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LobbyFriend aims to make Hotels more social

Hostel Trends and News

Rucksack Brian started this discussion 11 years 11 months ago

Socializing hotels becomes call-to-arms for LobbyFriend

A new startup called LobbyFriend is aiming to make … spontaneous social atmosphere de facto for hotels around the world. Dubbed a “temporary social network,” the app creates social networks around particular interests – in this particular case, the focus is on creating a temporary meeting point for hotel guests.

Downloaded as an app, the service not only translates into more engagement between individual hotel guests, but also allows guests to engage more with the destination (think city content and special offers) and with the hotel staff (think a more-private Twitter for guest requests and concierge services).

The idea is not only to connect people, but also to offer them information and deals that are specifically valid for the period of their stay. The hotel as well as other local companies can submit special offers that will be displayed on the guests’ smartphones, on lobby displays, and on the in-room TVs. This is how they hope to make it profitable in addition to social.

Travellers can only be connected to this network while they are staying in the hotel. When they check out they get cut off. Locals cannot connect, so the connections and the deals really would target current transient customers.

Co-founder Mohit Kumar is a regular business traveler, and often found the social scenes in hotel lobbies lacking.

“Myself and [my co-founder] Jason are frequent business travelers and there was this one hotel we stayed it that was completely booked – yet the amazingly looking lounge at the hotel was empty in the evening… So we thought, how could we fill up such places, have a bunch of other guests there to network with, create a good ambiance, and of course, allow hotels to monetize the opportunity.”

The answer to that is very simple. If they want to socialize, then everyone should stay in hostels instead!

But this brings up a concerning issue. The social factor is one of the key elements that distinguish a hostel from a hotel for many people. Some hotels have already moved towards the hostel model by selling shared dorms. While I have to admit that LobbyFriend has the potential to be a useful tool, it also provides another stepping stone for hotels to encroach on hostel territory. It aims to blur the ever-increasingly fuzzy line between hotels and hostels.

What do you think? Does this startup give hostels cause for alarm? Will it fall flat because hotel guests don't want or have time to socialize with each other? Will this just turn into a convenient way for lonely travelers to find a deal on an escort service in the area? Regardless of what hotels do, could hostels use this service to our advantage?

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gordo

11 years

Encroach on hostel territory? I wasnt aware we had a patent on socialising. Are we encroaching on hotel territory by offering private rooms? Hardly.

I don't see this as a threat at all, if anything it's an opportunity. The people the app is aimed at probably arent considering hostels as a viable accommodation option (for whatever reasons, presumably outdated) at the moment. Giving them the option to socialise on their business trip wont stop them from staying in a hostel as they wouldnt have in the first place. But there may be a few who enjoy the experience enough that they may start looking to alternative forms of accommodation such as hostels in order to get that social factor. Is there really a risk of anyone who would stay in a hostel saying to themselves 'I would stay in a hostel but bugger it, I'll just download this app and go stay in a hotel'?

The trick is going to be putting hostels on the radar for people who want to socialise but hadnt considered a hostel; and this is of course the same challenge we face every day. The blurring of the line between the industries doesnt have to be a bad thing and it certainly can cut both ways. It's not always 'us vs them'.

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Rucksack Brian

11 years

Encroach on hostel territory? I wasnt aware we had a patent on socialising.

Patent Pending :)

Are we encroaching on hotel territory by offering private rooms? Hardly.

Some hostel owners do feel like we are encroaching on hotel territory by offering private rooms. I remember Soi1David arguing that point once. The hotels probably think we are too.

Is there really a risk of anyone who would stay in a hostel saying to themselves 'I would stay in a hostel but bugger it, I'll just download this app and go stay in a hotel'?

You’re absolutely right that people aren’t going to forego staying in a hostel just because an app gives them the ability to talk to people in a hotel. It’s not going to snatch our guests away from us.

The trick is going to be putting hostels on the radar for people who want to socialise but hadnt considered a hostel; and this is of course the same challenge we face every day. The blurring of the line between the industries doesnt have to be a bad thing and it certainly can cut both ways. It's not always 'us vs them'.

An app that brings the social aspect to hotels is just a small step. The journey to blurring the lines is not so long though, so that step does make a difference. Pretty soon there may not even be an ‘us’ or a ‘them’ to speak of.

The problem that I see isn’t a question of where the guests will decide to sleep, nor is it with this social app itself. What concerns me is the loss of distinction between hostels and hotels as they become more similar. If both models start offering private rooms, dorms, a lounge, and a social atmosphere, then what is the difference between them? Suddenly we all look the same on paper and get lumped together under one label with one set of standards and requirements. The label we fall under is sure to be HOTEL since the concept is already established, accepted, and well financed. In that scenario I see hostels getting cut much deeper than hotels.

As you said, the daily challenge we face is putting hostels on the radar of socially-inclined people who don’t know what a hostel is. But if hotels and hostels start offering the same things, then would we still have something to raise awareness of?

Of course I’m not saying that this app is causing the change. It’s just evidence that the change is happening. Also, the last thing I want to do is run around like Chicken Little screaming, “The sky is falling!” I’m a proponent of finding solutions to work effectively within the current situation. But we may not all see the current situation the same way. I am interested to hear what hostels (in particular smaller hostels) think of tools like this that help blur the line.

I don't see this as a threat at all, if anything it's an opportunity... there may be a few who enjoy the experience enough that they may start looking to alternative forms of accommodation such as hostels in order to get that social factor.

I agree that this could be an opportunity, but in a different way. Quite frankly, I’m not sure that this app will catch on with most hotel guests. I’m also skeptical about whether any users would say, “this is pretty cool. I wonder if there are any accommodation options out there that can offer me more of this kind of sociability.” But it might be useful for our hostels guests. It’s frequently quite spontaneous when groups of hostel guests decide to go out or do something fun together. But there are always a few who miss out because they were busy writing an email or talking on Skype or mindlessly scrolling through a facebook news feed. Maybe this could be useful for getting those folks with their noses perpetually glued to their screens informed and involved about the fun stuff that pops up? And since there’s a financial side to it too, maybe hostels could adopt this app for ourselves and create a small revenue stream on the side in addition to the sociability?

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gordo

11 years

The problem that I see isn’t a question of where the guests will decide to sleep, nor is it with this social app itself. What concerns me is the loss of distinction between hostels and hotels as they become more similar. If both models start offering private rooms, dorms, a lounge, and a social atmosphere, then what is the difference between them? Suddenly we all look the same on paper and get lumped together under one label with one set of standards and requirements. The label we fall under is sure to be HOTEL since the concept is already established, accepted, and well financed. In that scenario I see hostels getting cut much deeper than hotels.

Once upon a time I would've agreed with you Brian. But I guess my question is now: 'why is that a problem?' Is the title we grant ourselves really that important? Guests in traditional hotels and hostels are looking for different experiences. Equally, guests in 'party hostels' and 'eco-hostels' are looking for different experiences. Do we ever worry about the blurring of the lines between different niches within the hostel industry? The vast majority of hotels dont offer room service or porters, so which set of requirements are you worried about biting us? We have dorms and (a lot of us) try and encourage socialising. The overwhelming majority of other differences are at best cosmetic and at worst made-up. Are we really that different in the first place? One could break the entire lodging sector down into almost infinitely smaller and smaller groupings. We all compete with each other based on the services and experiences we offer our guests - hotel/hostel/B&B/campsite/whatever.

I wonder if hotels and B&B's have these arguments.

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