Travly is a new social-first discovery and hotel booking platform designed to cater to the growing number of travelers who rely on short-form video content for travel ideas.
The platform features user-generated content that provides authentic reviews of hotels rather than generic information or outdated images. Creators who post hotel videos have a chance to earn 5% commission on bookings.
Co-founded by travel enthusiasts Zak Longo (CEO) and Mayur Patil (COO), Travly originally started as a travel network on Instagram and TikTok. In the summer of 2022, the duo acquired @Travel and built a social community of millions of followers across Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. Longo and Patil run a total of 45 channels on Instagram and TikTok, including @Cruises, @Hotels, @Resorts, and @Vacation. Combined, these pages receive over 1 billion views per month. Travly also has an ambassador group of about 1,000 creators who help hosts trade their brands on their social media accounts.
The company recently dabbled in developing its own travel discovery products, using its insights to launch a video-focused booking platform and mobile app. Travly has integrated with Booking.com to power search across millions of hotels around the world.
Image credit: Travly
“We always thought, ‘Okay, we need a product to support this,'” Longo told TechCrunch. “So we put our heads together and thought, ‘Why not create a booking platform?’” Because these days, it feels like a new generation of travelers are using social media as a search tool… We hope our network can bridge the gap and help people book what they see on social media. ”
The platform is currently accepting video submissions, and anyone with a high-quality video of a hotel will receive a 5% commission on all bookings made through the platform for that hotel. Travly only accepts one video per hotel and may replace it if it performs poorly.
“We’re going to analyze whether video is not performing optimally for hotels, and we want to be fair to hotels in that regard,” Longo said, explaining that Travly considers factors such as average view time and click-through rate. For example, if a hotel offers a new amenity they want to promote, they might swap out new and updated videos.
tech crunch event
San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026
Travly has promoted about 2,000 signups and 500 video posts so far.
Image credit: Travly
Another thing that makes Travly stand out is its Destination Dupes feature. A playful spin on cosmetics’ camo, or product-like replicas, Travly compares luxury destinations to more affordable destinations with a similar feel. This feature not only helps users save money, but also helps them find hidden gems that offer a similar experience. For example, we highlight the price difference between hotels in London (approximately $325 per night) and hotels in Krakow, Poland (approximately $75 per night), offering similar attractions at a lower price. Although Krakow is not a global cultural and financial center like London, it is known for its culture, cobblestone streets, and historic buildings.
If users are still confused about where to travel next, they can click the Find New Directions button to answer a series of questions and get hand-picked ideas. For example, if you’re looking for a relaxing vacation on a budget, Travly’s AI assistant will find hotels that fit your criteria.
In the future, Travly aims to expand its services and integrate more experiences into its platform. These include travel packages, restaurant reservations, and concert ticket offers, giving you a comprehensive travel planning experience. In terms of additional revenue, the company is also considering running ads on the platform.
The creator economy is estimated to be a $250 billion industry, with market size expected to nearly double to $480 billion by 2027, and other startups in the booking space are also jumping on board with the travel influencer trend. Plannin is a new travel booking platform founded by former Priceline executives that allows creators to monetize their hotel recommendations.
