By Dipo Olowookere
An online booking platform to allow users secure quality accommodation, great food and awesome experiences has been launched by Transcorp Hotels Plc.
The new initiative called Aura is the company’s first in the alternative accommodation segment aimed to use technology to deliver true hospitality, exciting experiences, and drive shareholder value.
A statement issued by the hospitality giant explained that the organisation will partner with homeowners, hoteliers, restaurateurs, tour operators and locals to redefine travel and tourism through Aura.
Transcorp Hotels believes with the launch of Aura, it has further cemented its leadership in the hospitality industry and reinforced its commitment to innovation and superior guest experience across different demographics.
According to the statement, the service is currently available in Nigeria only with plans already in place to expand to major cities in Africa.
“Finding the right accommodation when you travel can be incredibly complex. Options available for the right prices are often limited and travellers sometimes end up with an accommodation that taints the travel experience.
“Transcorp Hotels Plc has been able to fix that with Aura and we are proud to be associated with them,” Obong Idiong, the CEO of Africa Prudential Plc, Aura’s technology partners, said.
While commenting on the development, the CEO of Transcorp Hotels, Ms Dupe Olusola, described the launch of Aura as “a new dawn in the hospitality industry.”
“For more than 30 years, Transcorp Hotels Plc has been at the forefront of creating a superior guest experience at our locations. Today, our commitment to innovation has offered us an opportunity to extend this beyond the hotel premises,” she noted.
On her part, Ms Priscilla Adeboye, a travel enthusiast and early adopter of Aura, said the global pandemic has pushed international travel down her list.
“But I still want to be able to take some time off work or spend a weekend away from home with the family. I have found incredible homes on Aura that meet my need for space and privacy,” she remarked.
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Modupe Gbadeyanka