HotelTonight app brings cheap hotel deals to Australia
Australians looking for that last-minute getaway now have a new way of finding cheap hotel deals with an app that takes the “last minute” tag literally and promises prices of up to half of that of other last-minute booking sites.
Like Uber, HotelTonight began as a start-up in San Francisco and, again like Uber, it is a mobile-only service that has spread around the world with the system available in more than 500 cities, including Melbourne and Sydney with the launch today.
Nice spot ... the app classifies hotels into categories such as hip or luxe. (Source: Supplied)
Aside from only being an app you can get on a mobile device and not a website, HotelTonight is different from other last-minute booking sites because it offers deals from a group of curated hotels, it has discounts of up to 50 per cent and guarantees to have rooms available for every night of the year.
One of the selling points that has taken HotelTonight from yet another idea for an app four years ago to 13 million downloads globally is the simplicity of use.
There are just three taps to go from seeing a hotel offer to booking it and it takes ten seconds to make a booking.
When you walk into the San Francisco headquarters, you see the origins of that simple design in the first sketch that was done on a make-do white board that has been framed and now hangs on the wall.
The app classifies hotels into categories such as basic, solid, hip or luxe. HotelTonight regional director for Asia Pacific Stefan Cordiner said only 15 deals are offered each day and a group of selected hotels compete to be one of those 15.
While some last-minute sites let you book several months ahead, HotelTonight is pitched at those who are more impulsive.
“The later you wait to book, the better the price becomes,” Mr Cordiner said.
“We’re trying to change the way people travel. We will have rooms available for you.
“When you land in the city, 20 to 30 minutes before you need a room, that’s the time to make a booking.”
HotelTonight claims its prices for the hotels it offers will be between 20 and 50 per cent cheaper than other online last minute booking services.
Mr Cordiner would not say how many Sydney and Melbourne hotels were now linked up to the HotelTonight app but he said typically there are about 50 in each city, with 15 daily deals chosen from that group.
“One of the key things is we’re trying to inject the fun and spontaneity back into hotel bookings,” he said.
He said about half of the bookings made through HotelTonight were business trips.
“But then there is also the fun cases where you suddenly decide to make a night of it and turn a night out into a special occasion.”
A popular feature of the app is having it alert you when hotel prices in a certain area drop below a price point.
HotelTonight is a free iOS app for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Source: News Limited, June 11th 2015
