Gogobot launches new iPhone app, doubles user base in past 60 days

July 23, 2012 | Online Travel

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The new Gogobot gives mobile users the ability to let anyone browse places nearby or in more than 60,000 destinations and find a curated list of the top restaurants, hotels and things to do based on what is trending in your personal network.

Social travel site Gogobot today launches Gogobot 2.0 for iPhone app, a comprehensive travel application that, for the first time, lets you seamlessly research, plan, book and share your travels with friends – all from your mobile device. With more than 2 million registered users, up 100 percent in the past 60 days, Gogobot continues to drive innovation in the travel industry with the release of the first end-to-end travel app that provides personalized advice and tools at every phase of your journey, from discovering to sharing and from planning to booking.

Gogobot has always offered users personalized travel advice based on recommendations from friends and like-minded people. Now, for the first time, Gogobot gives mobile users the ability to let anyone browse places nearby or in more than 60,000 destinations and find a curated list of the top restaurants, hotels and things to do based on what is trending in your personal network. The new app accentuates the personal with recommendations from fellow travelers you know, from those who have not only visited but reviewed places, making trip planning easier than ever. Anyone can also browse full-screen photos in a newly designed, photo carousel-style layout; directly book a trip from their iPhone (via Booking.com); see where their friends and those in their network have visited; and read their friends' recommendations of those places.

"We wanted to make the first app that lets you take all the steps associated with travel, from the planning to the sharing of your experiences," said CEO and co-founder Travis Katz. "We've made it even more social, as you can follow where your friends and those in your network are traveling and learn if they liked a destination or have specific tips. With this kind of trusted, personalized advice, and the ability to immediately book or make a reservation, it's easier than ever to turn travel dreams into concrete plans."

New features and improvements on the mobile app

For planning and booking a trip:

- The "explore" tab now lets you search everything near you – or around another destination of your choice. Check on nearby hotels or restaurants and then tap them for even more photos, an expandable description and recommendations. All your friends' reviews are displayed first, as the tab lets you explore the world though their eyes. Browse the hotels, restaurants and things to do in more than 60,000 destinations worldwide, sorted by what is trending in your personal network. The app shows pictures of which friends have been to each place, along with the average rating and other useful information, while always displaying reviews from friends above those from strangers. (Gogobot users have shared more than 10.5 million places and nearly 350,000 reviews and opinions). This curated library of social information makes it faster and easier to identify places you have interest in visiting.

- Find a place you like? With one click, you can save it to a personal trip plan, with click-to-call functionality, maps and directions.

- Ready to book? The app offers real-time pricing for hotels – powered by Booking.com – with the ability to book more than 200,000 hotels with a single click.

- A freshly revamped scrapbook-style "discover" tab that lets you see the coolest places your friends and travelers around the world are visiting, with full-screen pictures and details of each location, including phone numbers and an interactive map that identifies other nearby restaurants, hotels and attractions.

For traveling:

- Geolocation tools to discover the coolest places nearby, from a quiet bistro to a hidden waterfall, again sorted according to their popularity in your own personal network – and with the ability to call ahead to book a table or get directions from where you are standing.

- The new 3-in-1 "create" tab lets you capture your memories and document your travels so you will never forget the amazing places you have visited, whether you are checking in, creating vivid postcards to share your travels in real time, or creating a custom guide from your trip.

- Checking in at the airport becomes a new type of social experience: Rather than simply letting people know you're at an airport, Gogobot stamps your digital passport with a cool, retro badge when you check in and lets friends know you're on your way or back from your trip. Plus, it lets you add a personalized note, such as "I can't wait to see the Eiffel Tower!"

For after the trip:

- The "passport" tab helps you remember all the best places you have been (gathering check-ins, postcards, arrivals and departures) and organizes them for you – either automatically by location or in the form of custom guides (e.g. my favorite sushi restaurants) so you can always remember that little bistro you visited in Monmartre. You can use these guides to turn your phone into a slideshow for your friends to show off all the places you visited, or send the places you loved to friends looking for advice.

Since its launch in 2010, Gogobot has steadily built a user base that in May 2012 passed the 1 million registered user threshold and has since more than doubled. Adding a new user every 15 seconds, Gogobot now spotlights more than 10.5 million places members have shared with friends and those in their network.