Toronto-based Zonetail, an app developer that creates anchored mobile apps for hotels and condos, has secured a $2.3 million Series A from private investors.
Zonetail’s mobile app and platform are custom-branded to hotels to make it easier to connect a guest to a hotel’s services the its surrounding neighbourhood.
“People don’t just check into a hotel, they check into the neighbourhood of a city,” said Mark Holmes the president and CEO of Zonetail. “Most of people’s lives, whether at home or traveling, are spent within eight kilometres of their home base. By organizing the information that matters most to them, we are saving them time, and making their experience more rewarding.”
So far, Zonetail has signed agreements with more than 100 hotel properties in 10 Canadian provinces and 15 U.S. states. The company is also in negotiations with major international hotel chains to launch the app on a chain-wide basis. While Zonetail was launched as an app specialized to hotels, future plans for the company include expanding to condos, office towers, and large-scale events.
“I’m convinced that this model is something that both hotels and guests will want, and will meet the needs of the 21st-century traveler,” said Hugh McCauley, one of the private investors. “We are satisfied that the business plan and revenue model of Zonetail will carry it through to the next stage of development.”