Some travelers like to plan their stay way ahead of time, others leave it up to spontaneity. If you’re one to figure things out last-minute, Overnight wants to help travelers find same-day accommodations from local hosts.
Launched first in Los Angeles and today expanding to Austin, Overnight is like Couchsurfing meets Airbnb meets Uber. The iOS app lets users seek a place to stay that day by dropping a pin around where they’d like to be, and local hosts who’ve indicated their places as available will get a ping. If a host is able to accommodate, they can accept the request, include the rate and check in/out hours, and the traveler can decide whether to take that offer.
If you’re looking for a simple staycation, there’s also an option to search by neighborhoods.
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Your accommodations might come in a variety of setups – from couches you can crash on to an extra bedroom the host may have handy. The idea is to let travelers have options for last-minute places to stay, in situations including flight cancellations or sudden apartment maintenance issues.
The app requires users to validate their identity through a number of steps: Facebook profile, bank account, phone number, credit card, and an optional government ID. It also uses Jumio to verify the information provided in each user profile, and surfaces mutual Facebook friends, if any. Like Airbnb, hosts and guests can rate each other after the stay.
Overnight hopes that its expansion to Austin will leave plenty of time for hosts looking to make extra money from SXSW, while encouraging attendees to check out the event if they haven’t made their hotel bookings in advance. It also eliminates the problem of having to message multiple Airbnb hosts to get an approval since available hosts respond to you instead.
Overnight says plans for a Web and Android versions are ahead, and it hopes to target bigger markets like San Francisco and New York City next. The legality of the app in these cities is obviously questionable – naturally, Overnight doesn’t foresee an issue and believes services like it and Airbnb fosters good communities in their respective cities.
Overnight is available for free today on iOS.
➤ Overnight [iOS]
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