Does This Last-Minute Hotel Deals App Actually Work?

Travel is becoming more and more of a last-minute pursuit. With an ever-growing number of instant booking sites and apps ripe for the picking, making vacation plans on the go is becoming a much easier task. Accommodation planning, in particular, has seen a shift towards snap decision-making: According to a travel industry report by Sojern, 50% of all hotel bookings in the U.S. are made within three days prior to the check-in date.

Perhaps the most talked-about app that has made this possible is HotelTonight, a startup that claims to offer last-minute hotel reservations — for a stay as soon as tonight and up to seven days out — at a discounted rate. While the app's offerings are available at many major cities in North America, Europe, and Australia, you won't be able to find much information about how it really works — unless you actually commit to downloading the app.

Ever so curious to test out a new service that promises to make travel planning less of a headache, I tried out the app on a week night in London. Click through for everything you should know before playing it by ear on your next trip.