Norwalk-based Priceline.com recently launched a deal-based hotel reservation service that is being bundled into an existing Apple application.
“Usage trends show that approximately 70 percent of Priceline.com”™s mobile customers are booking hotels for same-day check in, so there”™s a clear market need for the Tonight-Only Deals service,” said John Caine, senior vice president of marketing for Priceline.com.
According to Caine, Tonight-Only Deals lets travelers choose the hotels they want for stays the same night with the Priceline.com discounts. The service has been packaged into its free Hotel & Rental Car Negotiator app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
The service gives users access to an inventory of hotel rooms in 34 cities, mostly on the East and West coasts, which can be booked for check-in that same night with a maximum four-night stay, Caine said. He said additional cities would be added.
The deals are posted on the service at 11 a.m. local time and room reservations can be booked up until 11 p.m. local time, or until they sell out. The service will show the names of all the available hotels with descriptions, maps and photos, along with the rates and percentage discounts. It also displays each hotel”™s customer-satisfaction score and reviews generated by Priceline.com guests who have stayed there.
Kristen Ruby, founder and CEO of Ruby Media Group in Mount Kisco, N.Y., which deals in social media and app-based marketing, said Priceline benefits from dipping its toes into the daily-deals world because people often change travel plans on the go, and creating an easy-to-use service is a perfect fit.
The app, including the new service, is now available for free from the iTunes App Store. Though there is an Android version of the hotel and car rental app the new service is not yet available for those users, but Caine said it soon would be. Those who are already Priceline app users will need to download an updated version of the app in order to get the new service.
“Daily deals on existing hotel app listings are also ideal for Priceline users who are traveling on the go, and who are looking to book their travel arrangements based on the best possible price and value,” said Ruby. “There is a huge opportunity for market share and they could potentially change the way that people are currently booking their travel.”
Ruby said the app could give Priceline a huge competitive advantage.
The company also recently launched its first hotel app for the iPad.
