Interesting moves in the same-day hotel booking world this morning with news that Germany-based JustBook has been acquired by Secret Escapes.
Terms of the deal have not been disclosed but JustBook managing director Stefan Menden confirmed the deal with the private sales was closed before Christmas after initial talks began in September.
JustBook launched two years ago (TLabs here) as a mobile-only, last-minute hotel booking service but then launched a website a year ago and widened out its inventory to hotels that could be purchased further in advance.
Menden believes customers in Europe are not really looking for same-day, mobile-only application and sometimes need other options and booking channels.
He adds that Secret Escapes approached JustBook because it wanted to get into mobile as well as into the German market.
Menden confirmed the team would be staying on to pursue a mobile strategy for Secret Escapes and that although plans have not been confirmed, it is likely that the JustBook brand will merge with the flash sales service.
Currently, work is being done to develop a joint application for Secret Escapes and JustBook.
Secret Escapes was launched about three years ago by former dealchecker founders Alex Saint, Troy Collins and Andrew Bredon.
The luxury flash sales site secured £8 million in funding about 15 months ago with plans to invest in international expansion.
Saint says Secret Escapes, will continue to eye up acquisitions of travel businesses with 'particular skills or in particular territories'.
He adds that JustBook team will run Secret Escapes in Germany as well as work on the mobile strategy.
"The model they are running right now crosses over into flash sales and we cross over into mobile apps so there is no real learning curve there. We already get about 50% of our audience via our mobile optimised site."
Groupon acquired Spain-based Blink in September.