Eatout.co.ke founders all set to launch a travel site Sleepout.co.ke

Sleepout.co.ke, simply described as “Search, find and book Accommodation in Africa,” has been operating for several months now and founders are planning to launch the site officially.

Users can search for accommodation by type, destination, price and activity. Users also get to rate and give views of the places they have stayed in.

Mikul Shah, the Co-Founder and CEO of the Eatout.co.ke told HumanIPO: “The idea was in our heads as soon as we launched Eat Out, but we decided to focus on getting the first brand to be profitable and build up our presence.”

Sleepout.co.ke has been having serious campaigns online. Although the site has not been launched, it approximately receives over 500 page views per day. The views are set to increase by the time the site is launched, the founders hope.

Mikul says they have put in place sales mechanism to market the site in the coming months and they expect to have over 2,000 establishments by next year. Establishments will pay a fee for listing their properties on the site.

In Nigeria, Hotels.com.ng was launched to showcase the hotels available in Nigeria by state. The site has been a huge success, attracting over 1,000 hotels and restaurants on the platform within a short time.

Airbnb, is a worldwide accommodation site that has been successful over the years. In February last year, Airbnb announced its 1,000,000 booking since they launched in August 2008.

Mikul is confident on the future of tourism and Sleepout.co.ke.

“I think tourists will demand more choice and therefore package deals will be on the decline,” he said.

Others who have been part of the site include Johann Jenson (CEO and Co-Founder of Sleepout.co.ke), Nicholas J Dear who handles the IT issues, Alberto Pacheco Capella who acts as an advisor and an investor.

There is no word yet on when the site will be set going although it’s expected to launch sometime in June.