The Holiday Inn brand of hotels, owned by UK based InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has released a travel application for the newly launched Windows 8 operating platform-based range of PCs and tablet devices.
The new app will allow the brand’s customers to search and book accommodation at any Holiday Inn hotel globally.
Michael Menis, the vice president, web and interactive marketing, for the company, said, ‘Holiday Inn has transformed the hospitality industry with its innovative and modern approach to guest services, and has a rich heritage of firsts in the industry, so it was a natural fit for our first app for Windows 8 to be rolled out with this industry-leading brand.
Developing an easy-to-use e-commerce app furthers our commitment to identifying and leveraging emerging technology to drive satisfaction for our guests, while optimising revenue delivery for our hotels.’
John Richards, senior director of Windows App Marketing for Microsoft Corp, said, ‘Microsoft app developers have always provided rich functionality and value for our shared customers, and Windows 8 gives them the platform to deliver. The re-imagining of Windows keeps our app developers ahead of the competition and gives our shared customers flexibility and choice.’
In 2011, the brand offered its Priority Club Rewards app for Windows Phone, and is currently offering apps for its hotel brands for iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, and Kindle Fire.
The Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands have around 51 properties in the UK, and around six of them in or around the city of London. The brands claim that in many ways they have been pioneers in the industry, introducing new hotel experiences to guests, including TVs, in-room telephones, air conditioning, complimentary parking and a full service restaurant on the premises, for the first time in the industry. The Holiday Inn brand also remains one of the first to offer complimentary accommodation and food for children, when accompanied by paying adults.
