Hospitality Trends
prnewswire | September 29, 2023
The IHG One Rewards mobile app is redefining the travel experience with a greater emphasis on customer satisfaction – and it's earning rave reviews. The app's intuitive design and new features seamlessly guide guests through their booking journey from inspiration to customizing their in-room stay experience, all in the palm of their hands. As IHG's fastest-growing booking channel, the app has driven more than half of all digital bookings in 2023 and is the main platform for loyalty engagement. With the ability to inspire adventure, maximize loyalty earnings, and seamlessly integrate into the in-hotel experience, the app has received high ratings of 4.9 stars on the Apple store and 4.8 stars on the Android store.
"At IHG, we believe that technology can redefine hospitality and our IHG One Rewards mobile app is a testament to that. We knew that by placing our app at the center of delivering choice and control to our guests, we could stand out in the industry," said Jolie Fleming, Senior Vice President, Guest Products and Platforms at IHG Hotels & Resorts. "With new features rolling out weekly, we continue to offer greater customization and increased guest engagement through this channel. We have seen positive reviews from our most loyal guests who use the app devotedly and can't travel without it!"
The IHG One Rewards app is packed with new features that set it apart from other hotel apps, including:
New! Travel Wishlists. An in-app exclusive experience, members can now save properties to their Wishlists page to view later – easily allowing them to track future stays or add past stays they enjoyed to their list.
Wi-Fi Auto Connect. When enabled, this feature automatically connects a guest's mobile device to a property's Wi-Fi as soon as they walk through the doors. A one-time sign on is required and takes only two taps to join. More than 1 million users have signed up globally.
Room charges in real time. Guests at more than 3,000 hotels across the Americas can view their room charges as they happen during their stay. Available on the Reservation Summary page, guests can see in-room charges such as room service and dining charges.
Room details and customization. Guests can now easily see the size of the room booked, so there are no surprises when they show up! Plus, IHG has made it easier for guests to personalize their stays, whether that's by booking a room with a view of the mountains or selecting one with more space.
Seamless loyalty benefits experience. IHG One Rewards members can conveniently explore their current loyalty tier benefits and discover the exciting rewards they can unlock as they progress to higher tiers, as well as access and redeem Milestone Rewards, including free nights, food and beverage vouchers and complimentary suite upgrades.
Updated Wallet. Google and Apple Wallet users can add their IHG One Rewards membership and reservations to their digital wallet allowing for convenience and ease during travel.
More languages. The re-architected app is available in 20 languages across six global and Greater China focused app stores.
Jolie Fleming added: "Our app is designed for a new kind of loyalty program and for a new kind of traveler. We designed this app with our customers and are proud to say that it has exceeded expectations. The app's exceptional adoption rate, positive user feedback, and transformative impact on guest experiences has reinforced IHG's standing as a global leader in redefining hospitality through technology."
The IHG One Rewards mobile app also offers members a Best Price Guarantee with no hidden fees; and the ability to track the availability of rooms in their favorite hotels. Plus, guests are able to use guest service support and chat directly with customer care representatives directly in the app. And, for our top tier Diamond Elite members, they get priority access to Dedicated Diamond Support through the app.
The future of the IHG One Rewards mobile app
The mobile app has come out of a transformational year and new updates are always on the horizon. Upcoming features include the launch of Apple AirPlay at IHG Hotels & Resorts and virtual 360° tours of select Hotel Indigo properties globally. Not to mention, guests will soon be able to share Wishlists with friends and family, making the travel booking experience even more engaging and fun.
ABOUT IHG HOTELS & RESORTS
IHG Hotels & Resorts is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.
With a family of 19 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in over 100 countries, and more than 1,900 in the development pipeline.
Luxury & Lifestyle: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo
Premium: voco hotels, HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, EVEN Hotels
Essentials: Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Garner hotels, avid hotels
Suites: Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Candlewood Suites
Exclusive Partners: Iberostar Beachfront Resorts
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 345,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.
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Travel Technology
prnewswire | July 28, 2023
Choice Hotels International, Inc. one of the world's leading hotel franchisors, announced today that all nine Radisson Hotels Americas brands – including Radisson Blu, Radisson, and Country Inn & Suites – are now available to be booked on ChoiceHotels.com. This adds nearly 600 hotels onto its world-class central reservation system ahead of schedule and less than a year since its acquisition of Radisson Americas closed. Choice also announced the successful integration of the Radisson Rewards Americas loyalty program into the award-winning Choice Privileges program. This enables the nearly 60 million Choice Privileges members to earn and redeem points at over 7,400 hotels across 22 brands in 45 countries and territories.
"We are excited to offer travelers hundreds of additional hotels to choose from on ChoiceHotels.com, including numerous upscale and full-service properties, as we welcome our Radisson franchisees to Choice's powerful reservation engine," said Pat Pacious, CEO, Choice Hotels International. "Integrating nearly 600 hotels and the Radisson Rewards Americas program in such a short period of time is a testament to Choice's advanced technology and integration expertise and shows our commitment to providing franchisees with opportunities for optimal success and offering travelers ways to easily find the right hotel to meet their travel needs on one website."
