TripCraft Launches the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Mobile App: Now Available for Download at ITunes Store

Designed for iPhone/iPod touch and compatible with iPad, the complimentary app offers travelers the ability to book, modify, and cancel “real-time” reservations, browse detailed Mandarin Oriental hotel information, explore destination guides and much more. Launched earlier this year, TripCraft LLC has developed the hospitality industry’s first enterprise platform and consumer application for the delivery of rich hotel content, real-time reservations, on-property services and local destination information via smart phones.

“I might also note that maintaining and leveraging TripCraft’s enterprise-level app is requiring minimal effort and staff on our part because of the fact that it is integrated with our existing technology tools and applications.”

“We are pleased to go live with such a prestigious launch customer, and be among the first in the industry to offer a full enterprise-level platform that provides consumers with a comprehensive shopping, booking, and brand experience, while giving hoteliers the ability to dynamically manage the mobile content, marketing campaigns, and hospitality services offered to their mobile guests,” said TripCraft Co-Founder Mike Murray.

Murray founded TripCraft with hotel technology industry veteran Bill Nicholson when they realized how ubiquitous mobile usage was becoming, and that many hotel companies were scrambling to leverage this new sales and marketing channel. “We recognized an opportunity in that no one had yet been able to create a solution that would seamlessly integrate with and leverage existing hotel operating systems while giving hoteliers complete control over their mobile presence and guest experience,” Nicholson said. “Hence, TripCraft was born.”

The new app went live last week, and is now available globally and downloadable free of charge. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group iPhone application “MO Hotels” is found in the Travel category of the iTunes App Store at www.itunes.com/appstore.

“Mandarin Oriental is at the top of the luxury segment within the hospitality industry and we realize how valuable it is to offer additional touch points to build an interactive relationship with our guests, even when they are not at one of our properties,” said Christoph Oberli, vice president of E-Commerce at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. “Through its stylish design, rich media content, speed of functionality, customization capabilities, and the efficiency of a ‘real-time’ in-app booking tool, this application delivers the premium user experience that guests expect from our luxury brand.

“Our mobile site, which went live in February, has been incredibly successful, and we expect similar success with the first generation of our new app, which we believe is already far superior to any other hotel reservations mobile application currently available,” Oberli continued.

“The app’s back-end capabilities, which are seamlessly integrated with our content management system, central reservation system and destination information systems, are without a doubt, state-of-the-art,” Oberli said. “I might also note that maintaining and leveraging TripCraft’s enterprise-level app is requiring minimal effort and staff on our part because of the fact that it is integrated with our existing technology tools and applications.”

Notable benefits and features of the “MO Hotels” app developed by TripCraft include:

• Comprehensive Property Details: Guests tour Mandarin Oriental’s 26 hotels and resorts around the world with details on room offerings, services and amenities, accompanied by an extensive image gallery for each property. Importantly, the app caches—or makes available offline—a host of this dynamic content, resulting in an app that works seamlessly without network signal coverage. As an added feature, users can view the locations of all Mandarin Oriental hotels from an interactive 3D globe, and simply tap to launch the associated hotel information.
• Real-time Reservations: With direct connections to secure content servers and reservations systems, guests can find rate information and room availability in real-time directly from their iPhones. Travelers can make safe and secure bookings, access existing reservations or change upcoming reservations through user-friendly functions in the program. Hotel and international toll-free contact details are also offered for guests who wish to speak directly with a Mandarin Oriental representative.

• “Tempting Offers”: The latest special offers available at all Mandarin Oriental hotels worldwide are showcased and dynamically updated within the app, ensuring users can take advantage of the most up-to-date information and best available rates as they make travel planning decisions.
• “Cities by MO”: “Cities by MO” is a wide-ranging destination guide that includes recommendations from Mandarin Oriental’s legendary concierge teams. From area attractions, restaurants, shopping and nightlife sections, travelers can search for specific areas of interest – such as ‘Museums & Galleries’ under Area Attractions, or ‘Italian cuisine’ under Restaurants, all yielding quality results. A special point-to-point mapping function is also included, taking advantage of the iPhone’s iOS GPS functionality to make finding any destination that much faster.

Initially available for iPhone/iPad, TripCraft expects to rollout its application to other handheld devices early next year.

“TripCraft’s private-labeled hosted service is the ideal mobile technology solution for brand- and image-conscious hoteliers that recognize the revenue potential of this new sales channel and want to capture the consumer’s attention and extend their brand’s reach,” TripCraft’s Nicholson said, “It is ideal for hoteliers who recognize the growing potential of mobile marketing opportunities but don’t have the in-house expertise to build the appropriate solution themselves. TripCraft can provide these hoteliers with world-class mobile capabilities faster and in a more cost effective manner than developing them in-house.”

 

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