly. 
 
In a survey of funded entrepreneurs by ET and Tracxn, seed investors in India were rated high for their ability to open doors for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=partnership">partnerships</a>, back founders' judgment, and reach out to other investors for the next <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=funding">funding</a> round. 
 
Mayank Kumar, cofounder and CEO of months-old logistics startup Opinio, benefitted from this. 
 
"Accel helped us tremendously in talent acquisition. They gave us a few personally vetted profiles within a 24-hour turnaround. They would also connect you to any CEO in the country immediately," said Kumar. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

New-born startups want parenting from investors for right grooming

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Little kid visiting the White House asks Sarah Huckabee Sanders why Trump fired Comey

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Lori L. / YelpA dish from three-starred Le Bernardin.</div></div></div><ul><li>The Michelin Guide was just released for New York City. </li><li>New York now has five three-star restaurants and 56 restaurants with at least one star.</li><li>The venerated French restaurant Jean-Georges lost a star.</li></ul> The 2018 Michelin Guide for New York City <a href="http://michelinmedia.com/pages/blog/detail/article/c0/a680/">is here</a>.Seven restaurants got new stars in this year's guide, while one restaurant lost a star. Jean-Georges - the well-regarded French restaurant - now claims only two. Michelin's reviewers saw a "slow glide downward" at Jean-Georges, the guide's director, Michael Ellis, <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2017/10/30/16562016/michelin-restaurants-nyc-stars-2018">told Eater</a>.That means New York now has five three-star restaurants, while <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/michelin-starred-restaurants-san-francisco-wine-country-2017-10">San Francisco has seven</a>. New York still has more restaurants with stars overall, with 56.See the full list of Michelin-starred restaurants in New York, below.<h2>Three stars:</h2>Chef's Table at Brooklyn FareEleven Madison ParkLe BernardinMasaPer Se<h2>Two stars:</h2>AquavitAskaAteraBlancaDanielJean-Georges (three stars last year)<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.jean-georgesrestaurant.com/jean-georges/photo-gallery/jean-georges/">Jean-Georges</a>A dish at Jean-Georges.</div></div></div>JungsikKoMareaThe ModernGinza Onodera (one star last year)<h2>One Star:</h2>AgernAi FioriAldeaAureoleBabboBar Uchu (new)BatardBlue HillThe BreslinCafe BouludCarboneCasa EnriqueCasa MonoCaviar RusseThe Clocktower (new)<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheClocktowerNYC/photos/a.1613915292157357.1073741828.1600687766813443/1758282187720666/?type=3&amp;theater">Facebook.com/TheClocktowerNYC</a>A dish at The Clocktower.</div></div></div>ContraCote (new)Del PostoDelaware and HudsonDovetailFaroThe FinchGabriel KreutherGotham Bar and GrillGramercy TavernGunter SeegerHirohisaJewel BakoJunoonKajitsuKanoyamaKyo YaL' AppartLa SirenaLa VaraMeadowsweetMinetta TavernMusket RoomNixNoMadPeter LugerRebelleRiver CafeRouge Tomate (new)Satsuki (new)Sushi Amane (new)Sushi InoueSushi YasudaSushi ZoTempura MatsuiTori ShinUncle BoonsUshiwakamaruWallseZZ's Clam Bar <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/casino-games-best-chance-at-winning-odds-2017-10">Here are your chances of winning at popular casino games</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

You Searched For "Zo Rooms" and got 8 results

OYO's Zo acquisition could be delayed because of its first investor

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ZO Rooms has a room ‘available’ for every traveller

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Hotels are snapping ties with aggregators after experience goes sour

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OYO Rooms knows the way to the customer’s heart is through his stomach!

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New-born startups want parenting from investors for right grooming

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