Technological evolution in the hospitality industry has always been drastic. This keeps changing the ground rules that the industry follows. Entrants like Airbnb and Hotel Tonight brought drastic changes to the industry. To up the game, a combination of both followed in the form of Overnight, an app that lets people book spaces on the same-day with local hosts. The app today announced the close of a $2.5 million seed round, which was led by Accomplice and CrossCut Ventures. The company officially launches for the public in Los Angeles and California. They aim for Austin and Texas as their next market.
Overnight: How will it work?
This app is for people who prefer to or have to make last-minute accommodation bookings. The process is simple, and the app works on an easy interface. All you need to do is open the application, sign up, and create an account. Then, drop a pin in the area where you want to stay. Now, explain your overnight request in clear details, and it will be attached to your user profile.
It works on a combined concept of Airbnb and Hotel Tonight. Just like Airbnb, both the guest and the host will have to authenticate their identity through Facebook. They will also have to register their mobile phone number. For better use and removal of doubts, they can also include a credit card and a government issued ID.
After this, the app will send requests to suitable hosts, as they will have an option to review the received requests before they decide to show the place to the guests. The hosts also have a right to decline the requests privately. If they accept the request and are ready to host the particular user, then the app will unlock the space, and it can be seen by the guest only. Guests also have the privilege of browsing through various guests. This will help them sort and choose a guest as soon as possible after sending a request.
Spontaneity and ease are the key
Overnight might give Airbnb a run for its money, as it will probably charge lesser commission on the host side of transactions, though the company refused to share specific numbers. As far as payment is concerned, all the transactions will be executed and collected via Overnight. The company claims to have hundreds of hosts in the LA area.
The app was founded by Asher Hunt, Artia Moghbel, and Ethan Kravitz. “We’re spending every ounce of our energy solving the problem of same-day stays. We think if we nail it, we create a step-function change in the frequency in which people travel, and also host,” said Overnight CEO Asher Hunt in his official statement.
Overnight targets the youth and the wanderlust that is highly prominent these days. If you are one of those people who hate to plan but love to travel, you will find Overnight highly useful. The idea of staying with a local will also give you better insight of the area as you get to explore local surroundings. Also, like all the other on-demand services, all the parties will be rated at the end of the stay.
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