55 Hotel Business Ideas You Can Start Today [2024]

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Updated: July 15th, 2024

Interested in starting a hotel business in 2024?

We put together 55 of the best hotel businesses you can start in today.

For each business idea, we’ll show you real-world examples of other hotel businesses to help you see what it really takes.

Here's the full list:

1. Start a cleaning service

A housecleaning side business is a beautiful idea for people with free time on weekends or even weekdays. The side hustle idea requires little capital to start. During the launch, you can choose to offer the service to your neighbors and scale as you gain experience. The average salary for a house cleaner is $17.32 per hour.

By starting a house cleaning business, you are tapping into an enormous market with plenty of clientele. There could always be demand for your cleaning service, which keeps you in business as you help homeowners keep their homes spotless.

How much you can make: $3,000 — $600,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 70 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 7 hours/week

How I Started A $100K+/Month Home Cleaning Service For Busy Individuals And Airbnb Hosts

MaidThis®, launched by Neel Parekh in Los Angeles with just one cleaner in 2013, has achieved over $10 million in total revenue by focusing on cleaning Airbnbs and vacation rentals, thanks to its successful remote business model and new-age marketing tactics, and has now launched MaidThis Franchise to expand the business further.

Read this case study

Read by 21,827 founders

2. Start a hotel consulting business

A hotel consulting business provides professional advice to investors or individuals interested in the hospitality industry. Another role of a hotel consultant is analyzing the hospitality industry and advising the hotel and resort owners on how to build a thriving business.

To start and operate a successful hotel consulting agency, focus on gaining industry knowledge and earning years of experience in hotel management.

How much you can make: $500,000/month

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

Starting A 5 Star Boutique Resort And Event Center Based On A Fiction Book Lore

Boyd Hollow Resorts is launching a 5-star boutique resort and event center based on a fiction book that will be the first of many Villages to be built around the world, with over 200 event inquiries received before launching.

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3. Start a suite hotels business

4. Start a hotels business

If you are considering starting a hotel, then it is time to implement your plan. There are five key elements to understand if you want to succeed in this industry: location, size, budget, experience, and market demand.

Here are some tips to consider before forming a hotel:

Name your business
Decide on a marketing strategy
Start by renting out a room in your home.
Hire a business capital broker
Try Airbnb
Make a marketing plan
Offer complementary services

How much you can make: $15,000 — $500,000/month

How long does it take to build: 325 days (?)

Starting A 5 Star Boutique Resort And Event Center Based On A Fiction Book Lore

Read this case study

Read by 7,701 founders

5. Start a casino hotels business

A casino hotel is an establishment consisting of a casino with temporary lodging and a hotel. Customers have access to gambling facilities, lodging, and other catering services under the same roof.

Casino amenities are profitable businesses, with much of their profits coming from gambling activities. However, they require certain licensing and permit guidelines that may differ from other catering businesses.

6. Start a hotel art supply business

7. Start an airport hotels business

8. Start a pet hotel business

Starting your own pet hotel business is not as difficult as you might think. With the right knowledge and hard work, you can achieve a lot in the pet industry.

A pet hotel is a place where people bring their cats and dogs for short-term boarding. It's a business that provides pet-sitting services in which customers can board their pets while they're out of town, or while they're at work.

Over 60M households own dogs or cats in the United States. What happens when they leave town or go on vacation? Pet boarding is a lucrative industry that can be served locally in any state or city across the world.

9. Start an extended stay hotels business

10. Start a resort hotels business

A resort provides accommodations and attractions conveniently located on the same premises. An ideal resort business on an island has an excellent prospect since many people love traveling. However, starting a resort can be overwhelming.

To start, ensure you have a solid business plan and scout the area you intend to purchase the property, ensuring it shall be well-positioned. Promote and market your resort to attract tourists.

