Skift Take

Hurricane Sandy brought to a light a lesser-known function for the popular booking app as a disaster relief tool.

The last-minute booking app HotelTonight announced a $60,000 donation to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief on Friday. The app partnered with over 25 New York City Hotels to provide rooms to people needing shelter in the immediate days following the storm.

HotelTonight raised the funds by matching every dollar spent on the app in New York City from October 31 to November 2 and donated all proceeds to the relief assistance.

The storm also gave the app the opportunity to position itself as a tool for disaster victims who need immediate lodging.

HotelTonight COO and Co-Founder Jared Simon remarks, “At HotelTonight we provide last-minute lodging for people who need it. This doesn’t just mean cancelled flights, business trips or spontaneous vacations. The moment we knew that New Yorkers were in need of shelter, we pulled together with our New York City hotel partners to see how we could help.”

Click for more news on HotelTonight and travel companies’ contributions following Hurricane Sandy.

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Tags: apps, climate change, hoteltonight, nyc

Photo credit: The last-minute booking app is available on iOS and Android. HotelTonight.com

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