Travel Tech: Snatch Last-Minute Hotel Deals with this App

It’s a familiar story. You show up to the airport to catch a flight home only to discover the flight has been canceled and you’re stranded for another day. The airport hotel looks unappealing and you don’t know anyone nearby with a couch to crash on.

There are plenty of hotel booking sites out there, but a new app, HotelTonight, takes the anxiety out of finding a last-minute hotel room and eliminates the huge price tag. The “mobile-exclusive” hotel booking app lets users reserve a room right from their phone as late as 2 a.m. And exclusive hotel partnerships to book their unsold rooms allows HotelTonight to offer deep discounts– often up to 70 percent off the basic rate.

Since its launch in late January of this year, HotelTonight has grown from 6 to 21 cities, expanding their locations from city-centers to right-near-the-airport spots.

The best part of the app may be its seamless, user-friendly design. Hotel rates and descriptions are accompanied by maps, photos (of everything from the room and lobby to gym and contents of the mini bar), and useful tips like what to order at the lounge downstairs and the time room service ends. The creators boast that hotels can be booked in less than 10 seconds with only four taps on your smart phone. No need to print a confirmation. Just give your name at reception or display your in-app receipt.

While HotelTonight favors the stranded or spontaneous traveler, a recent upgrade makes it handy for those planning extended stays. Although you can’t book hotels in advance– same-day bookings start at 12 noon– HotelTonight has introduced multi-night deals giving travelers the opportunity to book the discounted rate for up to five nights where available.

Tell me what you think? Have you used HotelTonight or another last-minute hotel apps? Leave a comment  below.

HotelTonight: Free in the Android Market and App Store.