Bedbanks: The Invisible B2B Layer Behind Every Cheap Hotel Rate You Have Seen

A bedbank is a wholesale hotel inventory aggregator that buys room allocations in bulk from hotels at net rates (no commission attached), then resells them to a network of travel agents, tour operators, corporate booking tools, loyalty programs, and OTAs. They are invisible to consumers and account for a large share of the rates you see without realizing it.

The biggest players

• HotelBeds (Spain) — the category leader, moves roughly $8B+ in annual transaction value
• WebBeds (part of Webjet, Australia) — number two globally
• Hotelston (Lithuania) — strong in Eastern Europe
• GetARoom / Hotusa / Tourico / JacTravel — significant regional players

Why bedbank rates are cheaper

Bedbanks sign contracts with hotels outside the OTA parity framework because they sell into closed B2B channels, not public consumer websites. Their net rates typically sit 12–25% below Booking.com retail. A hotel is willing to give that cut because: (a) the inventory goes into markets the hotel cannot reach directly, (b) the rate is never publicly visible so parity is preserved, and (c) the bedbank guarantees volume.

Why consumers never see them directly

Bedbanks are forbidden by contract from publishing rates consumer-side. They only distribute to B2B clients. That is why you cannot just "go to HotelBeds.com" and book. You need an authorized reseller — a licensed travel agent, a corporate travel tool, or a member-based platform.

How Vacayos uses this layer

Vacayos is licensed to query multiple bedbank feeds in real time and compare them against the public OTA price you are currently looking at. When the bedbank rate is lower (which is most of the time on premium hotels), Vacayos surfaces it. Same property, same room category, cleaner price.