| Online: | |
| Visits: | |
| Stories: |
Vista Rooms creates India’s first functional app on Instagram
Latest News
Mumbai, October 21’ 2015 – Mumbai based online branded budget accommodation aggregator, Vista Rooms has created a fully functional app-like experience on Instagram where travelers can browse locations and property options as well as book a hotel of their choice. This is perhaps the first time in India that a brand has attempted doing something of this sort. This entire app-like experience on Instagram has a richer feel than the website and can be extended to exploring, booking and even reviewing the property. Vista’s one pointed intent was to use Instagram as a standalone mobile application that can serve both as an app and a social networking tool.
The Vista Rooms page can be accessed by searching for @vistarooms_app on Instagram. A user would then be directed to the page filled with photo locations. On tapping these photos, users are directed to other fully featured pages where information on the property, local food, places of interest, culture are available. The user can choose a location (eg:Goa), check out the features of the location, listed properties in Goa, photo of the room, description and rate. The user can then click on the link to book the room and will then be directed to the booking site on a regular browser.
Please find the video link to explainer video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOtQfncdD5Y
Since their inception in April this year, Vista Rooms have been focusing on reaching out to customers by leveraging social media in unconventional ways. While most brands run tried and tested campaigns on social media platforms, Vista Rooms wanted to walk a different path and came up with this innovative way to engage with their customers. Vista Rooms operates as a lean-mean team and the drive right from the beginning has been on frugal marketing, which has helped expand to over 500+ properties in 60 + locations in India in a little over three months.
What is even more striking is that this whole experience was created on Instagram by a lean in-house team with no external agency support, the only investment being relentless efforts and time.
Amit Damani, Co-Founder and Head of Online Sales & Marketing, shared, “While Instagram is typically used by brands for static visibility, we saw an opportunity to leverage Instagram as our standalone mobile platform where users can experience an entire journey from discovering to booking and then even reviewing their stay on the same platform.”
Vista Rooms is active on all social media platforms like Facebook,Twitter, Linkedin for regular posts on discounts, alliances and other company updates. Besides regular travelers, Vista Rooms aims to reach out to virtual travelers who are perpetually looking at tourist destinations.
Ankita Sheth, Co-Founder & Head of Partnerships, explained, “Brands have spent a lot of time, energy and investment on building basic, functional apps. As a start-up, we wanted to stay resourceful and instead of making a big investment for an app, we felt we could leverage existing platforms to reach out to a wider audience more effectively. At the ideation stage, this whole idea stumped us; but as the idea started formalizing, we realized that Instagram has a huge untapped potential.”
“By creating the Vista Rooms app on Instagram, we wanted to revolutionize customer engagement via social media. The Vista Rooms app on Instagram would inspire, excite and engage both potential and existing customers.” adds Ankita.
Vista Rooms started as an online hospitality startup specializing in aggregating and providing standardized accommodations across India. Vista Rooms is spreading its network in smaller Tier II & III cities across India where there is a major need for standardized budget travel accommodations. As the company understands that there is lack of trust and faith amongst customers whilst traveling over to these hubs, it is focusing on ensuring a service that retains its quality and faith over its customers.
About Vista Rooms:
Vista Rooms was born out of an intent to standardize budgeted accommodation and combine it with elegance and comfort. The segment was highly fragmented and there was an acute need to declutter and add an element of trust to the mix. Vista Room’s mission is to provide travellers with a bouquet of handpicked hotels, listed purely for their service and amenities.
Vista Rooms brings in a rare blend of innovation and technology and is spearheaded by like minded entrepreneurs who united around a single objective: ‘to change the stay experience of travellers while they are away from home’.
Created to empower Indian travellers with luxurious stay at budgeted rates, Vista Rooms has presence in over 500+ properties in 60+ cities. Besides top Indian cities, Vista Rooms is fast expanding and has built a strong network in tier II and tier III cities.
FYI – How can one access Vista Rooms Page on Instagram? Process in brief.
- Step I – User can access the Instagram app and search for @Vistarooms_app
- Step II – The Instagram page gives photo locations, where the user can choose the destination and tap on the image
- Step III – This opens into a fully featured property page, which gives information on the properties listed. You can either click on the image of the hotel of your choice and this will take you to the page where hotel information like amenities is listed or explore food, places and culture at the location page.
- Step IV – From the hotel page, you can view the details, cost and book the room. The user would be directed to the vista room-booking page through a regular browser.
For more information visit:www.vistarooms.com
Source: http://www.smarttechtoday.com/vista-rooms-creates-indias-first-functional-app-on-instagram/6807/
