New LodgeNet "Mega App" With Super-Suite of Features
Enhances, Integrates and Upgrades Travelers' Experience
Via Smartphones, Tablets and Interactive TV
LodgeNet Interactive Corporation (NASDAQ: LNET), the
leading provider
of interactive media and connectivity services to
hospitality and healthcare businesses and the consumers
they serve, has announced a groundbreaking LodgeNet
Mobile App for the travel market.
"With 75% of travelers carrying smartphones today1, mobile devices have significantly changed how travelers behave and what they expect from hotels, airlines and every supplier within the travel eco-system," said Derek S. White, President of Interactive & Media Networks for LodgeNet. "The LodgeNet Mobile App was developed to be fun, fast and very easy to use so that travelers can customize their hotel and travel experience in everything from the movies they watch, to the restaurants they dine in, to the hotel services and local entertainment options they choose - all managed and controlled through their own mobile device."
"The LodgeNet Mobile App is unique because it fully controls the in-room interactive TV - which continues to be the centerpiece of the guest room experience as 98% of all travelers turn on the television - and it incorporates a super-suite of features that addresses the diverse needs travelers have over the course of their trip," White continued. "And with the LodgeNet Mobile App, currently available in over 500,000 guest rooms, we have a reach of over 200 million travelers annually in the most popular hotels and all major brands across the country. We believe many travelers will create an emotional connection with this unique mobile app by tying into the features that matter most to them when they are away from home."
Upgrading the Travel Experience Through In-Trip
Engagement
Travelers who download the free LodgeNet Mobile App from
the
Apple
®
App Store or the AndroidTM
Market
will have an "always-on" personal hotel and travel resource
to help them plan their trip and enrich their time at their
hotel destination. The LodgeNet Mobile platform and
application was created in response to extensive research
on how travelers interact with mobile and media
technologies throughout their trip. This focus on "in-trip
engagement" is reflected in the LodgeNet Mobile App's three
feature sets:
-
In-Room Entertainment. The LodgeNet Mobile App
enables hotel guests to use their own smartphones or
iPad® devices in place of the in-room remote for
navigating the LodgeNet interactive TV (iTV) system.
"Today's tech-savvy consumers don't see the point of
picking up a separate device just to watch TV," said Todd
Kelly, Vice President of Mobile for LodgeNet, citing
recent data that indicates 40% of users aged 18-34 prefer
to control their TV viewing experience with a smartphone
or tablet.2 "The mobile device-as-remote is the shape of
things to come, and we want to be out in front of that
trend." Kelly added that the LodgeNet Mobile app is
designed to support both folio and credit card payment
options as well as other value-added features such as an
Interactive Program Guide, a highly requested service
that will display the channels, times and programs
available at the hotel where a guest is staying.
-
Local Area Services. In a recent survey of
travelers, more than 95% rated local recommendations as
important to them.3 The LodgeNet Mobile App presents
local dining and entertainment options to travelers in a
mobile-optimized format that includes metadata such as
photos and contact information. A team of editors
recommends a select set of options targeted to the hotel
class and traveler profile, based on local insight and
ingestion of popular online user reviews. "Essentially,
this is a virtual version of a personal travel planner
that can help travelers get more out of their trip by
connecting them with the lodging, dining and
entertainment options that best suit their needs and
interests," said Kelly.
- Hotel Services. Beyond entertainment and local information, the LodgeNet Mobile App also facilitates a range of services that can benefit hoteliers and improve the traveler's hotel stay experience. Examples of this include the ability to order room service while in transit or poolside, making on-site restaurant or spa reservations, and even mobile checkout with an e-mail receipt. "We designed the app to be easily customized by our hotel partners as well as to integrate with LodgeNet's iTV systems," explained Kelly.
"With the mobile device as the gateway to the interactive
in-room experience, the LodgeNet Mobile App establishes the
foundation for new revenue opportunities," said
White. "Mobile has the potential to invigorate our
entertainment base and extend our relationship with
travelers before, during and after their stay by
establishing more touch points, supporting more promotions
and broadening payment options to make the travel
experience more convenient and create more value
overall. At the same time, it enables hotels to
communicate with their guests in a seamless way between the
mobile device and interactive television screen."
For more information about the LodgeNet Mobile Platform and
Application, please contact Ann Parker, Director of
Corporate Communications at LodgeNet Interactive at (605)
988-1000, or Vanessa Horwell, Media Relations Liaison at
(305) 749-5342 x 232 or vanessa@thinkinkpr.com.
2Source: Altman Vilandrie & Company and Research Now
3Source: Monitor Venture Services
distribué par | Ce noodl a été diffusé par LodgeNet Entertainment Corporation et initialement mise en ligne sur le site http://www.lodgenet.com. La version originale est disponible ici. Ce noodl a été distribué par noodls dans son format d'origine et sans modification sur 2012-01-30 18:33:05 PM et restera accessible depuis ce lien permanent. Cette annonce est protégée par les règles du droit d'auteur et toute autre loi applicable, et son propriétaire est seul responsable de sa véracité et de son originalité. |