OYO

OYO: global chain of budget accommodations

OYO is a global hotel and accommodation platform operating in more than 35 countries. The company presents itself as a chain that standardizes the accommodation experience in budget establishments, with services such as air conditioning, breakfast, LED television, Wi-Fi and clean bathrooms. The company allows online booking with free cancellation and payment at the hotel, and offers express check-in.

According to the company's own data, the platform has more than 175,000 hotels and accommodations, has hosted more than 100 million guests and its app has accumulated more than 100 million downloads. The company was founded in 2013 and originated in India, where it opened its first property in Gurugram.

Business model and technology

OYO defines itself as a platform that empowers entrepreneurs and small hotel businesses through comprehensive technology that increases their revenue and facilitates operations. The company seeks to offer affordable and reliable accommodation that guests can book instantly. Its technology tools include systems to maximize revenue, build an online presence, reach more guests and optimize the experience, as well as to achieve hassle-free operations. The company states that more than 157,000 properties use its technology globally.

For property owners, OYO offers the possibility to list their property and start earning in 30 minutes. The company has also developed products such as OYO OS for property managers, OTA Powerplay (a subscription to improve positioning on booking channels) and OYO360, a self-onboarding platform for partners.

International presence and brands

The chain operates in more than 35 countries, with a presence in destinations such as Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vietnam and Bali, among others. In India, OYO has a presence in cities such as Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida and Pune, among many others.

The group has developed several brands and business lines. Sunday Hotels is its premium brand, which according to corporate information surpassed 200 properties worldwide. It also has Belvilla and DanCenter for vacation homes in Europe, and G6, focused on extended stays in the United States. The parent company, Oravel Stays Limited, renamed its corporate entity to PRISM to reflect its global expansion.

History and evolution

OYO was founded by Ritesh Agarwal, who began traveling around India at the age of 17 and stayed in more than 100 bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and hotels, identifying a major shortage of affordable, quality accommodation in the unbranded budget hotel category. The company opened its first hotel in 2013 in Gurugram, India, and that same year launched oyorooms.com. In 2014 it received Series A funding and in 2015 it launched its mobile app and expanded to 100 cities, surpassing 10,000 rooms.

In 2016, OYO expanded to Malaysia, its first region outside India, and introduced dynamic pricing to capitalize on seasonality and demand peaks. That year it reached one million check-ins. In 2017 it launched OYO Townhouse, a mid-range brand. In 2018 it expanded to the United Kingdom, China and Indonesia, launched OYO OS for property managers, the long-term rental service OYO Life and the OYO Wizard loyalty program. In 2019 it reached the United States, Europe and the Middle East, launched OYO Lite and Yo! Chat, and introduced OYO Workspaces. That year it acquired the @Leisure group to enter the vacation home business in 40 countries.

In 2020, the app surpassed 50 million downloads and the company launched Sanitised Stays, a safety protocol for its hotels and accommodations, as well as Discover OYO. In 2021, the app reached 100 million downloads and OTA Powerplay, VaccinAid (which shows staff vaccination status) and OYO360 were launched.

Loyalty program and services for businesses

OYO has the Wizard membership program, which offers up to 10% off at participating hotels, priority support and one free night after seven nights' stay. The company also serves the corporate segment: according to its information, more than 5,000 companies trust OYO for business travel.

Awards and media presence

The company has appeared in media such as Business Standard, Storyboard18 and Economic Times. Recent milestones reported include the addition of 3,500 new corporate clients in fiscal year 2025, the renaming of its corporate entity to PRISM, its premium brand Sunday's plan to add 40 hotels in 2025-26, and the deployment of Google's Veo 3 AI technology in its hotel operation. It was also reported that OYO became the most profitable Indian startup in fiscal year 2025, with a profit of 623 crore rupees, according to its founder.