July 20, 2011 // Franchising.com // ATLANTA - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [Lon: IHG; NYSE: IHG (ADRs)], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, today announced the global launch of its Priority Club® Rewards app for Windows Phone. This new app provides customers with the functionality to find and book hotel rooms, check rates and view or cancel reservations for all seven of IHG's brands InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®. IHG is the first major hotel supplier to offer an app for Windows Phone.
The Priority Club Rewards app for Windows Phone follows the highly successful release of the iPhone booking apps for each of IHG's seven brands, announced in June 2011; InterContinental Concierge Insider Guides app for iPad in December 2010; the Priority Club® Rewards app for Android in July 2010; and the Priority Club Rewards app for iPhone in April 2010.
"Creating a booking app for Windows Phone is a key extension of our mobile strategy, as we continue to provide guests with booking solutions for their smartphone device of choice," said Michael Menis, vice president, Web and Interactive Marketing, IHG. "Microsoft's partnership with Nokia is expected to expand the reach of its global mobile platform, further positioning Windows Phone as an important and growing touchpoint with consumers. Our new Priority Club Rewards app for Windows Phone provides another mobile booking option for our 58 million Priority Club members."
"Windows Phone is backed by a rich developer ecosystem that is creating a variety of quality games and apps, like IHG's Priority Club® Rewards, that take advantage of the phone's unique features," said Todd Brix, senior director, Windows Phone Marketplace, Microsoft Corp. "With its panoramic design and location aware capabilities, IHG's Priority Club® Rewards app is a great example of the rich applications that people will find on Windows Phone Marketplace," he continued.
Most IHG guests - 65 percent - who book through a mobile device are staying at IHG hotels within one day. To cater to this guest, our Windows Phone booking app includes location aware capabilities to assist guests in booking hotels close to their location and navigating to the property.
The Priority Club Rewards app for Windows Phone also contains the following booking and reservation management features:
The Priority Club Rewards app for Windows Phone is now available in English from Windows Phone Marketplace. To get the Priority Club Rewards app with your Windows Phone, search "Priority Club Rewards" in the Zune Marketplace. To get the app with your computer, visit the Zune Marketplace and download the app and then sync it to your Windows Phone.
IHG continues to be focused on growing its mobile strategy, as the company has seen a nearly 1,000 percent increase in room night bookings from mobile devices and has already surpassed the 2010 total number of room night bookings from mobile devices in only the first five months of 2011. IHG's mobile channels and programs also continue to be recognized throughout the industry, winning TravelCom's Mobile Marketer of the Year; Web Marketing Associations' Best Mobile Travel Application in the Interactive Advertising Competition; and Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association's "Most Effective Mobile Campaign."
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global company operating seven well-known hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty program with 58 million members worldwide.
IHG is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms and IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns, through various subsidiaries, a portfolio of over 4,400 hotels and more than 652,000 guest rooms in 100 countries and territories around the world.
IHG has more than 1,200 hotels in its development pipeline and expects to recruit around 160,000 people worldwide over the next few years.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is a multinational company which operates several hotel brands.