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Is the iPhone App Going to Be the Booking Engine of the Future?

March 25, 2009 at 4:10 PM | by | Comments (2)

This week, UK chain Travelodge made a splash by launching its iBooker, a free, downloadable iPhone application that uses GPS to find your location, pulls up the five closest Travelodge hotels, and allows you to book an available room at the property (you can also book a room via the iBooker without using the GPS system).

This isn't the first free hotel booking engine to make its way onto the iPhone; you may recall that Hotels.com launched a booking application last summer that we found to be, um, not all that awesome. But will this whole booking-via-chain-specific-iPhone app — like the Travelodge iBooker — become the hot new thang? Is this the wave of the future?

We can't help but assume it's only a matter of time until every big hotel chain out there launches something like this — and pretty soon we'll have iPhone apps to download from every hotel chain under the sun. Useful for die-hard brand loyalists, but for us? We don't want 500 different hotel booking applications taking up valuable icon space on our iPhones.

But then again, a "dog whistle" application is listed among the top free iPhone apps right now — so who knows what people want.

What are your thoughts on the iBooker and the inevitable copycats to follow? Sound off.

Comments (2)

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Not yet at least

How many people book hotels on the fly and would need an app like this? Sure, it's convenient in a pinch, but I contend that most hotels are booked well enough in advance that using an iPhone to book is not necessary.
bbagel on March 26, 2009 at 11:53 AM #Permalink

Minimo Hotels

Should also try this, it's alot more useful and stable!
By Minimo Hotels, with over 400 contemporary hotels across the globe. You will be able to connect hotel directly by telephone, email and hotel's official website. All address are link with Google map.
Website: www.minimohotels.com
iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=317817956&mt=8
Charlotte Jazz on July 25, 2009 at 11:40 PM #Permalink

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