Dubai-Based App Travall To Launch Video Reviews Of Hotels, F&B Outlets

A new Dubai-based app, Travall, will offer video reviews of the city’s hotels and F&B venues when it launches early December.

The smart app is designed to create a comprehensive Dubai video guide for business and leisure travellers, relocating executives and residents. Abu Dhabi is due to come on stream by the end of January, which will be followed by other Emirates and GCC countries.

Users can post 15-second videos in name or anonymously and search by hotel stars or apartments, and other features include a ‘latest hotspots’ category. Instagram-style profiles can be set up and the app is connected to other social media platforms and hashtags. “The most popular videos watched will be at the top of the page,” said Partner Adam Ridgway.

Travall receives no revenue on bookings but charges operators to promote their content, with properties on board including Burj Al Arab and Atlantis The Palm. Up to 1,800 outlets will be featured at launch.

As well as traffic through the app, merchants can compare themselves against competitors, and use it to promote F&B availability. Travall’s back-end team will moderate content. “When we get to several thousand videos a day, that’s when we might need to invest in moderation technology.”

A loyalty programme means users can accrue points through engagement, which can be redeemed against hotel stays, spa treatments and dining discounts or donated to charities. For now, it will be independent from major operators’ programmes.

“But as we grow we will contact them to see if we can create a more uniform programme,” said Ridgway. “We hope to increase the level of expectation from customers and operators. The big vision is to work with airlines.”