This is the regular Tnooz roundup of product news from around the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, all with a technology, online and digital twist - Friday 8 July 2011.
- Budget accommodation brand Premier Inn is the latest chain to risk exposing potential customers to both positive and negative reviews by partnering with TripAdvisor. The latest reviews of every hotel are being placed prominently against every property on its website, following a white label deal signed between the pair this week.
- You can now add Blackberry and Windows Phone smartphones to the list of favored devices for American Airlines' mobile app. The mobile app, which enables travelers to check-in for flights, receive notifications about delays and gate changes, and access their AAdvantage accounts, now is available for the Blackberry Curve, Blackberry Torch, Blackberry Tour, Blackberry Bold and Windows Phone smartphone. The app already could be downloaded for Android, iPhone and Barnes & Noble Nook Color Readers.
- Spin-off for Teletext Holidays-owned Villarenters brand with the launch of LowCostVillas, targeting customers looking for vacation rentals only below a specific price each week. Approximately 3,700 properties from 50 countries around the world will be available on the site. Teletext has helped the launch by promoting the brand from its main website.
- Significant win for online reputation management company ReviewPro after the Louvre Hotels Group entered into a strategic partnership to cover its seven brands -- Première Classe, Campanile, Kyriad, Kyriad Prestige, Tulip Inn, Golden Tulip, and Royal Tulip. The chain has been interacting with around 55,000 guests on a daily basis across 1,100 properties in 40 countries. ReviewPro's technology will be used to give the chain a deeper understanding of what guests are saying about its various brands, and how to react.
- Tapping into the world of its Facebook fans for UK-based camping and caravanning web brand Pitchup, using data from "likes" and comments to populate a top products' list on its fan page. As well as a broader top ten listing to illustrate the most popular sites, data will sliced in other ways to obtain the best locations for families, types of amenities, etc.