When travellers make an online booking for Rydges this winter, they will have a one-in-five chance of getting the room for free. This gamification element to online hotel bookings is powered by software from Sydney start-up Wynbox. It is just the latest in a conga-line of innovations disrupting the travel industry. When the Wynbox system was deployed by Rydges last year, it doubled the hotel’s usual number of room bookings and the hotel chain is set to run the promotion again this winter. Wynbox co-founder and chief executive Damien Cantelo explains that the system guarantees purchasers the lowest available room rate, but also offers them a one in five chance of getting the room for free once they have committed to a booking. “The value for the guest is clear, and for the hotel it’s driving additional bookings,” explains Cantelo, adding that hotels no longer have to resort to deep discounting to drive sales. Get the full story at the Financial Review