iStopOver
In times of great need, a man knows he can always tuck his tail between his legs and go crash with his parents -- but what if his parents won't take him on vacation, perhaps due to resentment surrounding frequent times of great need? He posts up at somebody else's house, with iStopOver.
Freshly launched iStop connects travelers with folks renting their homes/apartments for short-term stays, generally way undercutting nearby hotel room rates, like a B&B without the breakfast, therefore making it just a B. The first one. To find a temp-abode, pop in your destination city (currently major hubs from NYC, to Miami, to Seattle, as well as Canada and some Euro favorites) and date/amenity parameters to get matches returned on a map and listed by price; most feature numerous hi-res photos, lay out minimum nights, max guests, amenities, etc., and offer a detailed description of the property, whether it's near hiking trails, has a garden, or houses a flatscreen that'll keep you from enjoying hiking or gardens. To keep things kosher, iStop handles all monetary transactions: once you and the renter confirm a stay, iStop holds the funds and gives you a reservation code the renter has to submit to get your cash -- so if you show up and don't like the digs, you can just walk away without giving up your code, then start finding another place that meets your exacting standards for $30 per night.
Going forward, iStop also plans to let "office managers" rent out excess space to short-term occupants -- because a man can have difficulty getting his business off the ground when his mom is constantly interup...ooh, muffins!
