Israeli start-up Arbitrip is a new hotel online booking tool and has already garnered the attention of some travel managers. We spoke to founder and CEO Benny Yonovich to find out more ahead of vying for the Business Travel Show Disrupt Award at the exhibition this week.
When were you launched?
The company was founded in 2015 and the product was launched in May 2016.
How many people are working for the company?
We're a team of seven people.
Sum up what your company/product does in one sentence
We make sure you book the best hotel, pay the best price and keep tabs on your business travel budget.
Why is it unique?
We brought a consumer-grade experience into the business travel industry, allowing travellers to book hotels just like they do on OTAs, but within the organisation's travel policy and with the support of professional travel agents.
What problem does it solve?
We turn the 'open bookings' into managed bookings.
Before Arbitrip: Business travellers booked on OTAs without considering the company's policy. The company didn't know where the employees were staying, how much did it cost and whether it complies with the policy.
With Arbitrip: Travel managers can keep tabs on travel activity in real-time and employees can keep booking the hotels they like.
What markets is it available in?
Arbitrip is available worldwide with customer support in Europe and the Middle East. We have clients from North America, Europe, Middle East and the Far East.
Which companies are using it already?
Our clients include Gett, Fiverr, AppsFlyer, Taboola, IronSource, Infobip, Zooz, Teoco, RAD and JFrog.
What do travel managers like about it?
- The ability to complete a booking in less than 40 seconds thanks to our recommendation algorithm
- The fact that their travellers can book under the company's policy using a consumer-grand user experience
- The ability to keep tabs on their travel spend
Why do travellers like it?
- The online booking tool is very intuitive and user-friendly, just like booking on an OTA
- The ability to book a hotel while the corporate pay for it upfront (no more reimbursement)
- The option to combine leisure trips within their business trips and split the payment
What are your growth plans?
We're now launching a local operation in the UK. We've got Ben Edwards as the UK GM and are looking forward to introducing our solution to the local market.