Best Western's iPhone App Taps Into Facebook

January 19, 2010 at 11:18 AM | by Heidi Atwal | Comments (0)

It ain't Shazam, nor a fancy-schmancy application like Chanel's, but Best Western's new iPhone app does have its pluses. When we first heard about the smart phone tie-in, we were slightly taken aback. The budget chain doesn't strike us as very cutting edge or tech-forward, though they have been renovating certain locations for a more modern feel lately.

All the cool kids seem to have an iPhone app these days, so BW has jumped on the proverbial bandwagon. With it, you can search and book rooms, create a travel itinerary and highlight nearby attractions via GPS, "capture and categorize favorite locations," and use the app to share travel highlights via e-mail and Facebook. Which is actually more than what typical iPhone hotel apps on the market have done.

Says Best Western's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Dorothy Dowling, "We can now be even more of a resource for our guests, particularly those who are making decisions on the fly.� Smart move, as the plugged-in masses�with a wealth of options and instant information delivered faster than you can say "search engine"�tend to be capricious about plans these days.

Blackberry devotees and Android users can look forward to getting a version of the app in the new year, while BW will be updating the iPhone version during 2010. As Best Western likes to keep things on-the-cheap for customers, the application is free for download from the iTunes store. We'll be giving this a test-drive to see if it's practical tool, or if that "capture and categorize" feature is pure fluff.

Have you used the Best Western iPhone app? Comment below and let us know how your techie adventures went.

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