Who is Kooble?
Kooble is a ground-breaking booking platform co-owned by hospitality businesses. Launched in 2024, it aims to create a fairer and sustainable booking platform reducing the commissions typically paid by businesses to Online Travel Agencies (OTAs). Kooble will level the playing field and direct profits back to the hospitality businesses through dividends. It is a unique model that empowers businesses to reinvest a greater proportion of their profits, fostering growth, sustainability and fairness within the industry.
Kooble has been created by 5pm, a long-established online restaurant deals and reservation services provider. This allows the new co-op to leverage their experience and expertise in the Scottish market, offering a seamless and reliable service for users as a result of new technology, personalised service and long-standing relationships that currently exist within Scotland’s tourism and hospitality industry.
Why was a co-op the right option?
The booking market is dominated by large international booking platform businesses who charge high rates of commission. Kooble will offer a sustainable and attractive alternative. It operates as a co-operative with no external shareholders and offers member the opportunity to own their own booking platform. Members are part owners receiving a dividend based on business generated instead of losing profits to outside shareholders of other booking websites and OTAs.
The organisation has also cooperatively negotiated a payments rate which members can take advantage of. This massively discounted payments rate is valid not just on Kooble business, but all transactions a member business takes. Members taking up the rate are already reaping the benefits of joining the the co-op as so far, they have saved up to 45% on their payments costs.
What is next for the co-op?
Kooble currently have support pledged by 150 businesses with plans to expand membership. They believe the concept has global potential and hope to offer a multilingual and white label platform and playbook to other groups of hospitality businesses worldwide, who all have same challenges.
Support from Co-operative Development Scotland
5pm originally approached Co-operative Development Scotland early in the process. We were able to provide them expert support to conduct feasibility, explore their options and set up the co-op.