How much you can make: $500,000/month

Starting A 5 Star Boutique Resort And Event Center Based On A Fiction Book Lore

Read this case study

Read by 7,701 founders

11. Start a spa resort business

12. Start a chain hotels business

13. Start a serviced apartments business

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

14. Start a hotel booking platform

The explosively popular Airbnb and countless similar services have proven that the market for home and apartment rentals is growing rapidly.

As an entrepreneur who loves travel, you see an opportunity to extend this model to hotels.

That’s why you start a hotel booking platform where travelers can search for and book accommodations worldwide.

The market size of the online hotel booking platform industry worldwide amounted to nearly $518B in 2020.

Starting a hotel booking platform can be so interesting as an idea that can proliferate. It doesn’t require any license, no inventory — only mobile phones, an internet connection, and some motivation to succeed.

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

15. Start a budget-friendly hotels business

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

16. Become a bed and breakfast owner

Bed and breakfast is a sort of hybrid between a luxury hotel and a private home. The host offers the guests affordable accommodation featuring a bed and breakfast at the room's price. B&Bs offer affordable accommodations and are becoming popular among travelers who prefer a private setting.

If you have realistic expectations, B&B can be a profitable and enjoyable business. To start, you can renovate and turn your home into an inn. Alternatively, you can build or buy a ready house and convert it into a modern B&B.

17. Start a spa hotel business

18. Start a timeshare rentals business

19. Start a shipping container hotel

20. Start a pod hotels business

21. Start a motel business

22. Start a conference and convention center hotels business

23. Start an a ryokan business

24. Start a luxury hotels business

How long does it take to build: 500 days (?)

25. Start a garden hotels business

26. Start a patient medical centre business

27. Start an ice hotel business

28. Start a pension lodging business

29. Start a guest house business

30. Start a hotelship business

31. Start an eco hotels business

An eco-friendly hotel employs sustainable practices to reduce its impact on the environment. Some measures include energy and water consumption, zero waste generation, and eco-friendly products in its maintenance, services, and supply chain.

According to statistics, a third of consumers prefer sustainable brands. In addition, tours and travel brands like Tripadvisor have developed a Green Leaders program.

Starting an eco-friendly hotel brand is profitable and a way of supporting environmental conservation efforts. If you are starting an eco-friendly hotel, sensitize your staff on the importance of ecological conservation. Some eco-friendly ideas to consider for your hotel include:

Cutting down on the use of plastic water bottles by adding a water filling station in the lobby
Offering guests a reusable branded water bottle
Installing towel racks in bathrooms to make it easier for guests to reuse the towels
Making recycling options easy to spot

Starting an eco-friendly hotel may sound. However, with more people becoming sensitive to environmental preservation, an eco-friendly hotel could be more profitable than you expect.

32. Start a bed and breakfast business

Bed and breakfasts have been around for a long time. Owners interact with customers while they benefit from affordable lodging.

Travelers nowadays have a high interest in experiencing local culture, ready to take on the adventure of meeting and interacting with others from different backgrounds and perspectives in order to get a unique taste of how a small town or even neighborhood might live.

The great thing about starting at home B&B is that you don’t need a degree in business. You only need enough capital to purchase essential items needed to open your very first one.

Listed are the steps to start a bed and breakfast business.

Plan your business plan
Secure needed permits, licenses, and certifications
Hire Staff
Open a bank account for business transactions
Prepare your business for operation -Promote your business

33. Start a pension hotel business

34. Start a self-service hotels business

A self-service hotel allows guests to independently check-in, check-out, and access their rooms without staff assistance.

This type of lodging is becoming increasingly popular among travelers due to its cost-effectiveness and convenience.

From a business perspective, self-service hotels are profitable as they reduce staffing costs and allow for a more streamlined operation, resulting in higher profits.

However, it is essential to ensure that the facility is equipped with automated systems and robust security measures to provide guests with a safe and comfortable experience.

