Top Five apps for Last minute hotel bookings
We have been using the hotel booking apps since long. There are the likes of ClearTrip and MakeMyTrip for the purpose. But what if you are forced to book a hotel at the last minute? This is the new niche coming up at recent times. Let us find the top names in what is termed as Last Minute Booking, or On Demand Booking.
What is Last Minute Booking?
Well, we always plan our excursions well in advance. All the arrangements – right from the tickets to the hotel – are planned meticulously and carefully. But what if you are in a situation where you are forced to take up an unplanned trip? Such situations arise in personal, as well as professional trips. This niche is called Last Minute Booking, or On Demand Booking. There are several apps that cater to this niche area of Same Day Booking.
What makes these apps stand out from the rest of the block is the fact that they do not let you book your accommodation in advance. They offer you the offers available on a particular day. There have been plenty of global players in this arena. The trend has been catching up well with even the mainstream services like Hotels.com and Booking.com adding a special section catering to the Last Minute Booking.
The trend has also been catching up in India. MakeMyTrip and ClearTrip have added the sections on their service lists. There have been a few startups in India that specifically cater to the Last Minute Booking. We will analyse the top picks among the best apps for booking hotels online at the last minute.#1. NightStay
Website - www.nightstay.in
Operational in - Agra, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Tiruvantapuram, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Jaipur, Pune, Ahmedabad and Kochi.
The app does claim to offer around seventy per cent discount on the hotel deals. The service has an emphasis over the luxury hotel though. You can make payments via your credit/debit cards apart from the other available options. Please note that the service does not offer you any cancellation.
NightStay lists out all the information about a hotel. The listing lets you check the amenities provided along with the Check-in and Check-out timings. The firm has gone on record stating that they provide the actual discounts, rather than some "Made Up" figures.
Nightstay assures you a guaranteed 10 per cent discount. You can get lucky with 20 per cent off on an average and a whopping 70 per cent in some cases.
NightStay has apps for both Android and iOS.#2. SavvyMob
Website - www.savvymob.com
Operational in - Across 50 cities in India
The app has presence across a wider range of destinations. The startup firm has stated that they have partnered with over 5000 hotels across fifty cities. What makes them stand out from the rest of the apps in the genre is the service they offer in hill stations like Jaipur, Munnar and Darjeeling among others.
The SavvyMob platform works as a App Only model. The service caters to both business travelers as well as the leisure travelers. You can book accommodation 48 hours in advance. The discounts offered range from 20 to 30 per cent depending on the season and the class of the hotel.
SavvyMob has a secure three stage payment procedure to keep your transactions safer.
SavvyMob accepts credit and debit card payments. Like other service providers in the genre, SavvyMob too does not have a cancellation option. The startup has mobile apps for Android and iOS.#3. StayTonite
Website - www.staytonite.in
Operational in - Gurgaon, Neemrana, Goa, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, New Delhi and Hyderabad.
As the name itself indicates, the Staytonite service emphasizes on same day booking. The service has a wide range of partnership and caters to all classes from budget and luxury hotels. The service has tie ups with over 200 hotels across the nation. 
StayTonite claims that they offer deals at a 60 per cent lesser price than the competing firms.
Staytonite does not offer any cancellation benefits. The payments made are non refundable. The service accepts payments via credit cards only. Staytonite has a mobile app for Android. Lack of availability on iOS is a bit disappointing.#4. RoomsTonite
Website - www.roomstonite.com
Operational in - The service covers more than 300 locations across the nation.
Roomstonite excels with its huge presence across the country. You can book accommodation 48 hours in advance. Please note that the service lets you book hotels for three nights at the most. It offers stays at homes and villas apart from the hotels. 
Roomstonite has several features not normally seen with the other similar apps. It offers quite impressive discounts and incentives to its users. Recently they have introduced the referral system, wherein a friend you referred gets a 35 per cent discounts on his/her bookings, while you – as the referrer – stand to get Rs. 1000 as an incentive in your Roomstonite wallet.
The leading service in its genre has its presence across major cities and even hill stations like Darjeeling and Munnar among others. They accept credit/debit card payments. For some of the partnered hotels, they offer Pay At Hotel option as well. In another outstanding feature, the Roomstonite service has apps for all major mobile platforms – Android, iOS, BlackBerry and WindowsPhone.#5. HotelsAroundYou
Website - www.hotelsaroundyou.com
Operational in - Mumbai, Pune, Shirdi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Jaipur and Delhi
Hotels Around You has been in the business since 2013. They offer low priced hotel bookings. The accommodation can be booked 24 hours in advance. The quick booking service labeled Tatkal has several benefits – the best part being its emphasis on lowest possible prices. 
The last minute booking service lets you search for your accommodation based on your needs. Hotels Around You has a clearly understandable list that is well curated on the basis of luxury, budget and business standards.
You can make payments via debit and credit cards along with the option for Netbanking payments. For certain regions, the service offers discounts as high as 60 per cent. Another innovative feature never seen in other apps in the same genre is what Hotels Around You calls Transit Stay bookings. That means you can book rooms form 4, 8 or 12 hours as per your need. This is quite thoughtful especially for the revelers who are on a long trip and want to stay for just a couple of hours to freshen up before continuing with their onward journey.
Hotels Around You has apps for Android and iOS.And in conclusion…
Though we have established apps and services for hotel booking like MakeMyTrip which provide world class experience, there are times you are forced to move on an impulsive tour – be it a business trip, or suddenly planned pleasure trip. The Last Minute Booking services tend to be much helpful in such situations. Have anyone of you used those apps featured here? It would be interesting enough to get a few insights into the quality of service they provide. Your comments are welcome and expected.
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