Ovolo & Roomstay Disrupt the Hotel Industry By Offering PlanPay, the First Digital Lay-By Payment Option

Ovolo, PlanPay and RoomStay make booking a hotel even more effortless and ethical

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At a time when rampant inflation and rising interest rates are making it tough for Aussies to budget for their holidays, a new PayTech has entered the Australian market, offering a digital lay-by platform specifically developed for travel to make budgeting better. Contemporary hotel collection, Ovolo Hotels, is the first hotel group to offer PlanPay, which allows guests to use their own money to pay before they stay, in flexible instalments that suit their lifestyle, all with zero credit, zero fees, and zero worries. The PlanPay checkout integration was seamlessly enabled by RoomStay, the leading digital hotel booking engine designed to maximise a hotel’s direct bookings and increase web conversion.

The three pioneering companies’ values aligned around making travel more accessible and helping hotels secure direct bookings at a time when guest’s disposable income is shrinking.

PlanPay is the smarter way to pay because you can lock in room rates ahead of time (up to 2 years in advance) to protect from any price hikes, and you are in charge of the number and frequency of the payments. Best of all, there’s no financial hangover to deal with when you return from your stay, which means that holiday feeling lasts longer.

“Everyone knows that advance bookings are the key to hotel affordability and that the anticipation of the trip is as much a part of the fun as the trip itself. With PlanPay, you can manage both these elements and control your costs for a hassle-free holiday on your own terms,” said Dave Baswal, Ovolo’s Chief Executive Officer. “This means those who are struggling to budget can still afford to live their travel dreams effortlessly without waking up to a financial nightmare.”

Couple in Hotel, thanks to Ovolo, PlanPay and RoomStay

Ovolo and PlanPay are working with leading hotel booking engine RoomStay, to deliver the payment option to all guests. All three companies are known for disrupting their markets and have come together to make travel more accessible and more affordable for all, while creating a seamless booking journey.

"The launch of PlanPay with Ovolo and RoomStay is a great example of using technology to better guest experiences and drive more direct bookings. In today's fast-paced and competitive travel industry, it's crucial to be at the forefront of technology and digital experiences, and that’s why RoomStay’s hotel booking engine leads seamless technology integrations and accommodates the growing needs of hotels,” said Declan Mimnagh, RoomStay’s Founder & CEO.

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PlanPay is great for younger travellers who don’t want to deal with credit cards and is also perfect for families trying to manage their budgets. It unlocks a world of travel experiences by splitting future bookings into flexible instalments, using your own money rather than credit.

“We are excited to launch with a brand like Ovolo that is always innovating the guest experience, to make it easier for their travellers to plan and pay for their next stay and with RoomStay who are known for optimising booking conversion and revenue to build a product that meets the needs of today’s traveller,” said Gary Burrows, CEO of PlanPay. “As the first digital lay-by platform available in checkout, we offer instant approvals, no credit checks, and no penalty fees, which makes PlanPay the best way to eliminate the burden of budgeting.”

For travellers, the booking process is as easy as selecting PlanPay as your preferred payment option when making a booking, and customising instalments that are right for you. Once the payment plan is complete, guests are free to enjoy the many Ovolo perks and experiences on offer – from the design-driven rooms with all of the creature comforts to the unique food and beverage experiences – with no strings attached.

PlanPay was born out of a desire to make life-changing travel moments accessible to everyone and comes at a time when people are moving away from purchasing goods and towards purchasing experiences like travel.

While Ovolo is the founding hotel partner to offer PlanPay, the aim is to bring more travel providers onto the platform to offer experiences where travellers have endless options for payment to suit their specific needs.

PlanPay is now available when booking direct through the website at all Ovolo or By Ovolo Collective hotels across Australia.

For hotels, offering PlanPay as a payment option for guests can be seamlessly integrated into web checkout with RoomStay's hotel booking engine.

 

About Ovolo

The Ovolo Group was founded by entrepreneur Girish Jhunjhnuwala and first entered the real estate market in 2002; then further expanded into the hotel industry in 2010. Ovolo Group quickly became one of Hong Kong and Australia’s most leading independent hospitality brands by providing guests with the best in effortless living across hotels and food and beverage outlets.

The Ovolo Group is a collection of contemporary hotels that keep you connected to the little luxuries you love, all effortlessly included. The company prides itself on being in touch with the modern traveller through award-winning interior designs, detail-driven comforts, complimentary value-added services like the mini bar and breakfast, with cutting-edge technology. Ovolo Hotels have been acknowledged for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence, receiving the accolade “Hotel Brand of the Year”, at the 2019, 2020 and 2022 HM Awards.

Ovolo Group is currently operating 13 hotels and 14 restaurants & bars under two brands, Ovolo Hotels and By Ovolo Collective, across Hong Kong, Australia in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, and Bali.

Whilst Ovolo Hotels remains the core of Ovolo Group’s ethos, providing a uniquely rich experience, full of eye-catching art and vibrant interiors alongside it’s signature Perks, it also operates By Ovolo Collective a distinctive collection of hotels - each one unique, each one special, the more guests explore, the more they’ll find. 

At Ovolo, it all starts with our own people – whose care, creativity and passion for hospitality creates a ‘feel-good’ factor that keeps guests coming back time and time again. Whose effervescence and bright minds help make every day, and every stay – an experience filled with wonder. 

Ovolo also recognises the activities of our hotels and restaurants have the potential for negative impacts on the environment and community if not properly managed. Ovolo is committed to achieving best-practice environmental and social sustainability. When people do good, they feel good. So, we aim to be a force for good. On every level – from its individuals to its communities, and our planet – it’s clear for all to see. We care.

Ovolo acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we are located. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters, and culture, and pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging.

 

About PlanPay

PlanPay, launched in February 2023 and led by CEO Gary Burrows and Chair Sophie Karzis, is transforming the travel industry by offering a digitized lay-by platform which allows customers to unlock a world of travel experiences without the financial hangover.

The seamless technology integrates directly into a merchant’s checkout experience, enabling customers to personalise the number and frequency of their instalments, up to 2 years in advance of their travel date. Once their payments are complete, they’re free to enjoy the experience they’ve paid for with no further strings attached. With PlanPay customers can look forward to what they’ve planned for, not back at the debt that weighs them down. With no late fees, no interest and no penalties whatsoever, PlanPay is completely free for customers to use.

Merchants are able to utilise PlanPay to increase lead times and provide pricing incentives without discounting. By breaking down the cost into instalments merchants can drive conversion, reduce abandon cart, increase yield, and reduce the cost of customer acquisition. PlanPay’s market leading merchant fee structure is a fraction of the cost of OTAs and fully integrates with backend systems, unifying the experience for both the customer and the merchant.

 

About RoomStay

RoomStay is a leading booking engine platform created with one goal in mind — to help hotels drive more direct bookings. With a fully responsive and customisable platform and a superior booking experience, we help hotels compete against digitally sophisticated OTAs, skyrocketing conversion rates and direct bookings.
With RoomStay hotel customers have a seamless, secure, and brand-aligned booking experience. Our booking engine ensures that customers stay on a hotel’s website throughout the entire booking process, meaning a better customer experience and improved web conversion.
RoomStay was founded in 2020 with headquarters in Sydney and a team spanning over 10 countries.
Our team is made up of some of the best and brightest in the industry, bringing decades of experience working with hotels and OTAs and advanced technical and analytical know-how to help build the future of hotel booking technology.