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ATLANTA—Although it’s just one aspect of e-commerce at InterContinental Hotels Group, the company’s Web development team acknowledges there are unique qualities in the mobile Web experience.
“Mobile can touch the guest through all stages of the journey,” said Michael Menis, VP, Web and interactive marketing, who spoke 15 June from IHG’s offices in Atlanta.
Indeed, IHG established its presence last year with three app launches: the Priority Club Rewards for iPhone in April and for Android in July and the InterContinental Concierge Insider Guides for iPad in December.
The company also has a universal mobile Web platform. It was designed to be basic for use with smartphone and tablet products, according to Bill Keen, director, global Web and interactive marketing at IHG.
IHG started looking at native apps when mobile revenue hit the US$1-million mark, Keen said. Furthermore, the company now says monthly revenue is at US$10 million from mobile.
Last week IHG announced iPhone booking apps for each of its seven brands.
“Our initial iPhone efforts were targeted at our Priority Club Rewards program, currently totaling 58 million members, and because our seven brands are at the heart of our business, we are building off that initial success by expanding our iPhone solutions to include apps for each of our seven brands,” Menis said in a statement.
The applications allow search, comparison and booking at IHG properties.
Mobile behavior
Sixty percent of IHG’s transactions via mobile are for same-day bookings, with 50% for its apps as of 15 June.
“That’s an unplanned or last-minute traveler,” Keen said. “It is a traveler persona that we are putting into context of our mobile strategy.”
Menis said IHG will leverage that information in all aspects. For instance, the iPhone apps use location-based technology to show hotels in a traveler’s current area. And the default booking settings are for the user’s current location and the current date.
And there is plenty more in mobile capabilities. For example, the company is piloting use of an encrypted tone as a mobile guestroom key.
