Picture this: It's Memorial Day weekend and you decide to spontaneously jump in the car and drive to Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Austin (wherever). The problem? You don't exactly have anywhere to crash, and you don't want to put down a couple hundred dollars for a night at the Ace.
What's a traveler to do? A new LA-based startup, Overnight, can pair you with a local to stay with in less than a minute.
Here's how it works: New users can login to the app via Facebook, request a room in the general neighborhood they want to stay in, and in about 45 seconds you'll get a response. Nearby hosts get a notification that lets them check out your profile, and see if you have any mutual friends or weird hobbies. If they accept you, you'll get a message that shows the photos and details of their place. If you approve, you'll get the option to pay for the room and chat with the host to coordinate entry.
With a recent $2.3 million in seed funding, Overnight has officially expanded from LA, Austin, and Coachella Valley to San Francisco this week. It also has hosts scattered across 40 countries around the world. For those filled with wanderlust, consider this a green light to hop on whatever plane you want, and know you'll have somewhere warm to stay that night. // joinovernight.com