Hotel guest app developer Criton acquired by Nonius

Hotel app developer Criton has been acquired by global rival Nonius, a full-service provider of digital solution to the hospitality sector.

Hotel app developer Criton has been acquired by global rival Nonius, a full-service provider of digital solution to the hospitality sector.

The deal, announced today for an undisclosed sum will see Criton merge with GuestU, Nonius’s mobile solution.

The firm said it will “create an unparalleled offering in the hospitality sector allowing the merged companies to better serve a market that has grown exponentially since the pandemic hit in 2020”.

UK-based Criton, which was was founded in 2016 by Julie Grieve, provides white-label guest apps to over 300 locations including hotels and serviced apartments, to digitise the guest journey.

The firm said the pandemic prompted “significant growth” as “hotels struggled with how they could meet guest demand for contactless solutions allowing speedier check-in, use of mobile key which allows guests to go directly to their room and mobile ordering”.

Nonius was founded in 2005 and serves over 3,950 hotels across the world with internet access, networks management, interactive TV, digital signage, voice and more recently it has developed GuestU platform.

It works with the Nonius integrations hub to enable hotels to access multiple integrations within one app. The combined mobile business will serve 700 hotels and serviced apartments worldwide.

Criton chief executive, Grieve, who will continue as a director, said: “I am delighted that we have agreed on terms with Nonius, a well-respected and innovative player in the hospitality market.

“I’ve been hugely impressed with their Nonius Hub and believe that together, our products will deliver exactly what hoteliers and their guests want, simple and effective mobile solutions bringing much-needed digital transformation to a sector that has a challenging technology landscape and has been significantly impacted over the past two years of the pandemic.

“Since starting Criton we have always taken a customer-first approach, I am hugely proud of all we have achieved and I firmly believe this merger will create a world-leading mobile service allowing hoteliers to embrace the digital service their guests are demanding.”

Antonio Silva, chief executive and co-founder of Nonius, added: “At Nonius we have spent the past 17 years building and scaling a business that provides solutions to the global hospitality sector.

“We have been watching Criton’s growth in the market with interest over the past 5 years and we are delighted that we have been able to agree on terms to acquire Criton.

“Since its inception, Criton has grown an inspiring client list and we are now starting to implement our plan to fully integrate our platforms to create a world-leading offering from which hoteliers and their guests can benefit.

“In Criton, we have found a business with a similar customer ethic and this acquisition gives Nonius an excellent customer base within the UK from which to continue to scale.”