I’ve always been a sucker for boutique or independent hotels. Their charm lies in their ability to do and be whoever they please, something with which hotel chains cannot compete, due to their rigid pursuit of offering the same standard all around the world.
The only downside to boutique hotels is this preference often comes at a price. Because they don’t operate on economies of scale they usually have to charge more to stay afloat. Thankfully, our friends in tech have saved the day yet again, this time with an ingenious app that goes by the name of Stayful.
The concept is simple. Stayful connects boutique and independent hotels with travellers who crave authentic accommodation. But it gets better. Once you’ve found your desired boutique hotel on Stayful, the concierge app will then provide you with a suggested room and price that it considers fair according to its market analysis. If you confirm you’re happy with the price, the app will then negotiate with the selected hotel on your behalf to secure the deal.
With memberships free, there’s no additional booking fees, either. So what’s the catch? In a word, none. Stayful makes the most of trying to fill rooms that may have otherwise gone unsold with travellers who appreciate boutique hotels. Currently available across much of North America, the Caribbean and London, Stayful hopes to roll out across other cities in the near future. In the meantime, if, like me, you love boutique hotels and are visiting a city the app covers, simply pick your hotel and let them drive the hard bargain for you.
RRP: Free from the Apple iTunes store
Find out more at Stayful
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