For many seasoned travelers, making a trip as stress-free as possible means having booked a place to stay well in advance, especially for busy metropolitan destinations. However, the world in which we live is not always ideal, and last-minute plans are bound to be necessary from time to time. HotelTonight, a new travel-friendly app for the iPhone, aims to make that requirement as easy–and affordable–to deal with as possible.
As far as travel apps are concerned, HotelTonight is limited in scope, though that fact does not impede its usefulness. The app is designed specifically to help users find and book last-minute, same-day hotel stays in major metro areas (currently: San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, D.C., Boston, and Chicago). Each city offers up three types of hotels for each night: hip, basic, and elegant. HotelTonight works with various hotels to provide rates below market value, and the deals can be booked up until 2 a.m. on the night of the stay.
Adding to HotelTonight’s appeal is its overall interface. The app flows easily from a city page to the hotel deal to more information about rooms. You can book from your phone, and a confirmation is saved directly within the app. As an added bonus, HotelTonight is currently offering a $25 credit toward first bookings for those who download the app. Users can also collect $25 credits for each friend they refer. And Android users, don’t be too sad: an app for you is in the works.