HotelTonight, the sleek iPhone app for same-day hotel bookings, began enabling hoteliers to merchandise to consumers within the app for extras available that evening.
Properties participating in HotelTonight began offering upgrades or add-on services within their hotel displays in the app for services that night, and soon will be able to send guests text messages, as well.
Participating hotels transmit the messages "via the HotelTonight Web interface accessible to hotels (where they set their rates, etc)," says Sam Shank, HotelTonight CEO. "The messages expire in a maximum of 14 hours to ensure they are timely. We'll be adding an ability for hotels to text messages directly into the HotelTonight app soon."
As part of HotelTonight's Happening Tonight service, as it is called, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on May 19 was offering bookers a free upgrade to the HRH Tower.
The Sagamore in Miami was pitching a free upgrade and complimentary restaurant certificate worth $50, and Chicago's Hotel 71 was tossing in two free tickets to this evening's Chicago White Sox-Cleveland Indians baseball game.
This sort of service highlights the potential of mobile advertising and merchandising -- the guests will be at the property that day so there can be an immediacy and relevancy to the extras and offers.
The debut of Happening Tonight coincided with HotelTonight's entry into Las Vegas, a move the company sees as a validation of its app and approach.
Participating properties in Las Vegas include Caesars Palace, Trump International Hotel, The Palms and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
With HotelTonight and Happening Tonight, it's all about, well, tonight.
Hotel bookings can be made up until 2 a.m. for a stay that evening -- technically the previous night -- and can be extended for several nights.