Whether travelling for work or pleasure, domestically or abroad, one of the biggest expenses to tackle is accommodation.

Even when you’ve found the best deal available it can still often feel like you’ve overpaid, and for good reason; you probably have.

With the rise in online bookings, hotel rates are being pushed up by Online Travel Agents (OTAs) such as Expedia and Priceline who can be charging hoteliers commission fees as high as 15–30%. With their margins reduced, hotels often have little choice but to increase their prices and/or cut costs elsewhere (both of which will be felt by their guests).

GOeureka (GO) presents a better option. By connecting travellers with GO partner hotels, on an online booking platform that’s commission-free, GO ensures that accommodation is available at rates chosen by hoteliers, not necessitated by OTAs. With bookings made at best value, travellers can then focus on what really matters; enjoying their stay.

However, the benefits of the GO solution don’t stop there! Here are just some of the additional features;

Guaranteed Transparency

One of the cornerstones of blockchain technology is accountability, which GO utilises to ensure transparency across the GO platform. By discarding traditional pay-to-play arrangements, GO pledges to remain unbiased and not charge commissions for paid search placements or exclusive promotions. Instead, all displays and search results will be based on hotels’ performance, utilisation of the GO platform, and customer review. On the GO platform, travellers will know they’re seeing the best hotels first, not those that have simply paid to be at the top of the search.

Re-Booking Functionality

GO is pleased to introduce a patent-pending Re-Booking algorithm!

As hotel room prices fluctuate the Re-Booking feature will automatically detect and re-book existing reservations at lower rates (at no extra cost), with travellers notified when they’ve secured a better deal.

With this revolutionary feature, guests will know their accommodation is booked at best-value.

Cryptocurrency Payment Handling

The GO platform will enable hotels to accept payment in Fiat, cryptocurrencies, and tokens. By settling their bill via cryptocurrencies and tokens travellers will no longer have to pay costly merchant surcharge fees typically charged by payment gateways and credit card providers.

Direct Guest Connection

Unlike OTAs, which are known to withhold email information and/or share only limited guest data with hotels, GO operates solely as an intermediary, allowing hoteliers and travellers to connect and engage directly.

Connecting travellers to their hotels from the start means that for the first time the hotel customer’s journey remains uninterrupted. Guests will know they’re being looked after from the time of booking, through the duration of their stay, and right up till the point they check out.

Universal GO App

The GO App will enable travellers to track their hotel bookings and manage their stay with any GO partner hotel, as well as keep tabs on loyalty points and programs, directly through their smartphone!

On the day of their arrival guests may check-in to their accommodation using the GO App, and will then have access to features enabled at the hotel. Features available could include room key management (eliminating the risk of lost keys and room number privacy), room service, concierge chat, housekeeping, and a directory of hotel and local area events.

GO will also introduce and develop a number of additional features for the GO App, such as a city guide, entertainment hub, virtual travel assistant, and discovery section which will provide information on the best places to visit, things to do, suggested itineraries, reviews, and much more.

The GO Card

GO Token holders will be able to order a GO Card — a physical, prepaid Visa or Mastercard — which will allow GO Card users to spend GO Tokens (converted to Fiat currency at competitive exchange rates) anywhere Visa or Mastercard are accepted, as well as withdraw cash from Visa or Mastercard-compatible ATMS.

GO Cards are linked to user wallets on the GO app, where users can manage and top up GO Card funds with GO Tokens and Credits. GO Card holders will also receive rewards of GO Tokens as a form of cashback for each transaction made with their GO Card.

The GO Card provides an efficient and convenient solution for GO Token holders who wish to spend GO Tokens outside of the GO platform, and GO will continue to create accessible spending options for GO Token holders and expand the GO Token economy.

Next-gen Loyalty Program

With different hotels and accommodation providers each offering their own distinct loyalty program, disconnected and often standalone from others, it can be hard for the average traveller to accumulate sufficient points in order to redeem a reward.

GO proposes an interoperable loyalty program that leverages the use of blockchain technology. By allowing hotels to designate the value of their own loyalty points in Fiat, GO will give travellers the ability to convert their existing loyalty points across multiple providers into one universal loyalty point; the GO Credit. The GO Credit can be used to subsidise the purchase of hotel stays across any GO partner hotel, and as well as being earned through loyalty point conversion will also be awarded to travellers for spending on the GO platform.

GO Credits can be collected and tracked, with the blockchain acting as an immutable and secure ledger. GO Credits will even be issued on behalf of hotels that do not have loyalty programs, to ensure that every traveller on the GO platform is rewarded for their participation.

With the GO loyalty program, not only will travellers finally earn sufficient points to redeem a reward, they’ll be able to do it across an unprecedented number of hotels and accommodation providers.

Targeted Marketing and Media

GO will pursue an aggressive customer acquisition program, focusing on audience data and machine learning to allow marketers to connect with their best customers and prospects across all touch points.

As GO grows, appealing to hoteliers with the GO platform’s transparency, best-value approach, and cryptocurrency accessibility, the range of accommodation available for travellers grows too.

In addition, GO will reward travellers for making repeat bookings and referring others to the GO platform, and the first 250,000 users will receive first-time sign-up bonuses.

Community Driven Development

GO will engage the community by creating a sandbox that enables developers, travellers, and hoteliers to propose new ideas and features for the platform. Consumers will be rewarded for features implemented within the GO platform, and together the future of online hotel booking can be shaped by everyone.

About GOeureka

GOeureka is a travel tech company utilising blockchain technology to build a hotel booking platform. Their mission is to decentralise the hotel booking sector and deliver greater transparency by allowing hotels to directly connect with their customers. As a technology partner to hotels, GO aims to provide a dynamic digital experience to users and eradicate the high commission structures imposed by online travel agents. By reducing the financial commitments of hotels to third-party booking platforms, GO’s vision is to enable hotels to focus more resources on providing better intrinsic value and services to travellers around the globe.

To learn more, visit https://goeureka.io