Overnight App allows spontaneous stays

Where are we staying tonight?

If AirBnB is for the well prepared, Overnight is for the opposite. Quoting directly from their App description in the iTunes store: "Overnight is for Tonight. Live on your own schedule and book same-day stays with local hosts. That's Overnight, and we're perfect for those who crave adventure and freedom in life - like you. Go explore, stay Overnight." In a nutshell - same day, overnight accommodation.

So, what effect should you expect as a Hotel Manager/Director/Staff Member?

The AirB'n'Bs and Hotel Tonight's of the world have had a huge impact on the hospitality industry, so should we be quaking in our boots for the results Overnight might also have on the industry? Our thoughts are probably not. Overnight is designed to fill niche. The punters who love a lack of preparation and solidarity when travelling are most likely not the type to book a hotel stay. The budget conscious couch-surfers of the world are not your key market.

So don't break a sweat, but the thing is growing

Overnight just finished a $2.5M round of seed funding, with the funding going into a launch in the Los Angeles area. We'll keep an eye on it's growth and bring you updates, as we do love a good start up story  in the industry.

So how does it work exactly?

Users who have to (or prefer to) book last-minute accommodations when they travel simply open up the app, sign up, and drop a pin in the area they want to stay. From there, they explain their overnight request in detail, which is also attached to their user profile.

Just like AirBnB, both guests and hosts must authenticate their identity through Facebook and their mobile phone number, with the suggestion to include a credit card and a government-issued ID.

From there, the request is sent out to suitable hosts who have the option to review the request before their place is shown to the guest. They can privately decline the request, or agree to host that particular user, which unlocks the space to be seen by that guest only.

Guests then have the option to browse through the various hosts that have agreed to host them and book instantly.

How does it differ from AirBnB?

AirBnB lets users browse listings and book well in advance, forcing the host to keep a calendar of their incoming guests and request. All in all, AirBnB can be a bit heavy in comparison. By not showing spaces until the request has been approved, the process of finding a guest becomes a bit more streamlined with Overnight.