Web 2 Ireland

Two Irish companies announced deal with Global impact.

Hostelworld.com, the leading provider of online reservations to the budget, independent and youth travel market recently announced the launch of its Travel Store which includes the TravelnRoam mobile SIM powered by MAXRoam.

Now when travellers make bookings in over 20,000 hostels and budget hotels in 170 countries worldwide, they have the opportunity to further save on their travelling bills with a TravelnRoam mobile SIM.

Pat Phelan, Cubic Telecom CEO, makers of MAXRoam said: “We’re absolutely delighted to partner and align ourselves with HostelWorld.com, a massive online success and a brand that’s respected worldwide.

Everyone from business people to backpackers travel the world and TravelnRoam can be there on their phone saving them considerable amounts on their incoming and outgoing calls. If it’s making a business call or in a hostel in China taking a call from Mum back home, we’re there watching that bill for you.”

Santina Doherty, VP of Commercial Development at Hostelworld.com said We're excited to launch our partnership with TravelnRoam. Hostelworld.com is global market leader for hostel and budget accommodation and TravelnRoam will provide a winning solution to our customers when they travel and roam, reducing call costs and staying in touch.

Web Reservations International (WRI), owner of the Hostelworld.com site, made a pre-tax profit of €18.3 million last year, as almost 83 million people visited its network of websites to book hostel accommodation around the world.

The SBPost article also has details on

WRI has about 90 staff, with overseas bases in Shanghai and Sydney. As well as Mooney and the co-founders, its directors include chairman Fintan Drury, former Aer Lingus chief financial officer Brian Dunne and Mark Opzoomer, the former managing director of Yahoo! in Europe.

The 2007 accounts show the firm paid €35 million to Summit Partners for those shares. As part of that process, a total of €12.2 million was paid to trusts owned by Nolan, Kennedy and fellow director Paddy Holahan, and a further €1.5 million was paid to WRI directors and key management.