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2011 year-end hotel technology review

January 12, 2012 | Hotel Marketing

The importance of IT innovation in the hospitality world was recognized once again by InformationWeek’s listing of the U.S.’s 500 most innovative business technology users, which included seven hospitality companies in the top 250. This article covers some of the major technology topics in hospitality.

It was definitely the year mobile devices of all types became mainstream, along with a growing integration of social media sites into more traditional hotel systems. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) released iPhone booking apps for each of its seven brands, launched 120 free iPad Concierge Insider Guides and reported a nearly 1,000 percent increase in room night bookings from mobile devices. MGM released Android versions of 12 hotel applications for booking rooms and activities, and Motel 6 released an app for Apple devices. Genares and InnLink released mobile booking engines, Expedia announced an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and RIM released a BlackBerry Travel app integrating itineraries, profiles and flight status updates into BlackBerry Calendar.

To help international travelers, FCS’ i-Guest Hotels Finder app played recordings of directions to a hotel in the local language for lost guests to play back to taxi drivers, and Marriott offered its mobile app for Apple and Android devices in Chinese, Spanish, German and French. RateTiger released a Blackberry version of its revenue management RTSuite, and Alloso Technologies ported its hospitality business intelligence app to the iPad.

Bringing social media into the mix, Availpro released a Facebook booking engine and RateTiger used Cultuzz Digital Media’s CultBay to post hotel availability on eBay. Sabre’s SocialConversion product suite helped hotels maximize their social media presence; Appnostic and Genares integrated their hotel booking apps with Facebook, and Regatta Travel Solutions launched a Facebook booking engine tool for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs). VFM Leonardo released a Mobile Media Player for its VBrochure, formatting hotel photos, virtual tours, videos and marketing copy for mobile devices.

Get the full story at Jon Inge & Associates

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