Discount booking app HotelTonight adds photo review feature

While most travelers like to be sure that they’ve got all of their bases covered before hitting the road – hotel booked, car rented, dinner reservations made, etc. – sometimes unforeseen incidents arise and throw a wrench into the gears. Say, for example, a canceled flight that causes you to have to spend an extra, unplanned night away from home.

That’s where mobile app HotelTonight comes into play. It’s not a new app by any means, but, for those who are unfamiliar, it specializes in helping users book last-minute rooms for what is often a major discount. But now, TechCrunch reports that the app is introducing a brand new feature: Snap Your Stay. With this feature, HT is inviting its users to give visual reviews of the hotels they stay at after booking through the app. It asks that each person submit six photos: the bed, bathroom, view, lobby, exterior, and then a random shot of their choosing.

Snap Your Stay is entirely photo-centric, and does not allow for any accompanying text. But once the photos are uploaded, they automatically become a part of the hotel’s profile. CEO Sam Shank says that the photos can be taken and uploaded with just 20 taps, making this the ideal way to review a hotel via a mobile device, since typing out a full review would be time consuming.

Upon hearing about this new feature, you may wonder how you are supposed to convey your feelings about a hotel? What if the photos don’t translate to the actual experience about your stay? Was the staff rude to you? How do you let people know this?

In response, Shank said that, at least for now, they’re trying to keep this feature as simple as they can, while also making it useful to its users. But, as people begin to use it and provide feedback, he will take it into consideration as HotelTonight shapes the functionality to fit the needs of its fan base.

HotelTonight is available for free on both Android and iOS devices, but currently the Snap Your Stay feature is only available on the iPhone and iPod Touch; no word as to when it will roll out onto the iPad and Android devices, but the company says it does plan to do so.

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