In the global hotel industry, dependence on Online Travel Agencies has long been treated as a necessary evil. Online Travel Agencies bring visibility but at the cost of margin, ownership of the guest relationship, and long-term brand equity.
Userguest was built to challenge that assumption.
Founded in 2018, the Moroccan hotel-tech startup has created an automated conversion platform that helps hotels turn anonymous website visitors into confirmed direct bookings without adding friction to the guest experience. Today, its technology runs in hotels across more than 30 countries and has helped generate over $100 million in direct revenue since 2019.
Quietly, methodically, Userguest is reshaping how hotels think about distribution power.
The Founders Who Knew the Problem from the Inside
Userguest was founded by Assil Bernossi, Ahmed Chami, and Hicham Benyebdri, a team whose strength lies in how deeply they understand both technology and hospitality economics.
Assil Bernossi, Co-founder and CEO, brings strategic clarity to the company’s vision. In interviews, he has consistently framed Userguest as a long-term revenue control layer for hoteliers, one that restores balance between visibility and profitability.
Ahmed Chami, Co-founder and CTO, leads platform innovation. His focus has been building a system that integrates seamlessly into existing hotel stacks – PMS, CRM, booking engines – without disrupting operations. Under his leadership, Userguest evolved into a low-friction, data-driven engine that works in the background while hotels focus on service.
Hicham Benyebdri, Co-founder, brings deep industry insight shaped by prior experience at Expedia. Having seen the OTA model from the inside, he understood precisely where hotels were losing leverage and where technology could help them win it back.
Together, the trio built Userguest as a counterweight to OTAs.
How Userguest Works for Revenue Intelligence, Not Pop-Ups
At its core, Userguest is a direct bookings optimization platform designed specifically for hotels.
Once installed on a hotel’s website, the platform analyzes visitor behavior in real time; how guests browse, hesitate, compare, and abandon. It then automatically deploys personalized messages, nudges, and incentives at the most critical moments in the booking journey.
These include:
- Real-time notifications that create urgency
- Smart incentives tailored to visitor intent
- Customizable pop-ups that align with brand tone
- Detailed performance analytics and reporting
The result is not aggressive selling, but behavioural guidance – subtle prompts that reduce hesitation and move guests toward completion.
Importantly, Userguest integrates smoothly with existing hotel systems, ensuring data continuity and operational simplicity.
Traction That Speaks for Itself
Userguest’s growth has been both global and measurable.
Since launching:
- Hotels in 30+ countries have adopted the platform
- More than $100 million in direct hotel revenue has been generated
- The company secured $2.4 million in seed funding in late 2024, signaling strong investor confidence
In an industry where tools often promise upliftment but struggle to prove it, Userguest’s numbers stand out.
Its appeal lies in simplicity: hotels don’t need to rebuild their websites or retrain teams. They install Userguest and conversions skyrocket.
Why Userguest Matters in Today’s Travel Economy
As margins tighten and customer acquisition costs rise, hotels are rethinking over-reliance on third-party platforms. Direct bookings have risen beyond a “nice to have” they are a strategic necessity.
Userguest sits at the intersection of AI, behavioral analytics, and hospitality economics, offering hotels a way to reclaim revenue while preserving guest trust.
With a 30-day free trial, more than 30 powerful features, and hands-on support from a dedicated team, the platform lowers the barrier to experimentation making adoption an easy decision for revenue managers and general managers alike.
A Moroccan Startup with Global Reach
Userguest’s story is also part of a larger trend: Moroccan startups exporting deeply practical B2B technology to global markets.
Built in Morocco, adopted worldwide, and focused on measurable outcomes, Userguest exemplifies the new generation of North African travel-tech companies less hype, more leverage.
As hotels continue to rebalance power in the booking ecosystem, Userguest is positioning itself as an enabling infrastructure.
And infrastructure, when done right, quietly changes everything.
