HotelTonight Launches Escape & GeoRates Features for Nearby Trips

HotelTonight, the last-minute hotel-booking app, has launched a tool called Escape to source the greatest getaway deals for the weekend ahead. Booking a room via the app is already a snap, but Escape makes it more convenient to book an entire getaway that's up to an additional 30-40 percent off average rates within HotelTonight itself. Here's how it works.

When you open up the HotelTonight app, simply swipe right or give the globe tab a tap. The Tonight deals feature hotel deals in nearby locales reachable in just an hour or two, ideal for those who need a quick getaway for that very night_. S_omeone in San Francisco, for example, might see deals in nearby Marin County or Napa. For the upcoming Friday through Sunday, This Weekend deals pull hotels that are just a bit further afield but completely manageable for a two- or three-day trip. The same person in San Francisco might see the best deals in Santa Barbara or Portland, while a user in New York could find great rates for hotels in Philadelphia or Washington, DC.

The app has also updated and expanded GeoRates, which similarly gives deeper discounts based on your location. We actually had a chance to give this a whirl over the weekend, when we were looking for a hotel in Madison, Wisconsin. While new boutique hotel The Edgewater was going for $199 in the HotelTonight app as we searched from New York City, a GeoRate of $153 popped up the next morning during our layover in Chicago. That's a great deal considering that hotel's own web rate was still $199 at the time, too -- and that rooms at three-star chains like the Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites were about the same price in the area.

So why does your location make a difference in how much of a deal you get? HotelTonight explains: "Because these discounts are specifically targeted to specific regions and times, GeoRates offer hotels a higher level of control and flexibility, and the ability to reach new customers, while filling rooms."

On another note, don't forget to check the app if you're traveling abroad, too. For the first time, HotelTonight now has inventory in Australia and throughout the Caribbean.