Booking a hotel is a gamble between getting a good room and getting a good rate — but soon Hopper’s airfare price prediction algorithms will be able to tell you when to book that room for the best deal. This week, Hopper launched Hotels in New York City, a price-prediction program that recommends when to book, alerts users to price tops, and integrates a tool for choosing the right place to stay. Hopper says that the hotel tool will roll out to ten more cities soon, and while the feature is launching first to iOS, Android users will soon have access to the tool, too.
Hopper says that, on average, the hotel tool saves about $34 a night, with some travelers saving as much as $90 a night. The program uses algorithms and past data to estimate the best time to book. And if the app tells you now isn’t the best time, users can set up notifications for when that predicted price drop should actually happen. The app also serves as a tool for comparing prices without using multiple apps and offers in-app booking.
Along with determining when the best time to book is, the new hotel tool inside of Hopper also helps travelers plan their trip. A calendar tool will highlight the cheapest and priciest dates to travel. Integrated maps will show you which hotels in the area have the best rates and what popular destinations are nearby. In-app tips will also recommend the best neighborhood, and once the app learns your travel habits, Hopper will make personalized recommendations.
Hopper is also taking a nod from the popular Stories inside several social media networks with video-focused hotel profiles. Like Stories, Hopper hotel profiles will play a short series of video clips that allow travelers to explore the rooms, the pool, the view, the lobby and more, with taps and swipes to move ahead to the next clip.
The Hotel feature launched for New York City travelers using iOS first, but the company plans to bring the feature to ten more areas soon, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Miami. An Android update with the hotel feature is also expected to launch soon.
“Hotels on Hopper will make planning your trip what it should be – fun! – by taking the stress out of finding the right accommodation for you, whether you value location, price, or vibe the most (or maybe it’s an equal combination of all three),” Hopper wrote in a statement. “Bringing together millions of hotel prices, qualitative and quantitative data on location, and thousands of customer reviews, Hopper has created an algorithm that takes into account what you care about, and will recommend whether you should buy or wait to book that hotel room you’ve been eyeing. And just like with flights, we’ll be sure to alert you when to buy, wait, or if prices are expected to rise.”
The update is now available from the App Store.
