Hospitality chain OYO launches light version of app

Gurugram-based Oravel Stays Pvt Ltd which operates hospitality network OYO Hotels & Homes, has launched a light version of its app to improve the user experience.

The company said in a statement that the OYO Lite app incorporates all the functionalities of the main app and has been designed to work in areas of low connectivity or low networks. The Android app’s size is about 800 kilobytes (KB). This is less than 7% of the size of the full-scale app.

“OYO Lite has been designed as a solution to key problems users face -- connectivity and storage constraints on phones. The Lite app is a step forward in the direction of creating a more seamless and convenient experience,” said Anil Goel, chief technology officer at OYO. “We feel that this product would be ideal for travellers who are remotely connected to the internet as well as those with basic smartphones,” he added.

The homegrown hospitality unicorn had raised $75 million in funding from San Francisco-based home-sharing network Airbnb last month. OYO also took its hotel offerings to Japan by virtue of its joint venture with SoftBank Group Corp and the Tokyo-headquartered internet giant’s SoftBank Vision Fund.

Earlier this year, Gurugram-based OYO announced its plans to invest $200 million in India and Southeast Asia, with one of its stated aims being to improve customer experience, an area which the Lite app intends to address.

The company entered the home retail segment last October by launching a new vertical, OYO Living, which aims at hospitality solutions for young professionals and students.