New website offers last-minute hotel bookings to Twitter users

A hotel booking engine that enables travellers to book accommodation at the last minute using the social networking site Twitter has been launched today.

The privately-funded Inoqo provides a platform for hotels to advertise accommodation packages that are available in the next 48 hours on Twitter, filling otherwise vacant rooms at the last minute.

Twitter users can follow the stream for their chosen travel destination, for example hotels in London are found by following @2LondonHotels on Twitter, and users receive deals directly into their personal Twitter stream as they go live.

Although the service is free to travellers, Inoqo generates revenue by charging hotels a commission for each booking made.

The service opened to hotels on 15 September and went live today with launch hotels in the USA, France, Portugal, England, Scotland, Ireland and South Africa.

Inoqo plans to launch an affiliate program so that bloggers and web site owners can embed a widget into their website.

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By Gemma Sharkey

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