Yandex.Travel, part of Russia-based Yandex IT giant, has updated its smartphone app to allow users to select hotels based on specific criteria, such as sea views, hotel interiors and style.
Yandex.Travel says in a press release that the application will help users find places to stay off the beaten track, as well as get inspired to travel to new cities and countries.
The application lists more than 100,000 hotels, hostels, guest houses, etc. in different parts of the world, but most users choose familiar places and popular tourist destinations, it says.
The new functionality is meant to inspire travelers to choose new destinations. Some users have commented that Yandex.Travel is trying to check a decline in bookings due to disgruntled customers.
The app now offers thematic searches for destinations: “Like in the movies”, “When you want to go to the mountains”, “Like in the books” and “Local flavor”. In “Like in the movies,” there are hotels inspired by the likes of “The Hobbit” and “Harry Potter”, for example.