Barcelona, Spain

Hugo Hodinka

Lead Product Manager | Travel Tech & Fintech Specialist

8+ years of scaling high-impact products from MVP to global scale. Expert in navigating the complexities of hotel inventory and payment supply ecosystems. Proven track record of guiding VC-backed scale-up through the 50-to-2,000 employee hyper-growth phase by balancing aggressive execution with data-driven strategy.

About Me

My approach combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution, working closely with engineering teams to deliver meaningful solutions. Currently based in Barcelona.

Current Focus

  • Product strategy & roadmapping
  • AI integration in workflows
  • Cross-functional team leadership

Interests

  • Travel technology innovation
  • User experience design
  • Open source development

Case Studies

Product strategy, execution, and impact across travel technology at TravelPerk

Payments & Operations

Hotel Prepayment Optimization

Reduced customer churn from failed Virtual Credit Card (VCC) charges through optimized authorization flows

25% reduction in churn

User Experience

Hotel Search Experience Redesign

Built scalable search platform improving Customer Effort Score (CES) through better personalization and relevance

30% improvement in CES

Strategy & Operations

Inventory & Supply Strategy

Defined third-party integration strategy and direct contracting playbook

40% inventory growth

AI & Automation

Automation of Support Flows

Actively using AI and user research to automate booking and post-booking operations to drive cost reduction

50% contact reduction

Customer Payments

Payment Models Variety

Actively led a cross-functional project changing how customers pay, altering merchant of record model to pay suppliers directly. Requiring collaboration across partners.

New payment model launched

Products

Apps and tools I've designed, built, and shipped

Sublist icon

Sublist

Smart Subscription Tracker for iOS

Track all your subscriptions in one place. See what you're paying, get alerted before renewals, and spot price changes. No account needed, all data stays on your device.

SwiftUI
WidgetKit
iOS
Live on the App StoreVisit website
Naruho icon

Naruho

AI Sightseeing Companion

Turn everyday exploring into a stream of "aha!" discoveries. Point at a fountain, a building, a sculpture. Get the fascinating facts in seconds, audio or text.

SwiftUI
CoreLocation
AI
Live on the App StoreVisit website
Fides icon

Fides

Loyalty Intelligence Platform

Aggregate and track loyalty programs across airlines and hotels in one place. Real-time point valuations, smart analytics, and a unified view of your rewards portfolio.

Next.js
TypeScript
Supabase
APIs

Experience

8 years growing from frontline support to leading product strategy

Lead Product Manager

Perk (formerly TravelPerk)

2024 - Present

Leading strategy and execution across hotel booking, payments, and traveler experience. Building scalable systems that make booking and staying at hotels effortless whether that's fixing payment issues, improving hotel connectivity, or using AI to match the right inventory. Working with design, engineering, and business teams to deliver solutions that improve conversion, cut friction, and keep both travelers and hoteliers happy.

  • -Leading hotel booking and payments product strategy
  • -Building AI-powered inventory matching systems
  • -Improving conversion and reducing booking friction
  • -Cross-functional collaboration with design, engineering, and business teams

Product Manager, Stays Lead

TravelPerk

2021 - 2024

Leading two product squads focused on hotel inventory and booking experience. Shaped 2-year product roadmap, driving cross-functional execution and stakeholder alignment across engineering, design, and business teams.

  • -Led hotel prepayment optimization reducing churn by 25% through improved Virtual Credit Card (VCC) authorization flows
  • -Redesigned search experience improving Customer Effort Score (CES) by 30% - a key metric measuring friction in the hotel shopping journey
  • -Defined inventory strategy achieving 40% growth
  • -Managed $2M+ annual product budget

Product Operations Associate

TravelPerk

2019 - 2021

Provided operations support for hotel product, managing supplier integrations and GDS workflows. Collaborated closely with engineering teams on Amadeus integration and booking flow optimization.

  • -Streamlined supplier onboarding reducing time by 60%
  • -Implemented GDS workflow automation
  • -Supported 50+ hotel supplier integrations
  • -Improved booking success rate by 15%

Customer Care Specialist

TravelPerk

2017 - 2019

Provided frontline customer support for business travel platform, handling complex booking issues and travel disruptions. Developed deep understanding of customer pain points and travel industry operations.

  • -Maintained 95%+ customer satisfaction rating
  • -Resolved 100+ customer cases per week
  • -Identified product improvement opportunities
  • -Trained new team members on platform workflows

Skills & Expertise

What I bring to the table

Travel Tech Systems (GDS, CRS, PMS)
3rd-party Integration Patterns
Agile Methodologies
Technical Expertise & Development
User Interviews
Strategy Planning & Execution

Recognition

Awards and honours received along the way

TravelPerk · 2022 & 2023

Top Talent Performer

Recognized as top 2% company-wide performer for two consecutive years

TravelPerk · 2023

Best Builder Award

Outstanding achievement in product development and execution

Selected from 350+ candidates

TravelPerk · 2023

Innovation Excellence

Recognition for leading innovative solutions in travel technology

Kinnevik · 2026

Kinnevik Young Talent Summit 2026

Selected for prestigious leadership program developing future tech leaders

Let's Connect

I'm always interested in discussing product opportunities, travel technology, or sharing insights about building products at scale. Feel free to reach out.

Barcelona, Spain