• Total Revenue: EUR124.1 million, a 22% increase year-over-year.
• Net Loss: EUR7.8 million for Q1 2025.
• Adjusted EBITDA Loss: EUR6.5 million, better than internal expectations.
• Operational Expenses: Increased by EUR20.7 million to EUR133.7 million.
• Selling and Marketing Expenses: Increased by EUR21.4 million due to higher brand marketing investments.
• Advertising Spend: Increased by EUR10.4 million (31%) in America, EUR7.3 million (50%) in the rest of the world, and EUR2.7 million (7%) in developed Europe.
• ROAS: Globally stable at 118.1%, with improvements in developed Europe (134%) and reductions in the Americas (102.7%) and the rest of the world (120.3%).
• Cash and Cash Equivalents: EUR118.6 million with no long-term debt.
• Referral Revenue Growth: 44% in the rest of the world, 19% in developed Europe, and 18% in America.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 2 Warning Signs with TRVG.

Release Date: April 30, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

• trivago NV (NASDAQ:TRVG) reported a 22% year-over-year increase in total revenues for Q1 2025, surpassing internal expectations.
• The company raised its full-year revenue growth guidance to mid-teens percentage, indicating confidence in continued growth.
• Significant improvements in conversion rates were achieved through product enhancements and increased product testing velocity.
• AI-powered features, such as hotel filtering and AI-generated hotel highlights, have been expanded, enhancing the user experience.
• The strategic partnership with Holisto is yielding promising results, contributing to increased conversion rates and marketplace health.

Negative Points

• trivago NV (NASDAQ:TRVG) reported a net loss of EUR7.8 million and an adjusted EBITDA loss of EUR6.5 million for Q1 2025.
• Operational expenses increased by EUR20.7 million, primarily due to higher brand marketing investments.
• Advertising spend increased significantly across all regions, with a notable 50% increase in the rest of the world.
• Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS) decreased in the Americas and the rest of the world compared to the previous year.
• The impact of the full acquisition of Holisto is not yet reflected in the adjusted guidance, creating some uncertainty about future financial outcomes.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you provide insights into regional performance, particularly in the US, and discuss trends like consumer price sensitivity and booking conversions? A: Robin Harries, CFO, explained that April showed strong double-digit growth across all regions. ADRs were up in all segments, with length of stay slightly up in the Americas and developed Europe. The US showed strong domestic demand despite less traffic from Canada and Mexico. Overall, trivago remains optimistic about future growth due to strong demand and the ability to scale brand marketing investments.

Q: Has the Holisto team joined trivago, and can you provide more details on this acquisition? A: Johannes Thomas, CEO, stated that trivago is excited to acquire the remaining 70% of Holisto. The acquisition aims to simplify trivago's offerings and improve conversion rates and user experience. The deal is expected to close mid-year, with a positive impact on topline and no negative impact on the bottom line.

Q: How do you view the potential risks and opportunities of AI in travel search and booking? A: Johannes Thomas, CEO, noted that while AI can support travelers in research, the chat-based user experience may not replace traditional methods for hotel selection. trivago is leveraging AI for search results and hotel highlights, enhancing user experience and conversion rates. The focus is on bringing these features to users quickly.

Q: Are you seeing any benefits from brand investments in non-branded channels like search or social? A: Johannes Thomas, CEO, confirmed that brand investments have a halo effect, improving click-through rates in other formats. The compounding effect of brand investments over time is leading to sustainable growth, with incremental ROAS observed across all segments.

Q: Can you elaborate on the performance of AI-generated hotel highlights and plans for AI Smart Search? A: Johannes Thomas, CEO, explained that AI-generated highlights now cover 350,000 hotels in multiple languages, providing unique hotel features to enhance user comparison. AI Smart Search allows users to search with free text, offering new ways to find hotels. These innovations are improving conversion rates and user satisfaction.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.