The idea for the Wanderlust app began when two of our founders took a road trip across the country and ended up spending one night in a national forest and drove straight through another night powered by energy drinks because they couldn’t find a hotel to stay at for the night due to hotel age restrictions. This isn’t an uncommon experience, as around 62% of hotels don’t allow travelers under 21 to check in, and this statistic ranges from 0% to 95% in any given city, therefore making navigating these hotel policies a proven headache. Our app aims to empower young adults to travel by systematically dismantling these travel barriers, first by showing hotels that 18-to-21-year-olds can check into and then helping them plan their trip around these verified hotels with our free itineraries for different destinations each month.
After stepping into the travel industry with our app, we will utilize user feedback to continue tackling the most poignant and debilitating barriers to travel, including navigating car rentals and finding quality activities within a tight budget, until we are the go-to travel app for young adults, no matter where their destination is.