Articles by November, 2014

Hotels that are racing to fill up their remaining rooms will often woo travellers with mobile-only flash sales, typically discounting rates 10% to 40% from other online sites. For example, the app HotelTonight recently listed a room at the Riveria South Beach in Miami, a 1940s luxury hotel two blocks from the beach, for $150, while a nightly stay booked via Expedia or the hotel’s website was $240, a rare 60% off. Same-day booking apps differ from browser-based travel sites in two ways: the deals on the apps are all non-refundable and the apps tend to have a limited, ever-changing selection of hotels. But the companies defend their narrowing of options by saying that if they included thousands of hotels, users would have tough time searching the entire inventory by rate, star rating and location on a tiny smartphone or tablet screen. So while we certainly hope you get to your destination without delay, these last-minute booking apps can help you make sure there’s room at the inn this ... Continue reading →