HotelsByDay, a new mobile application that offers users intra-day hotel options and flexible daytime room stays, hopes to edge out other booking app competitors due to its novel approach at targeting business travelers in need of quiet rooms between flights.

Consumers may now book intra-day stays at hotels in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City and Washington D.C. if they need extra time to freshen up between flights, plan a presentation or work remotely while on a business trip. Although the booking app sector has been extremely crowded as of late, with brands such as Expedia and Booking.com dominating the field, HotelsByDay is bringing a fresh slew of options to the forefront for business travelers which may give it a leg up.

“We think the HotelsByDay launch will ignite a trend in intra-day stays in the same way Kayak introduced Metasearch and Jetsetter introduced Flash Sales,” said Nathan Stevenson, co-founder and chief operating officer of HotelsByDay, New York. “We think users will love the fast seamless experience because it is highly visual and gives them the flexibility and convenience of being able to book intra-day stays, in the morning, noon or afternoon.

“HotelsByDay is truly a new service in the crowded travel technology space,” he said. “No other app allows users to book intra-day stays at the last minute.

“No OTA or hotel company provides this service. That makes HBD different and useful to millions of travelers and daytrippers looking for flexibility to book a room during the day at a fraction of the overnight cost.”

Benefitting hotels and travelers
Intra-day booking will benefit the hotel industry as much as it does guests, due to brands’ ability to resell rooms that were not occupied the night before. Both leisure travelers and business travelers will likely appreciate the ability to locate a spare room tailored to their needs, whether it is for relaxing between flights or preparing a presentation in solitude.

Customers that are seeking to upgrade to a business class experience from working in a crowded coffee shop will also benefit from HotelsByDay’s offerings. Users may filter hotel rooms based on their requirements and location, which will be pulled to display close availabilities.

Rooms can also be sorted through by time available, amenities and price. Stays are typically booked for morning, afternoon or mid-day, and can range from four to eight hours.

HotelsByDay provides access to accommodations at three, four and five-star hotels.

The app does offer quick and last-minute booking options, which have been shown to fuel millennials to engage in impulse buys (see story). However, if travelers prefer to book in advance, they may select a desired room via the app or Web site up to two months before.

Expanding potential
While HotelsByDay is currently only available in select major cities, the company is planning on rolling out the service to other markets in the near future.

“HotelsByDay will be adding new hotels and markets on a weekly basis,” Mr. Stevenson said. “We will launch intra-day stays in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles in February and March with Atlanta, Boston, and Charlotte soon after.”

The company believes that intra-day booking is a massive shared economy opportunity for travel marketers to partake in, as 34 percent of all hotel rooms in the United States are ultimately available for daytime stays.

The intra-day segment of the global market is estimated at $20 billion. If HotelsByDay sees success with its app, it may very well fuel other major brands to jump on the intra-day booking bandwagon.

“Intra-day booking is an untapped revenue source that will boost hotel’s revenue by selling unused rooms from the night before,” Mr. Stevenson said. “And HotelsByDay is already partnering with strong, forward thinking brands like Thompson Hotels and we are looking to partner with Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton and more.”

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York