Smartphones answer the call of travelers

Weary travelers seeking refuge late in the night used to have few options other than to pay full price for hotel rooms offering vacancy. However, the growing popularity of mobile hotel booking applications offers a lifeline to travelers on a budget seeking shelter for the night in an unfamiliar city.

The apps make it possible to book a room at a four-star hotel at a two-star price, even at the last minute. Today, Lifestyle takes a look at some of the hotel booking apps offering big discounts on domestic hotel rates. So grab your smartphones, download the apps and take advantage of top-notch hotel accommodation at a price that won't break the bank next time you're away from home.

Hotel VP

Available in English and Chinese and compatible with Apple and Android gadgets, Hotel VP was launched by the Shanghai-based HUBS1 Interactive Corporation late last year. The app attracted 100,000 unique downloads within the first three days of its launch.

Cooperating with star-rated hotels in nine Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuhan, users can book hotels after 6 pm with up to an 80 percent discount - a lucrative option for travelers after creature comforts on a shoestring budget.

Booking fees can often be paid at the front desk, but this varies from hotel to hotel. Partner hotels of Hotel VP include the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Hilton Hotel and Raffles Hotel.

Qunar

Available only in Chinese for Apple devices, this app spawned from Beijing-based online travel search engine Qunar.com and offers information and bookings of flight tickets and hotels. Making good use of its powerful search engine, the app can refine results based on users' requirements, budgets and locality. Once again, more lucrative discounts are offered after 6 pm.

Qunar's other hotel booking app for those with slightly more to spend, Boutique HD, has a comprehensive directory of boutique hotels in the country, such as the Opposite House in Beijing and Jing's Residence in Pingyao, Shanxi Province. It provides photos and users' comments on different hotels to allow travelers to make an informed decision based on others' experiences.

Priceline Negotiator

Available in English for Apple gadgets, this app was launched by the Priceline Group, a leading global online hotel booking company. The app implores its users to "never pay full price for a hotel again," and offers photos, reviews and guest ratings of hotels to compare deals and find the ideal place to bunk down for the night. It offers bigger discounts the sooner guests check-in to hotels, but usually requires at least a four-night stay. Boasting some 200,000 participating hotels worldwide, nightly room rates prices vary from $35 to more than $400. Users who book hotels using the app can expect to receive an e-mail with a $25 coupon for future hotel bookings.

Booking

Available in an impressive 19 languages including English, Chinese and French and compatible with Apple gadgets, this app offers an easy, secure way to book hotels often at discounted rates. Launched by Booking.com, which claims to be the world's leading online hotel reservations agency of 195,000 hotels worldwide, the app has been downloaded eight million times already.

Hipmunk

This English-language app's cheeky cartoon chipmunk adorably dressed in a bellhop's uniform is at the service of Apple and Android users. Run a search on Hipmunk, and the app will provide dots on a map displaying where hotels are relative to your location. Color-coded dots represent what Hipmunk determines as the best deals, while maps show how close attractions are to listed hotels.