Late bookings only get discounts? HotelQuickly launches in Taiwan, touting a 3-step, 60-second room booking process

Reported by Chen Tzu-yin / Taipei

What if you decide to travel on a whim but worry about accommodation? The mobile app HotelQuickly held a launch press conference today (17th). Raphael Cohen, HotelQuickly’s Chief Sales Officer, said: “Seeing the popularity of travel in the Asia-Pacific region, the concept of last-minute deals will also be introduced to Taiwan with the app’s launch.” Currently, the app offers bookings at around 400 hotels in Taiwan.


▲HotelQuickly officially launches in Taiwan, touting a “3 steps, 60 seconds” booking process. (Photo / Left: Chief Sales Officer Raphael Cohen, right: Marketing and PR Manager for Taiwan, Luo Kai-jung; photo by Chen Tzu-yin)

Raphael believes that while most people in Taiwan are familiar with “early bird discounts,” the concept of “last minute” bookings—common in Europe and the U.S.—is still rare. However, last-minute deals often come with the biggest discounts, helping travelers save more on their trips. Before officially launching in Taiwan, HotelQuickly already had 70,000 Taiwanese users. Touting a “3 steps, 60 seconds” booking process, HotelQuickly is targeting Taiwan’s booming domestic tourism market. Internationally, the app covers 14 Asian countries and 150 cities, but since it’s for last-minute bookings, there is no cancellation option—users must confirm their bookings before purchasing.

Raphael also emphasized that tourist-area hotels in Taiwan typically have around 1,000 vacant rooms per day, and selling these rooms is the source of last-minute deals, which are about 28% cheaper than those on other regular booking sites. He also observed that “homestays” are a very popular lodging choice in Taiwan, and the app is partnering with legal homestays across the country, aiming to offer at least 1,000 homestay options by 2015.