Social Good Travel Site ROOOMR says “Book a room, change a life”

Curated travel booking sites are trending like pop-up restaurants and movie sequels , they’re everywhere. That’s why when we heard about Rooomr, we sat up and took notice. Firstly, most of the current sites come in two flavors: budget or bling-fest. What if you’re way past hostels and sketchy three-stars but you’re not a trust-funder either? By contrast Rooomr has sought out a collection of eclectic and boutique properties around the world, all set against a backdrop of arts and culture events.  What’s more, with the motto “Book a Room Change a Life,” Rooomr donates five percent (5%) of their gross revenues to at-risk youth each time a room is booked (as in not out of their profits once costs have been met, but right out of every booking). Specifically, Rooomr is partnering with The RE*Generation, Virgin Mobile USA’s charitable initiative tackling youth homelessness, run by Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, which focuses on “empowering a generation to help its own.” Rooomr also guarantees price parity with other sites, and passes none of the donation costs on to the consumer.

As far as the travelers the new site (now in beta) seeks to attract, Rooomr is focused on appealing to a savvy, socially responsible and eclectic, diverse group normally ignored by the one-size-fits-all travel establishment. You know, people like you, our readers. Adding an experiential element, the site creators also pair their curated selection around the world with arts and culture festivals of special interest to this savvy set of travelers, including music festivals like Coachella and Winter Music Conference; film festivals like Sundance, Toronto, Cannes and Berlin; fashion weeks in London, Paris and New York; as well as voluntourism opportunities and eco-treks. Rooomr is also creating their own content relevant to their customers, including travel-related interviews, hotel reviews and select Instagram feeds. An example is this post by activist/scholar/author REZA ASLAN, who shared his favorite travel tips on ROOMR’s blog.  To all this, we can only say get a Rooomr.