Travly is a new social-first discovery and hotel booking platform designed to cater to the growing number of travelers who turn to short-form video content for travel ideas.
The platform features user-generated content that provides authentic reviews of hotels, rather than generic information or outdated images, and creators who submit videos of their hotels have the chance to earn a 5% commission from bookings.
Co-founded by travel enthusiasts Zach Longo (CEO) and Mayur Patil (COO), Travly initially started as a travel network on Instagram and TikTok. In the summer of 2022, the duo acquired @Travel and built a social community with millions of followers on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Longo and Patil run a total of 45 channels on Instagram and TikTok, including @Cruises, @Hotels, @Resorts and @Vacation. They say that these pages have a combined monthly view of over 1 billion. Travly also has an ambassador group of about 1,000 creators who help with brand deals across numerous social media accounts.
The company has recently branched out into developing its own travel search products, leveraging its insights to launch a video-centric booking platform and mobile app. Travly has integrated with Booking.com to power its search capabilities across millions of hotels worldwide.
Image credit: Travly
“We always thought, 'Okay, we need a product to go with this,'” Longo told TechCrunch. “So we all put our heads together and said, 'Let's build a booking platform,' because we feel like today's new generation of travelers is using social media as a search tool. We think we can fill that gap with our network and help people book what they see on social media.”
The platform is currently accepting video submissions and anyone who submits a high-quality video of their hotel will receive a 5% commission on all bookings made to that hotel through the platform. Travly only accepts one video per hotel and may replace one that is underperforming with another.
“We analyze if a video is not performing optimally for the hotel. We want to be fair to the hotel in that regard,” Longo said, explaining that Travly considers factors like average view time and click-through rate. It may also swap out a video for a new, up-to-date one if, for example, a hotel offers a new amenity that it wants to promote.
Travly boasts that it has had about 2,000 sign-ups and 500 video submissions so far.
Image credit: Travly
Another way Travly stands out is its Destination Dupes feature. A play on make-up “dupes,” or product lookalikes, Travly compares luxury destinations to more affordable ones with a similar vibe. The feature not only helps users save money, but also uncover hidden gems that offer similar experiences. For example, it highlights the price difference between a hotel in London (about $325 per night) and one in Krakow, Poland (about $75 per night), offering similar appeal at a lower price. While Krakow isn't a global cultural and financial center like London, it's known for its culture, cobblestone streets, and historical landmarks.
If users aren't yet sure where to travel next, they can click the “Find new directions” button and answer a series of questions to be presented with a selection of curated ideas. For example, if a user is looking for a relaxing, budget-friendly vacation, Travly's AI assistant will show them hotels that fit that description.
Going forward, Travly aims to expand its offerings and integrate more experiences onto its platform, including providing a comprehensive trip planning experience, including offering travel packages, restaurant reservations, concert tickets, etc. In terms of additional revenue, the company is also considering advertising on its platform.
With the creator economy estimated to be a $250 billion industry, with the market expected to nearly double to $480 billion by 2027, other startups in the booking space are also jumping on the travel influencer trend. Plannin, a new travel booking platform founded by former Priceline executives, allows creators to monetize their hotel recommendations.