Integration Milestone Marks More Bookable Options on ChoiceHotels.com
More upscale and full-service hotel options located in the U.S., including in 90% of the top 25 markets. Examples include:
Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel (Chicago, Illinois)
Radisson Panama City Beach-Oceanfront (Panama City, Florida)
Cambria Hotel Boston Somerville (Somerville, Massachusetts)
Heights House Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection (Houston, Texas)
4,000 midscale, economy and extended stay locations located within one mile of an interstate exit, many with pools. Examples include:
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Charlottesville-UVA (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Sleep Inn & Suites Lancaster-Platteville (Lancaster, Wisconsin)
Comfort Suites Natchitoches (Natchitoches, Louisiana)
Quality Inn Murfreesboro-University Area (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
Fantastic selection of hotels outside of the U.S. Examples include:
Radisson Blu Hotel Toronto Downtown (Toronto, Canada)
Radisson Blu Aruba (Palm Beach, Aruba)
Clarion Hotel Post (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Comfort Hotel Jeddah King Road (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
hotel around TAKAYAMA, Ascend Hotel Collection (Takayama, Japan)
Radisson RED Hotel Miraflores (Lima, Peru)
Quality Hotel San Martino (Garbagnate Monastero, Italy)
More options for members of Choice Privileges, including the opportunity to earn and/or redeem points at casinos, luxury resorts and vacation rentals through Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Penn Casinos and BlueGreen Vacations. Examples include:
Margaritaville Resort Casino (Bossier City, Louisiana)
Bluegreen Vacations Fountains, Ascend Resort Collection (Orlando, Florida)
Circus Circus Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Integrated Loyalty Programs Bring New Choice Privileges Member Benefits, Co-Brand Credit Cards & More
Diamond Elite members of Choice Privileges, the highest Elite level, starting today, are entitled to free breakfast for two at Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, and Park Plaza hotels in North and South America and LATAM. Click here for a full list of benefits.
Members of Choice Privileges now have more accommodation options to choose from where they earn and redeem points, as well as two new co-branded credit card options which launched earlier this year, that accelerate the number of points earned to get to a redemption night faster. Cardholders can now earn points on everyday purchases, including at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement and phone plans, making this the fastest way to earn points during stays at participating Choice Hotels properties.
About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International, Inc is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. A challenger in the upscale segment and a leader in midscale and extended stay, Choice® has more than 7,400 hotels, representing over 625,000 rooms, in 45 countries and territories. A diverse portfolio of 22 brands that run the gamut from full-service upper upscale properties to midscale, extended stay and economy enables Choice® to meet travelers' needs in more places and for more occasions while driving more value for franchise owners and shareholders. The award-winning Choice Privileges® loyalty program and co-brand credit card options provide members with a fast and easy way to earn reward nights and personalized perks.
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Travel Technology
prnewswire | July 06, 2023
Trip.com Group, a leading travel service provider and Tourism New Zealand, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote New Zealand as a key tourism destination in Asia Pacific.
Trip.com Group's Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategy Alliances, Edison Chen, and Tourism New Zealand's Board Chairman, Jamie Tuuta, in the presence of New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, signed the MOU. The Prime Minister is currently on a working visit to China.
As part of the collaboration, both parties will launch a series of joint marketing campaigns to attract tourists from Asia Pacific to New Zealand. The markets include the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Australia. This will involve the creation of appealing and attractive travel itineraries and experiences to meet specific visitor needs, positioning New Zealand as a destination of choice for travellers.
This partnership marks the first Asia Pacific pan-regional collaboration for both sides.
Edison Chen, Vice President of Destination Marketing & Strategy Alliances, at Trip.com Group said, "With the reopening of China's border, we have seen a marked increase in outbound travel-related bookings and searches in the recent months. We look forward to collaborating with Tourism New Zealand to leverage our resources and deep data insights to boost New Zealand tourism development, fully optimising the travel experience for tourists in New Zealand."
"With the resurgence of international travel post-pandemic, this collaboration could not be better for both parties involved."
Data from Trip.com Group's Ctrip and Trip.com platforms show a keen interest in travel in Asia Pacific, including New Zealand.
Specifically, searches for flights to New Zealand have seen a significant increase of nearly 560% year-on-year, and the volume of bookings was up over 570% compared to the same period last year.
The Chinese mainland was the top source of arrivals to New Zealand in the first half of this year, followed by other key markets, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and South Korea, making the top 10 list.
Tourism New Zealand's Chief Executive, René de Monchy said, "Through the partnership, Tourism New Zealand aims to provide Asia Pacific travellers with more convenient booking methods, personalised itinerary planning, and comprehensive service support. We look forward to welcoming travellers to deeply explore the beautiful landscapes and unique culture of Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as experience our manaakitanga."
About Tourism New Zealand
Tourism New Zealand is responsible for promoting New Zealand in key markets as a visitor destination.Tourism New Zealand is the organisation responsible for marketing New Zealand as a holiday destination. The major tool we use to do this is the 100% Pure New Zealand marketing campaign, a campaign that has evolved over the past decade to make New Zealand one of the world's most well-respected tourism brands.
About Trip.com Group
Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world".
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