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Hong Kong instant travel start-ups bring Uber-style approach to hotels and activities

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Hotel Quickly allows users to book last-minute hotels in various Asian cities at a steep discount. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Two Hong Kong travel start-ups are providing on-demand hotel stays or activities for tourists used to booking services like Uber instantly through their mobile devices.

Last minute room booking app HotelQuickly and activity tour platform Klook allow users to book online through their smartphones and turn up within minutes of confirming their transaction.

Launched in October 2012, HotelQuickly offers users discounts on last minute room bookings in Asia with up to 60 per cent off standard rates to serve spontaneous travellers in 15 countries.

“Things have to be very smooth, people expect to have everything on demand you see all those services coming around like Uber, you want to book a car and expect it to arrive in five minutes,” said Raphael Cohen, co-founder of HotelQuickly.

HotelQuickly offers rooms at more than 6,000 hotels on its app, which has been downloaded more than 1 million times, and allows bookings in nine different languages.

The app has proven popular among mobile savvy domestic travellers in Indonesia as well as those looking for a staycation in Singapore or Hong Kong, Cohen said.

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