35. Start a student hostel business

36. Start a hostal business

37. Start a pop-up hotel business

38. Start a boatel business

39. Start a stopping house business

40. Start a private hostel business

A private hostel is a residential premise or center set up by a private entity to accommodate paying guests on a rental basis for a fixed duration. Private accommodation for tourists and travelers can be a good option if you love meeting and hosting different people while creating a passive income from your business.

Setting up your own private hostel business takes a lot of planning. First, find the ideal location and check all the local zoning laws. Then, procure (buy/lease) a perfect building and equip it with beds and other accommodations for guests.

To attract business, network with tours and travel companies and advertise the business on social media.

How long does it take to build: 730 days (?)

41. Start a condo hotel business

42. Start a holiday cottage business

Imagine turning a picturesque property into a thriving holiday cottage business. This idea centers on offering cozy, well-furnished cottages to vacationers seeking a tranquil retreat.

In essence, you’d transform a cottage and rent it to tourists, families, and couples, providing them with a home away from home. Your amenities and attention to detail would set your cottages apart, creating a desirable getaway for guests.

This venture requires property investment, effective marketing, and excellent customer service, but offers the potential for steady, seasonal income and personal satisfaction.

With the growing trend of staycations and local tourism, there’s significant demand for unique, charming retreat spaces. Turning a cottage into a holiday haven could be your gateway to a fulfilling business.

How much you can make: $12,500/month

How We Started A $12K/Month Beachside Vacation Rental Business

This case study explores how a couple turned their childhood homes into vacation rentals, welcoming around 3k guests annually and generating an average revenue of $50k per year and property by focusing on a strong online presence and organic traffic.

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Read by 8,005 founders

43. Start a love hotel business

44. Start a heuhotel business

45. Start a casa particular business

46. Start a boutique hotel business

47. Start a transit hotel business

48. Start a turbaza business

49. Start a choultry business

50. Start a flophouse business

51. Start a barge hotel business

52. Start a gasthaus business

53. Start a hotel publicist business

54. Start a hotel chef business

Ever dreamt of being at the helm of a culinary experience? Consider starting a hotel chef business. Essentially, it involves providing specialized cooking services to hotels, either as a full-time on-site chef or a contracted service.

By focusing on unique, high-quality menu offerings, you can position yourself as a valuable asset in the hospitality industry. There's a growing demand for culinary craftsmanship, especially with guests increasingly seeking memorable dining experiences.

To excel, you'll need culinary expertise, strong management skills, and the ability to build relationships within the hotel industry. It’s not just about cooking; it’s about menu innovation, kitchen efficiency, and guest satisfaction.

If you have a passion for food and hospitality, this business presents an exciting opportunity to blend creativity with business acumen.

How much you can make: $5,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $50 (?)

How long does it take to build: 360 days (?)

I Built A Resource Site For Chefs Like Me That Generates $60K Of Extra Income

Chef David Buchanan generates over $6,000 per month through his website Chefs-Resources.com, which provides professional chefs with free and paid access to detailed culinary information and kitchen management resources such as Excel sheets, resulting in gross revenue of $46,000 to date and a subscriber growth rate of over 1300% from 2015 to September 2021.

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55. Become an interior designer

Interior designing involves making indoor spaces safe, functional, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential & decorative items such as colors, lighting, and materials.

The global luxury interior design market is growing at a CAGR of 9.0%. The growth metrics show there is great potential for entrepreneurs targeting households.

If you are starting a luxury interior design business, focus on style and specialty. Add valuables with creative professions, such as interior design, so you stand out from the rest. Ensure you hire the right people and hone the brand identity.

How much you can make: $100,000 — $415,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

How We (Mother And Daughter) Started A $1M/Year Boutique Design Firm

Mother and daughter duo turn passion for antiques and design into a boutique design firm with over $1 million in annual revenue and hundreds of trophy projects, showcasing the importance of grit, determination, and passion in building a successful business.

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meet the author

Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.

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