May 25, 2012 01:02 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Students seeking cheap and reliable accommodations for travel may not have to rely on hotels, hostels or luckily-placed friends any more.

Through Hometel Travel's college groups, students can find accommodations with their classmates, or even rent a room from an alumnus.

Hometel offers a travel experience that serves as an alternative to hotel stays. Whether one is searching for a couch to crash on, or a house to rent with friends, Hometel Travel has a variety of options for searching within specific college and university networks. One can reserve a spare bedroom for a night or an apartment for a whole semester.

This alternative dimension in travel accommodations can potentially link new people together when they travel. Those looking for an in-depth local experience may have a better chance at finding those experiences if they're bunking up with locals in any given town or city, according to the press release.

Hometel founder and CEO, Randy Williams said in the press release that students will be able to find university connections all over the world, which will result in a more fulfilling and affordable travel experience overall.

"Students can now travel on a budget without having to pass on great travel opportunities and without being treated like second-class travelers," Williams said in the press release, who founded Hometel Travel in 2010.

Prospective Hometel hosts are reviewed by travelers based on hosts profile data. Hosts can reveal as much information they want about themselves and their residences on an online profile like Facebook. Similarly, the company Couch Surfing offers travelers of all walks of life a profile-specific forum of members worldwide who wish to share their accommodations with others.

Source: PR Web; Hometel Travel

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