Choosing Trusted Providers and Term Loans for Hospitality Businesses

Your reputation means everything in the hospitality industry. Your customers count on you to prepare delicious food, style their hair, plan their vacations, and provide them with a safe and clean room. And you deserve an equally reliable and trustworthy lender for your funding.

Let’s break down finding top term loan providers, the five best hospitality business term loan providers we know you can trust, and picking a term loan that meets your company’s needs.

Finding Reliable and Hospitality-Friendly Lenders

With fintech platforms, traditional banks, online credit unions, and alternative lenders, you have your pick of loan providers promising to fund your business. How do you know which ones are truly reliable and offer solutions aligned with the unique challenges of hospitality?

Signs of Reputable Service

You know a fair deal when you see one, but not every lender makes it easy to spot whether they’re trustworthy. That’s why it helps to know the specific signs that separate a reliable lending partner from one that could create headaches down the road. Look for these key indicators when choosing a lender or loan product:

• Transparent Pricing Up Front – Clear details on fees, penalties, and interest rates so you know exactly what you’re paying
• Consistent Terms Across the Board – What’s listed on the website matches what their representatives say, so there are no surprises later
• Straightforward Qualifications – Clear explanations of credit checks and requirements so you understand where you stand from the start
• Secure, Simple Funding – A single, streamlined platform that makes applying and receiving funds hassle-free
• Advisors Who Listen First – Lending experts who ask questions about your goals before pushing products
• Realistic Approvals, Not Pressure Tactics – Confidence in their offers without forcing you to sign on the spot
• Accessible Support When You Need It – Customer service that actually picks up the phone and helps you move forward

Traits of Hospitality Experience

The strongest lending partners don’t just bring reliability. They understand the unique rhythms of the hospitality industry. Seasonal swings, guest-driven priorities, and the need to move fast all require a lender who can adapt to your world. Here’s what to look for when evaluating financing options for your business:

• Proven Hospitality Experience – A track record of funding restaurants, hotels, travel agencies, and spas, not just general businesses
• Tailored Financing Solutions – Offers designed around common needs like seasonal hiring, renovations, or equipment upgrades
• Flexible Repayment Terms – Options that adjust with your cash flow instead of straining it
• Dedicated Support – An account manager or responsive service team that keeps your funding on track
• Performance-Based Approvals – Decisions that factor in business health and revenue, not just a credit score
• Positive Industry Feedback – Strong reviews from other hospitality businesses that vouch for their reliability

The 5 Best Hospitality Business Term Loan Providers

Now that you know what to look for in a trustworthy lending partner, the next step is finding providers who consistently deliver on those qualities. The lenders below check all the boxes—reliability, flexibility, and a clear understanding of hospitality businesses. Each one has a proven track record of funding hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and salons, making them strong contenders when you’re ready to secure a loan.

1. Cardiff

Cardiff has earned its reputation with clear and helpful short-term commercial loans and a partnership with real funding experts.¹ Their working capital term loan has simple terms without hidden fees. During the approval process, they focus more on time in business and revenue than on credit scores. They also assign each applicant a personal advisor so you can easily ask questions and navigate your financing successfully.

Cardiff’s working capital term loan offers $5,000 up to $250,000 with repayment periods between three and 24 months.² They respond to applications in five minutes and offer same-day funding. So when you need capital to quickly order ingredients for your bistro or hire a last-minute DJ for your event planning business, you can turn to Cardiff.

2. Fora Financial

Hospitality business owners trust Fora Financial to fund their growth while saving money. They look beyond credit scores to approve companies and provide funding in 24 hours without application fees or prepayment penalties.³

What sets Fora Financial apart is its short-term loans for serious growth opportunities. You can secure up to $1.5 million and repay the loan in less than 18 months.⁴ You may be renovating the building for your fitness center or launching a national marketing campaign for your hotel franchise. You can save money through For Financial by matching your payment to your immediate return on investment (ROI).

