US: ResortPass, which offers day access to luxury hotels and resorts, has raised $26 million in Series B funding and appointed Michael Wolf as CEO.
The Series B funding was co-led by Declaration Partners and 14W, with existing lead investor CRV participating, along with new partners William Morris Endeavor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba and Brian Kelly (also known as The Points Guy).
ResortPass allows users to access a property’s facilities such as the fitness centre, pool and spa, without booking an overnight stay. The group works with over 900 hotels and resorts globally, including notable brands such as Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, W Hotels, Hyatt, Fairmont, and Westin.
Wolf joins ResortPass with nearly 20 years of experience in the B2B2C market. Having started his career at Bain & Company, Wolf has also worked with wellness companies including ClassPass, Lululemon, FreshDirect, and more.
“We are so excited about the funding round and also to welcome Michael to his new role,” said Amanda Szabo, founder of ResortPass. Szabo will continue to serve as an advisor to the company. She continued: “As we transition into this next phase of the company’s rapid growth, there is a different set of skills now required to scale the company. Michael’s extensive experience at marketplace businesses makes him the perfect fit to take ResortPass to the next level and continue to grow our world class team.”
Wolf said: “The ResortPass product-market fit is the strongest I have seen in over two decades of collaborations with innovative businesses. Consumers are obsessed with the access they now have to our partners and our partners deeply value these new consumers. Investors expressed that same degree of enthusiasm throughout this raise. We are excited to be the leader in the rise of the day guest, and I could not be more energised to lead ResortPass in the next phase of its journey.”
Saar Gur, general partner at CRV, said: “I have known Michael for nearly ten years. Having seen his leadership qualities as an executive at ClassPass I was consistently impressed by both his business acumen and his ability to build strong and trusted relationships with both colleagues and partners alike. Michael’s vision and depth of experience in marketplace and B2B2C companies is exceptional, and I could not think of a better leader to take ResortPass to its full potential.”
Ryan Ackell of 14W said: “ResortPass is pioneering a whole new segment of the $1.5 trillion global lodging industry. By creating this opportunity for hotels and guests, ResortPass is aligning the industry with how people are choosing to take time off with shorter, more frequent experiences closer to home.”
ResortPass will use the funding to scale the organisation and expand to new global markets in 2023.
