HotelTonight explained

Type:Subsidiary of Airbnb
Hotel Tonight, Inc.
Location:San Francisco, California
Area Served:United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan
Industry:Hotel, Tourism
Services:Travel agency
Owner:Airbnb

HotelTonight is a travel agency and metasearch engine owned by Airbnb and accessible via website and mobile app. It is used to book last-minute lodging in the Americas, Europe, Japan and Australia.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

History

HotelTonight was founded in December 2010 by Sam Shank, Jared Simon, and Chris Bailey.[8] When it first launched in January 2011, the mobile app was only available in the US and on Apple products.[9] The app launched on Android devices in July 2011 and now includes cities in Europe, Canada, Central America and South America.[10] [11] [12]

Fundraising

In May 2011, the company raised a $3.25 million Series A round from Battery Ventures, Accel Partners, and First Round Capital.[13] In November 2011, they raised $9 million from Accel Partners, Battery Ventures, and First Round Capital.[14] In June 2012, a Series C round from U.S. Venture Partners, Accel Partners, Battery Ventures, and First Round Capital raised another $23 million.[15] In September 2013, the company raised $45 million in a Series D round led by Coatue Management, bringing its total funding to $80.5 million.[16]

Operations

In October 2014, HotelTonight expanded from same-day only bookings to allowing users to book rooms up to 7 days in advance.[17] In September 2018, they began allowing bookings through the website.[18]

In March 2019, HotelTonight was acquired by Airbnb for approximately $450 million in cash and stock.[19] [20] [21]

Notes and References

  1. News: Wallflowers of Silicon Valley Get Asked to Dance . Perlroth . Nicole . . December 11, 2012 . subscription.
  2. News: Web Buzz: Hotel Tonight app alerts travelers to same-day deals . Leo . Jen . . February 20, 2011 . subscription.
  3. News: Mobile Booking Taking Off As Early Adopters Become Evangelists . Brady . Paul . . February 4, 2013.
  4. News: Touch here for a bed . . February 4, 2013.
  5. News: Cohen . Jennifer . Overwhelmed By Options? Try These 10 Must Have Apps for 2014 . . January 7, 2014.
  6. News: Co-Sign: How You Can Book Last-Minute Hotel Deals For SXSW Music . John . Kennedy . . March 12, 2014.
  7. News: Van Grove . Jennifer . Same-day booking app HotelTonight predicts the future too . . April 15, 2014.
  8. News: How a New App Is Helping Hotels Fill Rooms . O'Shea . Dan . . April 26, 2011.
  9. News: A boom in same-day hotel booking apps . O'Neill . Sean . . November 22, 2012.
  10. News: HotelTonight Expands Into Europe, Now Offering Deals in London . Price . Emily . . June 20, 2012.
  11. News: HotelTonight Expands To Continental Europe, Adds Language Support, And Launches Gift Credits . Ha . Anthony . . December 11, 2012.
  12. News: HotelTonight Expands to Europe and Canada, Partners With Look.io for Better Robo-Human Relations . Mott . Nathaniel . . April 26, 2012.
  13. HotelTonight Secures $3.25 Million Series A Funding from Battery Ventures, Accel Partners and First Round Capital . . May 10, 2011 . June 23, 2020 . October 23, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161023223236/https://www.battery.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/HotelTonight-Secures-3.25.pdf . dead .
  14. Web site: Battery And Accel Put $9M In App For Last-Minute Hotel Deals, HotelTonight . Rao . Leena . . November 18, 2011.
  15. Web site: With $23 million in new funds, Hotel Tonight is going global . Ogg . Erica . . June 5, 2012 . June 23, 2020 . April 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220408205726/https://gigaom.com/2012/06/05/travel-app-hotel-tonight-gets-23-in-new-funding-to-go-international/ . dead .
  16. News: HotelTonight Raises A $45 Million Round Led By A Hedge Fund To Help You Book Cheap, Last-Minute Rooms . Shontell . Alyson . . September 5, 2013.
  17. News: LEE TREJOS . NANCY . HotelTonight to let guests book hotels next week . . September 26, 2014.
  18. News: Mobile-First Booking Startup HotelTonight Expands to Desktop . Sean . O'Neill . . September 4, 2018.
  19. News: Airbnb is buying into the hotel industry by acquiring HotelTonight . Alison . Griswold . . March 7, 2019.
  20. News: Airbnb Is Buying HotelTonight: Here's What That Means . Deanna . Ting . . March 7, 2019.
  21. News: Airbnb Wants to Be a Contender . Laura . Forman . . March 11, 2019 . subscription.