3. Credibly

Credibly stands out for its hospitality-focused financing solutions across the life of your company. They leverage their expert team, big picture financial data, and flexible loan products to provide you with the right-sized capital.⁵

They offer a short-term working capital loan for businesses facing their first growth opportunity or cash flow gap after seven months in business.⁶ You can secure between $250,000 and $600,000 to hire a new cosmetologist for your salon and pay it back over a six-month to two-year term.

Credibly also offers long-term business loans when you are ready to open your second travel agency or develop a new craft beer product line for your pub. If you have been in business for more than two years and have established credit history, you can secure up to $10 million with a repayment period as long as 10 years.⁷

You can trust Credibly to fund your business needs, whether you need the smallest amount, the longest terms, or something in between.

4. SmartBiz Loans

If you’re aiming for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan, SmartBiz Loans makes the process as painless as possible. They manage the paperwork for you and match your hospitality business to the right lender and loan option so you can benefit from low interest rates, 10-year terms, and up to $5 million in funds without hassle.⁸ Regardless of the lender, getting approval and funding through an SBA loan often takes longer than other loan types.

SmartBiz also plans for businesses that can’t wait months to secure an SBA loan. Using their network of providers, they can match you to a medium-term hospitality business loan within five minutes of your application.⁹ These traditional options typically span two to five years with up to $300,000 in capital.

5. Funding Circle (International Hospitality)

Funding Circle specializes in term loans for international hospitality businesses. As the number one business lending platform in the United Kingdom, they offer short- and long-term loans for established businesses that cross oceans.¹⁰ This makes them the perfect option if you’re opening a vacation spot in Scotland or marketing your travel agency in Europe.

Funding Circle’s process is fast, transparent, and experienced in funding small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs).¹¹ If your hospitality operation has substantial revenue and two or more years in business, you could qualify for significant six-year loans or working capital loans with terms under 12 months. You can trust Funding Circle’s dedicated lending team, no matter your funding needs.

Picking a Term Loan for Your Hospitality Business

Term loans for businesses offer fixed schedules, longer repayment periods, larger loan amounts, and competitive borrowing rates. They’re ideal for hospitality businesses. To determine which loan works best for you, ask yourself:

• How quickly do you need the money? Online lenders like Cardiff, Credibly, or Funding Circle offer quick turnarounds if urgent.
• Will you see ROI in less than two years? Short- and medium-term loans will match your repayments to your investment.
• Will revenue from your changes take some time to generate? Opt for longer terms and lower monthly payments to protect your cash flow.
• Is the money for furniture, machinery, appliances, or other tools? Then consider Smartbiz, Cardiff, or Fora Financial, which regularly fund hospitality equipment.
• Are you investing in a new property or a major renovation? Funding Circle, Fora Financial, SmartBiz, or Credibly may offer better terms than a general-use loan.

A Combination You Can Count On

The hospitality industry is full of classic combinations: surf and turf, slippers and a bathrobe, shampoo and style, dinner and a show. Customers rely on these pairings because they know what to expect.

You can get the same predictability in your financing. Choose a trusted lender and a term loan tailored to your needs to create a classic combination you can count on to finance and grow your hospitality business.

¹https://www.morningstar.com/news/accesswire/1042833msn/william-stern-leads-cardiffs-push-for-transparency-in-business-lending

²https://cardiff.co/business-loans/products/merchant-cash-advance/

³https://www.forafinancial.com/why-us/

⁴https://www.forafinancial.com/faq/

⁵https://www.credibly.com/advantages/

⁶https://www.credibly.com/working-capital-loans/

⁷https://www.credibly.com/long-term-business-loans/

⁸https://www.smartbizbank.com/sba-loans

⁹https://www.smartbizbank.com/bank-term-loans

¹⁰https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk/about-us/

¹¹https://www.fundingcircle.com/uk/