Kayak has confirmed it will move into hotel management with the opening of the Kayak Miami Beach.

The company, which was an early pioneer of flight metasearch in 2004 but has since become something of a second-tier player, will open the doors to the property next month.

“We see a big opportunity to apply our audience and technology to the accommodations space to level the playing field for independent hotels,” said Steve Hafner, chief
executive of Kayak.

“Our Miami Beach property will serve as our hotel design lab and deepen our knowledge of hospitality and showcase our growing capabilities.”

Guests of Kayak Miami Beach will enjoy numerous innovations during their stay.

All check-ins/outs are contactless through either the Kayak mobile app or a digital lobby kiosk.

The app will provide 24/7 access to hotel staff and support, notifications of on-property events, room-ready alerts, itinerary management, housekeeping requests and more.

Every room features a mix of tech-forward amenities from connected TVs to Marshall speakers.

Behind the scenes, the property is a design lab for Kayak to build and refine its accommodation technology.

The backend software, currently in early development, is intended to help independent hotels leverage the Kayak app and capitalise on the latest advances.

It will include integrations to cloud-based property management systems, wireless lock and access controls and distribution channel management.

Kayak will incorporate consumer and pricing insights from the billions of travel queries that it processes annually.

The technology is being developed in partnership with Life House, a vertically-integrated hotel brand and management company.

Life House will help shape the on-site guest experience, manage hotel operations, and enable guests to interact with staff as much or as little as they prefer.

Kayak said it would be exploring additional locations to help refine its software for different property sizes and types.