Blockchain startup Airstayz recently announced an exciting next step in the development of their international travel platform. Australia’s national patent office has granted a patent to Airstayz for their unique blockchain-based booking service.

The booking service will let travelers earn and spend blockchain tokens on services in participating hotels, such as keyless entry, instant check-in, dining experiences, massages, room upgrades, and even transportation and events around the city. Airstayz is building partnerships with international hospitality companies spread across the globe to make their services ecosystem a reality.

They recently announced a global partnership with OpenKey, a company helping guests enjoy a card-free hotel experience by directly unlocking their rooms with a smartphone app. Airstayz customers can use OpenKey to stay at the Birches Serviced Apartments in Melbourne, Australia without spending time on check-in or check-out processes.

Partnerships will be essential to the Airstayz platform, but its bedrock is the blockchain-based booking economy that it’s just successfully patented. This blockchain service will run on a dedicated cryptocurrency called the STAY Token.

The STAY Token

STAY tokens, an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency, will soon be available to the public in a much-anticipated ICO. This ICO will take place early summer of 2018, which thousands have already whitelisted. After the ICO is finished, members of the public can still obtain tokens on the Airstayz platform by using the Airstayz app to book hotels and leaving accurate, detailed reviews once their stay is finished.

Because blockchain creates an immutable ledger that accurately records transactions regardless of local currency, STAY tokens will be invaluable for international travelers. They provide a highly reliable way for token holders to access hotel services and other amenities without worrying about miscommunication or currency transfer issues. Guests using STAY tokens don’t have to worry about losing their international cash or having a credit card declined in a new country.

Recent research shows that modern travelers increasingly prefer “experiences” over “things,” yet experiences are often harder to plan and organize than simple shopping excursions. STAY tokens remove a lot of the stress of planning travel experiences by providing a one-stop shop for booking services, tours, and dining. A recent study from Brand Expedia found that 80% of all age cohorts and 87% of Gen Z members prefer to book all trip components together. This majority portion of travelers will gravitate towards the comprehensive booking tool offered by the Airstayz platform.

STAY tokens will particularly appeal to guests who are interested in efficient, low-stress digital platforms. Millennials’ preferences for online booking services in many industries, such as Uber for car sharing or Open Table for restaurants (founder of Open Table Eric Moe is also a co-founder of Airstayz), has been well-documented; the STAY Token provides a tool for those tech-savvy travelers to access many services at once. Travelers and hoteliers alike earn STAY tokens by using any of the tech within the platform. Blockchain’s inherent security and low administrative costs will help make this platform a reliable and user-friendly tool.

The Airstayz Advantage for Hotels

The Airstayz platform has impressive benefits to offer hotel partners. One of the most significant advantages Airstayz can offer is a technological edge over less agile hospitality organizations.

Expedia Senior VP Arthur Chapin recently wrote for HotelManagement.com.au that “Simply keeping up with the digital expectations of today’s tech-savvy consumer is no longer an option. Exceeding those expectations is a travel industry imperative.” A partnership with Airstayz is an ideal solution for hotels looking to exceed those expectations. Customers who enjoy the ease of checking into their Airstayz room without waiting at the front desk or who love the security and convenience of booking amenities and activities with STAY tokens will be more inclined to come back to hotels that can offer them that experience.

Furthermore, customers who enjoy the Airstayz experience are given further incentive to stay with Airstayz hotels through STAY token rewards. Customers earn tokens by booking and leaving reviews for Airstayz hotels through the Airstayz app, which makes them more likely to return to Airstayz to enjoy their new tokens. In addition to the intrinsically better experience Airstayz hotels can offer guests, the platform also functions as a loyalty program that rewards repeat guests. But this loyalty program still fosters competition among hotels by rewarding whoever provides the best guest experience.

Airstayz hotels experience an instant leg-up over hotels who don’t participate in the program and don’t show up in the app, decreasing Airstayz hotels’ customer acquisition costs. Partner hotels can improve their standing in the app even further by using STAY tokens to pay for premium ad space. Hotels accept Airstayz tokens for services and amenities offered through the Airstayz program, and they can then use their tokens to pay for premium ad space.

Airstayz lets smaller hotels that provide excellent guest experiences rise to the top of the heap by gaining advertising exposure even when competing with huge hotel chains. The incentivized and verified reviews encouraged through the Airstayz app allow truly superlative hotels to stand out.

What’s Next for Airstayz

Airstayz is a global company, developing partnerships and new ways to provide a technologically advanced guest experience all over the world; currently, pilot hotels include: Birches in Australia; HM international Hotel in Guayaquil, Ecuador; and Oheka Castle in New York, USA. Rideshare partners include Uber, Lyft, Arrow and Curb.

Obtaining a patent for their mix use of tech platforms is a key value to their global brand and their successful future.

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