Andrew Lockhead, CEO and co-founder of Stay22 introduces his map-focused accommodation site.
When were you launched?
Stay22 was founded in October 2016 when co-founder, Hamed Al-Khabaz, wanted to attend a conference but all their hotel partners were sold out. After hours of researching through dozens of websites for the best accommodation near the event venue, the light bulb came on.
How many people are working for the company?
We're a small team of 14 hustlers and hackers, working out of Montreal.
Sum up what your company/product does in one sentence.
We provide an accommodation map with the largest inventory in the world, the only solution with hotels and Airbnb side by side, that businesses can embed unto their site in under five minutes and offer a great booking experience to their users.
Why is it unique?
We were able to secure a partnership with Airbnb pretty early on into our journey, giving us access to one of largest inventories worldwide of over 31.85 million bookable listings in over 220 countries of hotels and Airbnbs.
What problem does it solve?
People often feel overwhelmed by all the research that needs to be done when looking for a place to stay near their destination. We help them skip the long, multi-tab, price comparison marathon between travel websites, by providing them with a map that shows all the available listings from all available providers. Also, help them find the commute and how far they're staying from their destination and what means of transportation they can use (walk, bike, taxi/ride-share) instead of having to use Google Maps to constantly see how far is their potential stay from their destination.
Adding to that the flexibility to see all the points of interests listed.
What platforms is it available on/can integrate with?
Our map can be integrated into all kinds of platforms including event ticketing in a post-purchase transaction, event websites in the travel section, part of an email to your database or social media to help your followers. It is this versatility that makes it perfect for all kinds of businesses looking to provide accommodation to their users.
What markets is it available in?
The solution is available worldwide due to access to the largest inventory and the flexibility of the product; companies from all kinds of industries can take advantage of providing the best experience in finding a place to stay. Currently, we are in more than 30 countries, with 700+ partners.
Which companies are using it already?
We have partnerships with notable companies from different verticals such as Everfest (festivals aggregators), GetByBus (bus aggregator company), C2 (business conference), Ticketbiscuit (train ticketing company), ESL (E-sports league) and many, many more.
What do travel managers like about it?
The map can help travel managers drive bookings to their group of selected hotels. Showing the proximity to the destination from the hotel provides travellers with convenience to know what means of commute to use (walk, bike, taxi/ride-share). Nearby points of interest can help in providing value to the traveller to keep them in the flow of booking with the selected hotels.
Why do travellers like it?
Travellers find it super convenient due to the ease of use. Being a location-based map that visually displays options makes it easier for travellers to make a decision. Adding to that the ability to choose from millions of listings from all types of accommodation (hotels, Airbnb, other alternatives).
What are your growth plans?
We're still far from our end-goal, which is to provide all location-based travellers with the best experience when searching for a place to stay when travelling to any city, landmark, or events. We are currently expanding our outreach to all kinds of businesses who would benefit from an improved accommodation search experience.