The Hoxton and how (not) to build Trust.

I accept the hypocrisy in my act (I strive to book direct), I confess to be a regular user of an App called Hotel Tonight.

I use Hotel Tonight because it is leagues ahead of any other Online Travel Agent (OTA). They have my undivided attention because of their:

1. incredible mobile interface — I can book a hotel room on my iPhone in two swipes of my finger;
2. unrivalled prices;
3. impeccable curation.

I often use Hotel Tonight to stay at one of my London favourites: The Hoxton. (although The Hoxton probably don’t see me as a frequent flyer because my customer record is likely to be just tagged “Hotel Tonight” — one of the obvious drawbacks to the whole OTA thing)

Considering an overnight stay in London on Monday last week, I turned to Hotel Tonight. I was pleased to see my favourite place The Hoxton Shoreditch advertised for £155 for the night.

But before hitting Hotel Tonight’s Book Now button — my conscience wrestled me to book direct.

So I took the time to visit The Hoxton’s own website and they’ve put considerable effort into their booking engine — not quite as elegant as Hotel Tonight’s but an equivalent leading light when it comes to clean-mobile — I was encouraged.

Now I hate to name and shame, but this is what I encountered and it is so disappointing:

Booking Direct at The Hoxton costs 28% more than booking through Hotel Tonight, despite The Hoxton’s Book-Direct Best Price Guarantee!

In case you are struggling to see the pixels — Hotel Tonight offered me a room at the Hoxton for £155 and The Hoxton offered me a room for £199 but then also brazenly highlighted “Best Price Guaranteed — you won’t find a better price elsewhere”

I invited The Hoxton London to engage on Twitter but they ignored my tweet.

I can imagine that their defence will include the argument that it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison and that the room they’re offering me direct is bigger and better in some over-rated way.

But my distrust became heightened when I read this on their site:

I am singling out The Hoxton because everyday my work is centred around helping guests and accommodation owners understand and trust the benefits of Booking Direct.

Sadly, the above breach of trust is just one of many concrete examples of behaviour that doesn’t inspire consumer confidence in travel tech. It is a pity, because this sector cries out for positive transformation.