The Hindu Business Line : Tripmela.com launches hotel search tool

Mega search engine Tripmela.com has recently launched a hotel search tool, on the lines of its airfare search tool, on the Searchmela portal, which allows users to search multiple Web sites from one Web page.

“Searchmela is an airfare and hotel comparison tool that puts control in the hands of consumers by allowing them to decide which Web sites they would like to compare,” says Mr Jared Blank, CEO, Tripmela Inc, a New York-based company which introduced Tripmela.com in India.

Explaining that Searchmela is “not an online travel agency because we do not actually sell the tickets”, he says that customers buy the tickets directly from their partners.

“We typically work on a cost-per-click or commission basis with our partners.”

Mr Blank adds that the site is different from other metasearch sites “because when you choose which sites you want to compare, you are taken directly to that Web site” thus avoiding the need to sift through all results and then choosing the sites to go to.

“As more and more travel sites are getting launched in India, consumers will be looking for an easy way to compare the options available,” Mr Blank says, adding that Searchmela is the easiest way for consumers to quickly compare prices for their upcoming trips.

“Our closest competitor is Bookingbuddy.in, which was recently launched,” he adds.

The response to the airfare search tool, which was launched a couple of months ago, was encouraging enough for them to build the hotel search tool, he says.

With a major transformation on the cards in the hospitality sector, which is witnessing a great deal of investments in new hotels — both at the five-star and mid-price segments, Mr Blank believes that there is a good potential in this business.

“The coming growth in mid-priced hotels will change people’s habits and expectations about staying in hotels when they travel.”

More Stories on : Internet | New Products & Services | Hotels

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page