DUBAI: Have a couple of hours to kill before your next flight? Then this newly-launched app in Dubai could just be the thing for you.
‘ByHours’, a brainchild of Spaniard Guillermo Gaspart, allows visitors to check into a number of city hotels for three, six or 12 hours.
“Dubai and Abu Dhabi are considered one of the top airport hubs in the Middle East. Our main users include people who are on transit or are in Dubai for business. We have partnered with over 127 hotels in Bahrain and UAE,” said Gaspart, who was in Dubai last week to launch the app. “We currently have budget options, but you’ll see more luxury properties in the coming weeks.”
The price for three hours in Dubai hotels through the ByHours app ranges from Dh90 to Dh181. “The same hotel room for a day’s check-in would range anywhere between Dh140 and Dh330,” said Gaspart. According to him, the most opted categories in the UAE are six and 12 hours. “People who are in transit usually meet their friends for a while and like to get some rest before catching their next flight. The 12-hour option is what they usually opt for,” said Gaspart.
Omar Bashir, 37, who travels from Saudi Arabia to the UAE every week, said the app is a problem solver.
“I usually end up spending four to five hours at airport lounges. Now I check into a nearby hotel using the app and get some rest before heading back to Damam,” he said.
“It’s very convenient for me as most hotels listed on the app are located close to Dubai International Airport.”
Recently, the UAE Cabinet gave the nod to draft a general policy to grant entry visas to transit passengers.
According to Dubai Inter-national airport, about 70 per cent of the passengers who passed through the UAE’s airports in 2017 were transit passengers.
Industry experts reckon the new visa policy will allow these passengers to enjoy a day out in the country, thus boosting the country’s tourism industry.
