KOCHI:Spending long hours on the road can get tiresome and all you long for will be a place to crash, just for an hour or two. Doling out extra cash to get a room at a hotel which charges you for a day may not seem appealing. Well, Hora Rooms provides you with an alternative. The app, started by a group of youngsters, connects you to hotels which are willing to rent out rooms on an hourly basis.
The initiative, a first of its kind in Kerala and probably India, is just a month-old and has connected with hotels across Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Batheri, Perunthalmana and Kannur.If everything goes well, they will rope in hotels in Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad in the coming days. “Even though we just started, the app has attracted a lot of attention and is in demand,” said Shahid Puthanpeediakal, one of the co-founders. He said, people today like to travel a lot. “Most of those who go on tours, mainly young couples and solo travellers, find the app very useful,” he said.
According to him, the idea to start such a venture cropped up after he and his friends found it difficult to find a space or a hotel to stay for a few hours. “Sometimes, you just need a place to keep your luggage for an hour or two. You would not even be in the room. There are other times when you arrive at a new city for an interview and would require a room to freshen up. This is when such an app could prove useful,” Shahid adds.
The concept is simple- ‘Stay for hours, pay for hours’. “We believe apps are changing the shape of industries and lives everywhere including food, fashion, aviation, travel and music industry. So, why not bring a revolution in the hotel industry,” he said.
The minimum hours one needs to rent a room at a hotel is three hours, while the maximum is 12. So are hotels willing to go ahead with this offer? “Yes, many hotels have come forward since we offer them a win-win situation. We hope to connect with hotels across South India by March,” Shahid said.
How does it work
A person can download Hora app from Playstore, select the location and hotel; choose the number of hours as per his or her requirement such as three to twelve hours. This innovative concept could change the way people schedule their itinerary, making it more comfortable, quick, economical and time-saving. Hora room is a registered company having its office in the Cyber Park, Kozhikode, supported by the Kerala Startup Mission. Abi Nawas and Mohammed Arif Nariampally are the co-founders. Sayam Basheer and Fysal are directors while Faheem Rahman is the IT head.