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December 29, 2014

Villy – Smarter Advice, Better Trips

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Villy was created to make it easier for people to plan vacations and trips to places they’ve never been before. Rather than spending hours researching hotels, Villy gives travelers a way to quickly learn about the best neighborhoods in cities around the globe. The company has partnered with travel experts to bring its users exclusive deals on selected hotels, as well.

Select the city you’re planning to visit, and begin “discovering” what Villy has to offer. To refine its suggestions, Villy invites you to select the things you want to see and do while traveling—for example, to shop or visit museums—along with who is traveling and how much money you hope to spend on a hotel. Based on this information, Villy will recommend neighborhoods for you, ranked with scores that are based on a combination of your preferences and “expert” opinions. For more detailed results, enter your vacation dates along the top panel. You can review a neighborhood list, and see all the hotels Villy has recommended in one place by clicking on the “Hotels” tab.

Villy’s integration with Trip Advisor lets you see the average rating for each hotel it recommends, while Villy’s travel experts provide detailed lists of all the best things to do in each neighborhood. Users who are interested in sharing hidden gems in their own cities can apply to become experts on Villy’s platform.

Practical Uses:

  • Find out the best places to stay in Paris
  • Learn about the best shopping spots in San Francisco
  • Get travel recommendations from locals in New York
  • Save money when booking five-star hotels in Europe

Insider Tips:

  • Adjust the price per night to see different hotel options
  • Browse through specific neighborhood tags, like Hipster, Nightlife, or Artsy
  • Users can apply to become travel experts on Villy
  • Villy has partnered with Expedia for its hotel deals

What we liked:

  • Villy’s integrated maps are fun to use
  • Recommendations are customized based on the type of trip a person is planning
  • Showing the best things to do in a specific neighborhood is more helpful than an entire city
  • Villy has combined data and algorithms with human advice

What we didn’t like:

  • Users may be able to find better deals on hotels outside Villy’s platform

Alternatives:

Company Info:

  • Launched: 2014
  • Privately Held
  • Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
  • Founded by: Rami Lachter and Itai Turbahn
  • Web site: http://www.villy.co

Costs:

  • Free

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