For most university students, staying on campus is the best way to concentrate on their studies. However, with the increase in enrolment in universities that does not correspond to the expansion of physical infrastructure, like hostels, most students have found themselves living off campus.
Finding a suitable accommodation is very challenging for such students who search endlessly sometimes; while some eventually get accommodation, they fall victim to fraudsters.
This is why Jimoh Ibraheem, Omikunle Mariam, and Akinade Akinyinka birthed Hostelconnect on September 20, 2016, in a bid to effortlessly connect students with hostel agents around their institutions.
How Hostelconnect works
All a user needs do is either register as a student or agent. Students search through the directory of hostels on the platform using different search options such as institution, price, etc. to filter the search. Once a suitable hostel is found, users can compare prices, facilities (availability of electricity, water, etc.) and connect with the agent to schedule a tour.
Users can also search for other important places (such as hospitals, libraries, pharmacies etc.) close to a particular hostel and save a search in order to get notified if any hostel matches the saved criteria.
As a means of offering optimal service, Hostelconnect gives accommodation tips to students and also advises them to contact multiple hostel agents to get more responses in order to get the best hostel deals.
Although Mypadi, Hostelfinder, and OffCampus amongst others are its competitors, Hostelconnect hopes to stand out with its interactive website and 24/7 customer service.
The startup currently generates revenue from adverts on its platform and social media handles.
Thoughts
As Hostelconnect helps reduce the stress of searching for suitable accommodation, it is important to note that verification of these hostels will go a long way to help students not to fall victim to fraudsters, which sometimes leads to double payment.
Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime. Privacy Policy.
Hostelconnect currently lists hostels in Lagos, Benin, and Kwara. Like all other startups, the vision is to widen its reach and eventually scale across Africa.
Want your startup featured on Techpoint?Pitch it here.
