A new blockchain-based hotel booking platform launching
today at CES promises to take no commission on bookings and give back about 5%
of each transaction to travelers that use the site.
BTU-Hotel is one of the first services being built by Paris-based
Booking Token Unit (BTU) Protocol, which describes itself as a “building block
for any decentralized application or website” that offers booking features for
its end users, for example in industries such as travel, finance, healthcare, automotive
and more.
BTU Protocol co-founder Vidal Chriqui
says the hotel service is launching with inventory primarily provided by CDS
Groupe, totaling about two million hotels and other properties worldwide. The
system is set up as a metasearch, showing users the lowest rates from more than
110 suppliers, including global distribution systems, online travel agencies
and some brand sites.
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“When the booking is completed, after you check in, you get 5%
back as a reward because you have used our system,” Chriqui says.
“It’s kind of universal loyalty points. It’s in the form of
BTU cryptocurrency but you can use it to book other stays or convert it into
money or we have an option to convert them into gift cards."
BTU Protocol conducted a token sale from March to June 2018
that raised $5.5 million. Chriqui says the system does not take any commission
on transactions but rather will make money from the economic exchange of the
BTU token.